Child Labour News Updates

Blantyre - As child labour continues to deprive tens of thousands of children of adequate education and good health in Malawi, a radio programme called Straight Talk Youth Magazine currently produced and presented by the Blantyre-based Youth Arm Organisation on the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) radio 2 FM to address the problem, is geared to confront the problem.

William Katunga, Youth Arm Organisation Project Coordinator, says the programme is now focussing on the Advocacy on Stop Harming and Exploitation of Children theme, following a snap survey conducted by his organisation in some districts in the southern region that revealed that many children are being abused through various forms of abuse including the Domestic child labour thereby making them vulnerable to HIV/Aids.

“Child labour is not only a result of guardians dying of HIV/AIDS; it is also a cause of HIV/Aids infections through child prostitution in the process of searching for day-to-day necessities. Sexual abuse of children at work places and domestic households is increasing alarmingly,” he said.

Katunga further said Youth Arm Organisation exists to address socio-economic, reproductive health, education, environmental and human rights issues that affect the youth of Malawi. The Organisation’s vision aims at creating a Malawian society where young people are healthy, empowered, and responsible and actively participate in national development.

Straight Talk Newspaper is also another Communication Channel that will be extensively used to address all anti-child labour activities by Youth Arm Organisation. The paper will carry out various Articles of Domestic and other forms of exploitative labour.

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Lilongwe – A survey carried out in Lilongwe early this year has shown high rates of domestic child labour, according to a child and youth rights activist.

Programme Officer for the Human Rights Youth Network, Mc Henry Makwelero, said the survey which was financially supported by the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef), was conducted between January and February by his organisation in 10 townships, including Kawale,I and 2, Nchesi, Biwi, Area 24, Area 36, Phwetekere and Falls.

“We were interviewing children, employers, chiefs and religious leaders. Out of every ten houses visited in these areas, about seven had employed children who were working as domestic child labourers,” He said.

Makwelero said that after the survey, Human Rights Youth Network started to mobilise communities against child labour through interactive or participatory approach, to form various committees.

“We established committees which have so far made a big impact, as some of the children have been sent to school as a result,” he said, adding however, that funding had not been sufficient, as their initial target was to cater for 100 child workers, “but there are 1000 child workers as I speak.”

The youth organisation is now starting the second phase, which is going to identify and strengthen follow-up mechanisms to ensure that the remaining child labourers are not missed out. The mechanisms will, among other things, include establishment of clinics within the committees.

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Lilongwe - The Lilongwe District Labour Office on Monday last week received two bicycled from the National Youth Council of Malawi for use by child labour monitors in the on-going child labour monitoring exercise.

Deputy Executive Director for the Council, Kennedy Warren, said in an interview the two bicycles, which were presented on behalf of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), brings the total number to seven bicycles, as five of them had already been donated in August last year.

“We initially bought 55 bicycles to be used in each of the 11 impact districts, thus five bicycles for each district. However, during our review meeting some two weeks ago (9 June – 10 June)) at the Natural Resources College, we observed that there was need to add two more in each district, since there are seven monitors in each of them,” he said.

The first donation last year had also coincided with the identification of child labour monitors in the 11 impact districts and the first training for the exercise. However, said Warren, there was now need to do a review not only to identify capacity gaps, but also chart a work plan for the 2004-2005 and build new partnerships with other stakeholders.

Receiving the bicycles, District Labour Officer, Joe Manase, said the bikes would go a long way in addressing the mobility problems, which beset the child labour monitoring exercise.

“These child labour monitors are youth activists who volunteer to gather and supply us with information on child labour through inspections and surveys carried out in our catchments areas. But the process has been done at a very slow pace due to insufficient bicycles to cater for the seven monitors,” he said.

The catchment areas, in which child labour manifested in cattle herding and estate farming was rampant, include Kamphata, Chiseka, Masula and Khongoni. Manase described the sensitisation meetings with local communities in these areas as a great success – despite the transportation setbacks – and therefore stressed there was still need to carry on.

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International Updates

Philippines, 11 June 2004: Visayan Forum Foundation (VF), the South East Asian Regional Coordinator and International Council Member of Global March Against Child Labour organised a Candlelight Vigil to mark the third World Day Against Child Labour initially launched by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 2002. Other Global March partners around the world also be organised various activities in their respective countries.

Around 1,000 child domestic workers, employers and social partners gathered at the Bonifacio Shrine, located between Mehan Garden and Manila City Hall on June 11, Friday to lead nationwide Candlelight Vigil. The programme started at around 5 p.m. and culminated at 6.00 p.m. to kick-off simultaneous vigils in Batangas, Bacolod and Davao. The public was also encouraged to light a candle in front of their homes as a symbol of recognising the working children's rights to humane treatment, security at work, and a chance to schooling.

“The candlelight vigil is a symbol of change, of positive actions we can all do together,” says Ma. Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, President of the Visayan Forum Foundation (VF), which has mobilised its partners to hold similar actions across Asia.

“Instead of just focusing on the negative aspects related to the common practice of employing child domestic workers, we hope to celebrate small victories such as involving employers, bringing back children to school, and pushing governments to finally recognise them as child labourers,” adds Ms. Flores-Oebanda.

http://www.globalmarch.org

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Nepal, June 12- Approximately 500 children including gathered in Kathmandu on June 12, the internationally recognized World Day Against Child Labour. The children marched in solidarity with hand-made signs to protest child labour everywhere. Nepal RUGMARK Foundation, the International Labour Organization, and World Education organised the event.

http://www.rugmark.org

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India, 15 June - Global March Against Child Labour founder and chairperson, Kailash Satyarthi, was attacked on June 15 during a raid of The Great Roman Circus in Colonelganj, District Gonda, India. The circus owner and his gang beat Kailash, his son, a female photojournalist, and several others with iron rods, knives, and guns after being tipped off by the local magistrate.

Kailash and his team were acting on information that hundreds of children were being exploited by the circus. Despite rescue efforts, the majority of the enslaved children remain in the circus circuit. Satyarthi and his family continue to receive threats by the circus owner, which the Indian Government is doing little to remedy.

http://www.globalmarch.org