Irene Agyepong

Overview

African traditional religion has involved the idea and belief in witchcraft . Children in Democratic Republic of Congo have in recent times been accused of sorcery for various reasons . Absurd reasons such as bed-wetting, stubbornness, disability, illness of another family member, sickness such as epilepsy or even being exceptionally intelligent are sufficient premise for allegations to be made as being a child witch. These cases of child witches have been on the rise now and factors such as conflicts, poverty, HIV/AIDS and urbanization can be attributed to the rise. A report by the Guardian indicated that tens of thousands of children live in the market places, cemeteries, and streets of Kinshasa, feeding on rubbish, begging, and stealing as a result of being accused of sorcery and driven away from home. These children are mostly found on the streets of kinshasa, the country’s capital.

Effects

To be accused of being a witch at a very young age ca be very dehumanizing as it has certain effects on the total well- being of a person. It does not only affect their social life but the psychological aspect as well. The accusations made on these children changes their personality and social behavior as a result of rejection from families and the society at large. An example in the article was when a 12 year old was forced to leave home because it was alleged that he was the cause of his mother's death. It also encourages them isolate themselves by withdrawing completely from the society they live in. In the long run, they begin to consider thoughts of suicide due to issues such as depression and loss of self -worth.

Power, Privilege and Oppression

“2017 statistics show that more girls are accused witchcraft than boys between the ages of 6 and 17 years “. A boy is more privileged than a girl is, that is, by virtue of being a boy; they stand less chance of being accused of witchcraft.

In terms of oppression, there have been instances where pastors who claim to have diagnosed children of witchcraft “exorcise” these spirits by maltreating these children. Some acts of maltreatments include beating, burning with hot candle wax or even fire, starving and many more.