South Africa's Youngest Inmates
They're the youngest inmates in South Africa's prison system. But it wasn't any crime of theirs that landed them behind bars. Instead, it was the misdeeds of their mothers. A controversial policy allows pregnant inmates in Johannesburg to keep their children with them as they serve out several years of their sentences. Robyn Curnow covered the story for Inside Africa and filed this BackStory.
Babies Behind Bars in South Africa
Many of them are barely old enough to crawl. And they're learning to walk by grabbing on to the cold steel bars of a prison cell. Robyn Curnow filed a heartbreaking BackStory from inside a Johannesburg prison, where more than two dozen children are being raised by their imprisoned mothers.
Robyn talked with Michael about what it was like, as a mum to two young children of her own, to report on this story. And she explains why she believes the prison babies are actually better off than some of the South African children living outside of jail.
In Kenya, traditional beads that bring suffering for girls
The Samburu tribe in Kenya is known throughout the country for its lavish beaded adornments. The tribe is poor, so these pieces of jewelry are quite valuable to the community. But their significance isn't just monetary.
In one tradition of the Samburu, a male family member will place these beads around the neck of a young girl in the tribe. According to tradition, the man is then permitted to have sex with the girl. It is something that has gone on for as long as the people of the Samburu tribe can remember. And stories of hidden pregnancies, and violent abortions aren't uncommon in this part of the country.
David McKenzie went to visit the Samburu with an activist who is working to stop this practice.
Mutilated and Forced to Beg in Bangladesh
Sara Sidner's shocking report for the CNN Freedom Project introduced us to a young Bangladeshi boy who was approached by a local gang and ordered to beg on the street for profit. When the child refused, the gang beat and mutilated him. But, tragically, he's not alone. As Sara learned, it's an all too common occurrence for street children in southeast Asia. Michael talked with her about her reporting.
Child Mutilated for Refusing to Beg
Sara Sidner brings us the stunning story of a young boy who helped uncover a criminal gang that, for years, has been maiming children and forcing them to beg for money on the streets of Bangladesh. When the gang approached the small child, he refused, and paid a heavy price for his denial.
About The Revealer
A new Back|Story series that unearths fascinating new secrets about places and stories you thought you knew. Every other Thursday on Back|Story“The Revealer” Game
Join the action on our new series, “The Revealer.” Use the photo clues to figure out what the subject of this week’s episode will be. Click on the picture to the left for more.
