Toledo children move from labour to learning

In 2005 the National Committee for Families and Children partnered with the International Labour Organization, which was funding a regional programme to address the problem of child labour. The aim was to discourage the practice, particularly in rural communities. Chairperson of the N.C.F.C., Sandra Hall says another partnership, this time with the Ministry of Education, will now make it possible for over thirty children to leave the fields, shops and kitchens … and return to the classroom.

Sandra Hall, Chairperson, N.C.F.C.
“While we are not an implementing agency we agreed to take that role on so that we could ensure that the project would get off the ground and that we could reach those children who needed to be taken out of the formal workforce. We particularly targeted the Toledo District because it’s a special area and too often we often forget about Toledo. So we did that pilot project in 2005 in the Toledo District.

Marion Ali
“Since you said you’re not an implementing agency, how do see yourselves carrying out the programme successfully?”

Sandra Hall
“Well we partnered with, locally with UNICEF in that they have a programme that’s going on in the Toledo District, so we piggy back, so to speak, on what they call TOLCA. We piggy-backed on that because we don’t have staff to implement projects and it proved to be very successful. The children went into schools; they did very very well. Their reports show that they had the capacity to learn and we had to struggle after the pilot project to find funding. Last year the Ministry of Education did assist with tuition and this year they have committed to assist the children for the duration of their school period with uniforms and books and tuition and all the fees that go along with having children in school. So we are particularly happy with that because it ensures that the children will not have a reason to drop out of school because the support is there from the Ministry of Education and Labour.”

Hall says the children are all high school students and that the N.C.F.C. will look at areas beyond Toledo to expand the programme.