World Day Against Child Labour

Stopping forced child labour globally

Close your eyes and imagine a young child that you know, being forced to work tirelessly, in dangerous and abusive circumstances, forsaking their education and their childhood, to help keep their family afloat.  For us at Joshua Orphan and Community Care and for the children we support, this is unthinkable. Sadly, child forced labour is not only a reality for millions of young children today, but is getting worse every year, as highlighted by Unicef in  Child Labour: Global estimates 2020, trends and the road forward.  Today is the World Day Against Child Labour, and this year’s theme is: Social Justice for All - a reminder, if we needed it, for us all to reflect on how we can protect children and guarantee their right to a childhood, an education, and a better future.

The World Day Against Child Labour is organised by the International Labour Organisation and is observed on June 12th. This day aims to raise awareness about the plight of children who are forced into labour or any form of slavery around the world. It is an opportunity to promote the rights of children and to call on governments, organisations, and individuals to take action to eliminate child labour and slavery. 

In Africa alone, 72.1 million children are estimated to be in child labour which accounts for one fifth of all African children.

According to the International Labour Organisation, in Africa alone 72.1 million children are estimated to be in child labour which accounts for one fifth of all African children. Children who are forced into labour are denied their basic human rights, including the right to education, health, and a childhood. They are often subjected to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and their lives are at risk due to dangerous working conditions.

This day serves as a reminder that we all have a role to play in protecting the rights of children.  To support this cause, individuals can educate themselves about child labour, advocate for policies that protect children's rights, and support organisations such as Joshua Orphan and Community Care where we work in a very direct and practical way to provide some of the poorest children in the rural areas around Blantyre the best possible start in life.

Supporting early Childhood development - Joshua Community Childcare Centres

One of the principal reasons that children are forced into labour is the extreme financial pressure faced by parents and guardians to feed their families.  This pressure means that parents have no option other than to pull their children out of education and put them to work, just so that their family members can survive. 

Joshua operates 17 Community centres in the Blantyre region, where we provide nearly 1000 children with at least one nutritious meal a day. We supply food, cooking equipment, seeds for crops, fruit trees, educational materials and training for the carers who work voluntarily. Additionally, the Community Centres provide pre-school education and healthcare, which also contribute towards easing the financial burden on families and helping to keep their children at school.     

Collaboration with Schools

There is no doubt that Education holds the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. However, even though Primary Education is free in Malawi, Secondary Education must be paid for, and many families cannot afford to keep their children in school during this critical time in their schooling. 

Over the years, we have worked with primary schools and secondary schools in Blantyre rural and supported hundreds of students to attend schools near their home.

Keeping children in school is one of the best ways of ensuring that they are not forced into labour and that they enjoy the basic human right of education.

Parent Awareness Training

Parent awareness is a fundamental step along the road to keeping children out of forced labour.  At our centres we’ve been able to introduce training programs where we have provided workshops on the importance of education, gender equality, child safeguarding, along with other health, nutrition, and family planning issues. 

Help us continue to promote parent awareness programmes to ensure that parents keep children in education, by supporting our Joshua Orphan and Community Care projects. 

Together, we can work towards a world where every child is free to live a life free of slavery and labour exploitation.  At Joshua Orphan and Community Care, we work towards this goal, but we need your support.

What are your thoughts on Child Labour? Do you think there’s more that needs to be done?

For media enquiries, requests for speakers, or other information, please email lorraine@joshuainmalawi.org.uk 

Author: Nicola Avgherinos, Communications Volunteer