Emerging Good Practices on Involving Children in Implementing Child Labor Free Zones in Uganda

Protecting the children,

securing the future

Anslem Wandega; ANPPCAN Uganda

EMERGING GOOD PRACTICES ON INVOLVING

CHILDREN IN CREATING CHILD LABOUR FREE

ZONES IN UGANDA; ANPPCAN- UGANDA’S

EXPERIENCES

Presentation at East African Regional Symposium on Child Work/Child Labour,

20-21 March 2014

Protecting the children,

securing the future

Introduction

ANPPCAN Uganda is

part of the continent-

wide movement of

chapters in over 26

African countries

Pioneer African NGO

to promote and

protect the rights of

children in Uganda

established in 1992

Protecting the children,

securing the future

Location of Uganda in

Africa & ANPPCAN areas of

operation in Uganda

Protecting the children,

securing the future

HISTORY

ANPPCAN has been Implementing anti-child labour

initiatives since 2001

2001 –Addressing worst forms of child labor in

Arua, Jinja & Kasese districts

2002 – 2004 – Addressing harmful child domestic

work in Rakai district

2005 – 2006 – Addressing child labor through the

SCREAM Methodology in Rakai

2007-Integrating the voices of children in the NAP

2010 - 2012 – Support to implement the NAP

against child labor in Uganda

2011-2013- Reducing child exploitation in Kampala

and Jinja

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securing the future

Consolidating Gains in

the past Anti - Child

labour Initiatives

In 2013 with funding from HIVOS, a much

more focused IABA project was started in

Rakai district to consolidate further the

gains of past anti-child labour campaign.

Purpose

To contribute to elimination of child

labour in Uganda through the creation of

child labour free zones in Rakai district.

Protecting the children,

securing the future

Understanding

CLFZ

A child labour free zone is a place where no child

labour exists and where all children go to school.

This could be a village or a plantation.

In a child labour free zone everyone is convinced

that all children of school going age must be in

school on full time and regular basis.

Everyone is in such a zone convinced that a

school is the best place for these children to

work and get nurtured into a responsible adult

Everyone, including children therefore

cooperates to completely eliminate child labour

and get all children into school.

Protecting the children,

securing the future

Rakai CLF Zones

The program is being

piloted in two Parishes of

Mitukula and Nakatoogo

in Rakai district with the

expectation of having all

children of school going

age in the two parishes

in school, regularly

attending school and on

full time basis

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securing the future

Process of establish

CLFZ in Rakai

Working with children, we conducted a baseline

survey and findings showed that 71% of boys and

girls in the two parishes had dropped out of

school in in the previous year due to heavy child

work demands

The process to identify, verify and withdraw

affected children to be enrolled back in school

was done with active involvement of children.

In consultation with children, we set up and

supported two Motivation Centres and Short

Term Camps (MCSTC) for 400 older (9-14) never

been to school children withdrawn from child

labour to join lower classes

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securing the future

Process Cont.

These MCSTC built children’s

confidence and motivation to

enroll and stay school.

In consultation with children,

we established and supported

two non residential Bridge

Centres for Accelerated

Learning for 100 withdrawn

older out of school children

in the age ranges 9 -14 who

had chosen not to start in the

lowest classes of Primary

school.

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securing the future

Process cont..

Over 1,600 children

aged 5 to 14 years who

had either never been

to school or dropped

out school were

enrolled in school and

provided with

scholastic materials

(books, pens,

mathematical sets,

toilet tissues), and

uniforms.

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securing the future

Process cont..

We also provided technical support to schools to

develop and implement policies and procedures to

prevent and respond to violence against children.

o This enhanced retention in school

We worked with 50 young persons (15-24) to reach

out to children doing exploitative work and their

families with anti-harmful work messages.

We strengthened two child labour monitoring

committees through training and facilitating them to

conduct their duties.

We organized exposure visits for relevant government

bodies and CBO leaders to successful child labour

free zones

Protecting the children,

securing the future

Process cont..

We undertook advocacy with children at district

level targeting key decision makers to fast track

the implementation of relevant laws and policies

towards declaring the targeted areas child labour

free zones.

We established coalitions of 20 (10 per zone )

CSOs to advocate for policy change, clearer

guidelines for parents, schools, police and

schools to implement policies and procedures to

protect children from violence

We supported children’s initiatives in schools to

encourage their colleagues to stay in school

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securing the future

Process ctd

through the letter link boxes strategy. Here, in

school children write letters on various issues

affecting them and drop them in boxes which are

located in appropriate spaces for support.

Trained community conversations facilitators to

conduct ongoing CC sessions to address child

labor

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securing the future

What has worked

Two promising practices 1. Use of the CC Model and

the Letter Link Boxes. I will talk about one:-

Using Community Conversation Meetings to sensitize

communities on child harmful child work/ labor

o The model has proved to be economic, community

issues driven and hence sustainable

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securing the future

Community cont..

CCs have brought

adults and children

together to dialogue &

explore the

underlying causes of

exploitative child

work/labor in in their

environment and

generate local

solutions to address

the problem.

Protecting the children,

securing the future

What has worked

ctd…

The tool has enabled

us to deepen a

community’s

understanding on

child labour,

facilitated decision

making and taking

action in the local

context.

Protecting the children,

securing the future

What has worked

ctd…

The group dynamic

processes has

empowered

communities and their

members to revise

values and cultural

practices on positive

child rearing practices

Protecting the children,

securing the future

What has worked

CCM fitted well in the concept of child labour free

zone since it involved every community members,

including children and sweepingly cleared

communities of harmful child work/labour .

o It has worked as the most efficient and effective

tool for community mobilization and child

empowerment.

It enabled us to hinge on indigenous knowledge

base to engage communities in the campaign against

harmful child work/labour while at the same time

teach children roles and socialize them into

responsible adults

Protecting the children,

securing the future

What has worked

ctd…

We are very optimistic that with the changes in

attitudes and behavior on child labour and

involvement of children in decision making on

issues affecting them, we are noticing in these

two communities, a long lasting solution to

addressing harmful child work/labor in these two

communities is eminent

Protecting the children,

securing the future

The end