The International Labour Organization (ILO) has zeroed in on coffee and tea sectors in four counties in efforts to eradicate child labour.
The counties set to benefit from the programme dubbed Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labour in Supply Chains in Africa (ACCEL) include Nyeri, Kericho, Kisii, and Meru.
Kenya’s ACCEL-Africa Project Coordinator Hellen Rintari says among programmes being undertaken under the initiative include training on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and sensitization workshops in regard to children’s protection against exploitation.
“Our main focus is to accelerate our actions towards the elimination of child labour especially in the agricultural sector. We have two main value chains we are looking at and that is the tea and coffee sectors. In Kenya we are implementing this project in four counties, with Nyeri being one of them. Today we are here (Nyeri), and this is just one of the buildup activities to the main day which is June 12 commemorating the World Day Against Child Labour,” said Rintari while addressing the press on the sidelines of a children stakeholders’ forum at the White Rhino Hotel.
The theme of this year’s celebrations is: Progress is Clear, but there is more to do: Let’s speed up efforts.
Statistics from the ILO show that one out of every four children in Kenya and the larger Sub-Saharan Africa are being exploited in some form of labour.
Figures from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) indicate that 8.5 percent of children in Kenya (1.3 million) are engaged in child labour.
And while 30 per cent of child labour cases are from ASAL counties, the agriculture sector plays a big role in contributing to child exploitation, especially in the tea and coffee sectors.
Rintari said part of the ACCEL objective is to loop in the youth and enable them access decent forms of employment.
The agency which is partnering with the Government of the Netherlands, is also training staff from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) to help enhance delivery of justice for children involved in labour.
“Part of the work we have completed is our training in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in terms of how we prosecute our children in court cases. We have also trained the Deputy County Commissioners in all four counties because they are the main holders of the security apparatus, and they need to be aware we are in as a project. We are working together with the Government in terms of policy adjustment just to make sure that our policies are up to date,” she stated while stressing the need for both counties and the National government to do more in tackling the vice of child labour in the country.
“We are assisting the counties to come up with child protection policy, and this covers not only the children involved in (providing labour) in tea and coffee estates, but we are also looking at the well-being of the child at the end of the day,” the coordinator said.
Nyeri County Labour Officer Joan Wangari said the Government is working closely with relevant stakeholders within the county to address the challenge of exploitation of children at the workplace.
She noted that while the number of children engaged in labour in the country remains unknown, there was a need to sensitize the masses on the need to safeguard the rights of children and discourage the practice at all costs.
“Our main aim in this stakeholders’ engagement forum is to ensure that we create awareness among various community leaders that we can fight child labour. We are engaging various sectors from non-governmental organizations. We also have teachers who really interact with children on a day-to-day basis. Our main aim today is to define what child labour is so that people can be more informed and strive not to engage in child labour,” said the officer.
Joseph Kabuthia Mburu, who is Nyeri County Children Officer, emphasized the need for parents to be at the forefront in safeguarding the rights of their children as one way of ensuring they attain their full potential in life.
Mburu noted that as members of the society, children should only be engaged in menial tasks within the family circle that do not imperil their growth and development or curtail their right to obtain quality education.
“Child labour is detrimental to children development and growth because it prevents this from developing to their full potential and denied access to education and also, they don’t have time play which is very essential in their growth. We are not against children working. Children are members of the community and therefore should be allowed to do small chores in the family so that they can develop and become responsible human beings in the society,” he told the press.
By Samuel Maina and Christine Mumbi
