Reducing Child Labour Through Education – USDOL Funded Project

Background: The United State Department of Labour (USDOL) partnered with Jesus Cares Ministries and in 2002 and awarded with a cooperative agreement based on USDOL competitive procurement. The effective period of this project was from Septemeber 2002 to August 2006. The overall goal of the project was: (1) Making parents, teachers and community members aware of the importance of education and negative effects of child labour.; (2) Strengthen transitional system; (3) Sensitizing national institutions that make policy on child labour and education and (4) Susutaining the JCM vulnerable children programme on a long term basis. To achieve these goals, JCM used Bureau of International Labour Affairs (ILAB) Education Initiative funds to operate 8 transitional schools in the Copperbelt, Eastern and Lusaka Provinces.

Achievement and Impact: The project successfully withdrew 2,747 children from stone crushing, agriculture activities and other form of child labour and empowered them with education, soft skills and psychosocial support to make them resilient and confident of themselves. Over 900 households were economically empowered with IGAs and linked to business opportunities. More than 11,000 community members mobilized sensitized on child labour issues and the importance of education. Ensure that the gains are sustained, the project built capacity of local structures such the Community Child Labour Committees (CCLC), Schools and traditional leaders in child labour programmes.