Stop child labour, start schooling
Project: Non-Formal Basic Education project for out-of-school working children & Community-Based Multi-Stakeholder Child Labour Free Zones
Location: Debre Tabor & Adama | Ethiopia
Date: Tuesday 6 November 2012, Monday 12 November & Tuesday 13 November 2012
Partners: Wabe Children’s Aid and Training (WCAT) & Forum on Sustainable Child Empowerment (FSCE), supported by Kinderpostzegels Nederland | Hivos as part of the Stop Child Labour campaign
What did the hitchhikers do?
Whether you are in the cities or on the countryside of Ethiopia, children are helping out their parents and making small money to provide for food and other basics. To protect child rights, the Stop Child Labour campaign was initiated by our partner Hivos. The hitchhikers had a look at the work of two Ethiopian organizations that are part of this campaign.
In the rural North of Ethiopia, in East Estie district, the hitchhikers were received by Wabe Children’s Aid and Training (WCAT). East Estie is a district in a hilly area in the highlands of Ethiopia with many quite isolated villages, often without a school. Access to education is a big problem there, as is child labour, circumcision of girls and child marriages. WCAT is trying to change this by building village schools together with the local population, giving trainings about children’s rights and the harmful effects of ‘Harmful Traditional Practices’ like child labour, girl circumcision, child marriages. Also, by establishing and training Youth Clubs they teach children and youth that they can stand up for their own rights.
In the more urban environment of Adama, South of Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, the hitchhikers spent two days with Forum on Sustainable Child Empowerment (FSCE). FSCE is working together with all the important actors to improve the overall situation of children in their area. The local communities, government, schools and businesses cooperate to create so-called Child Labour Free Zones where children go to school rather than work in factories or on garbage belts.
Who are the partners involved?
"Stop Child Labour – School, the Best Place to Work" is an international campaign of Alliance2015, coordinated by Hivos. Stop Child Labour aims to eliminate all forms of child labour and to ensure formal full-time and quality education for all children, at least until the age of 15. The campaign supports organizations in Asia, Africa and Latin America who work on the principle that 'no child should work; every child must be in school'. The hitchhikers joined two of these organizations in Ethiopia for a few days. This campaign is not only about children, it calls on all actors involved to take a stand, in Africa, in Europe, worldwide. It is up to consumers, companies, governments and international organizations to be part of the solution and create more and more Child Labour Free Zones like the ones we saw in Ethiopia.
The Stop Child Labour campaign is one of the many initiatives through which our partner Hivos wants to contribute to a fair, free and sustainable world. Together with local organizations in developing countries, Hivos strives for a world in which all citizens – both men and women – have equal access to resources and opportunities for development.
What were the hitchhikers experiences? Can we see some photos, footage or blogs?
On November 10, we had the pleasure of interviewing Henk van Zuidam during our online multicast. Henk van Zuidam, who is Program Coordinator Africa @ Kinderpostzegels (partner in the Stop Child Labour campaign), shared more on their approach in tackling child labour and the challenges that we are up to together.
Watch episode 10, in which the hitchhikers visit the Stop Child Labour campaign below!
