The E.Y.E. Blog project

I- Children or Youngsters with parents of different nationalities who split up and become ‘ love hostages’.

1- First to start with: the well-known case of a French university professor who’s still in prison in British Columbia , in the Eastern part of Canada (Pacific Ocean Coast), as she was trapped by her former husband who asked her to come over with their children, so that he could see them; she was unfortunately legally sued for going back to France with the kids without her husband’s consent to let her go back, when she realized he belonged to a sect, and wanted the children to enter it, so she tried to hurry away back to France,to preserve them from such a decison they would not  have taken in keeping with  their own will, but she failed to fly away in time. Her case made the press  and TV news headlines again we got to learn that on top of that she was expecting a baby from her French husband; she was deprived to see her children legally and regularly until the case would be judged, and above all because even in such a sophisticated province as British Columbia, the conditions of detention being what they were, this triggered controversy in both countries, as she was even denied medical treament when she needed so. But it’s true that in France pregnant women are very carefully looked after, whereas in North America this is another story… The delivery of course happened much earlier than expected considering the living conditions  of the mother… and  the elder children, who really cared for them and what they were experiencing? Besides you need to keep in mind that once in prison your baby is taken away from you after a few months and placed in an adoptive family!

Any reaction EYEbloggers?

2) The present controversial issue of the French-Russian baby girl kidnapped by a group of people who tried to help the Russian mother to get her daughter back.

As her father was attacked and injured in front of his daughter and the girl was then kidnapped,  but her mother was arrested just in time while driving close and ready to cross  the Russian boarder. The girl immidiately was given back to her father with a GP (doctor) to look after her and her father, while the mother was sent to prison.

Last news: a compromise maybe found between the parents, as the baby girl is legally living in France with her father. One may wonder about that young child’s inner experience and feelings and the subsequent trauma this may entail and she will have to overcome to be able to live her life as best she will wish to?

Any reaction EYEbloggers?

3- A numerous number of children or youngsters vanish, being kidnapped by one parent and ‘for good’ ( meaning for the rest of their life!), sometimes they are allowed to give a phone call, but in most terrible cases they vanish for life! Again… what about their own personal development as individuals, and maybe potential parents one day, too?

II- Children being abandoned or sold . ( which one of my 3rd year class wanted to talk about last time)

1- to work as slaves.

2- boys or girls to be used, abused and work as prostitutes in their own countries or abroad. Even when over 18 some boys or girls are offered jobs abroad and then deprived of their identity papers, to remain under the control of gangs abroad mainly, which makes it more difficult for them to run away!

3- Babies sold to parents in need of paternity or maternity, or worse kids from developing countries sold or kidnapped to sell their organs to save the lives of other children in wealthier countries ( Sorry but in France  very serious TV reports deal with all that, and our pupils are not indifferent to those topics!)

No need to mention the part played by internet in those cases…

III- Under-age pregnancies

1) But as you’re still very young, another matter of concern which has spread over the USA drastically and nightmarishly ( Remember the plastic-baby dolls made on purpose and given to ‘young couple over a week-end or more, and experience what life is when you’re in charge of a child, since like a ‘Tamagoshi Pet”, the dolls would cry out for food, when they felt their nappies were full and uncomfortable, when they felt like being cuddled or else…); the phnemomenom then has reached the UK and you’ve heard of this cute looking under-age British couple with their newly-born… the father being 12 or 13 ( please do not hesitate to remind me his correct age), and…

2)this now also concerns up to 4500 girls in France each year! Yes, indeed those figures were reliably taken from a thoroughTV report on the topic at stake, most of those girls are under-age, their boyfriends are so cute first, they really want to support them and keep the baby before they run away, even before the baby’s born, but NOT ALWAYS… some are gentlemen, and luckily some parents are real reliable people that can accept to help them  bring up the child, along with their teeange girl or boy who has become a father or a mother,too… sometimes parents do, but not always….

So, in the South of France a brand-new house opened to host those mother-girls who are all in that house full of love for their baby, and their babies are well-cared for and brought up by their mums (nd highly qualified nurses who see to them everyday and live with them, but not in their flats of course!)  as responsible people, but those girls who if still underage are not allowed to travel for example if they’re not with an adult. This house also helps them to go back to secondary school if they wish, and do their best to do so anyway… and help them to carry on their studies and learn their lessons, while learning how to become a reponsible parent, at the same time!

One cannot be left indifferent to those real stories… and in France some schools do their best to help along those girls who end up on their own, and in our school we’ve had to face that case… and did our best… fortunately the girl already had had her graduating degree the year before, but had chosen to stay in our school to get better results and enter the school she wanted to, as it sometimes happen with some of our pupils who really want to achieve their dreams and the right school that will prepare them for their future job;  so when the legal  time for rest that we can enjoy in France arrived when we’re pregant, and for her it was Spring time, she was safe, and the baby’s fine now. But all those girls express how difficult it is to face other pupils’ or students’ ill-intended reactions at first, although you’ve all reached the age when you’re so proud to boast about some ‘feats’ you have personnaly achieved or not!  (see what I mean…), please be very respectuous and careful!

IV- In France we also have to face the terrible situations of some of our girls  at school who one day vanish , very often when they turn 16, since in France education is compulsory until the age of 16, as their family and with due respect to their traditons send them back to their country of origin, where sometimes they were not born and have never visited before to get married willingly or unwillingly…

V- ( Still a topic my 3rd years wanted to deal with), in some Asian countries, girls cost too much, since the parents have to pay for their daughters’(s) wedding and all the furniture and clothing that they have to offer to their in-laws… and are otherwise sold when their parents cannot afford to marry them … lets’ say decently… and you’ve all heard about this 12 year old girl who’s MANAGED to ask for her getting divorced, she was of course invited over in France and most of us saw her on TV reports or news and French TV stages, wishing her the best for her future now.And the book of her life is now edited.

Since my own students who most of them are 13-14 in 3rd year are so eager to share with me those kind of issues and ponder over them, we thought it may ring a bell to your ears or still keep ‘opening up your eyes, your ears, your mouth’ ( cf Asa’s beautiful song and the beautiful mini-films that the present 4th years ( + some 3rd years who have gaduated to Senior high schools) managed to make last year with their music teacher and that you can still have a look at, their performance was largely acknowledged duing the conference in Iceland last Spring.

But WHATEVER your contributions are, believe us they’re ALWAYS worth it! So please don’t be shy to drop a few lines on your EYEblog!