Demonstrating Elimination of Child Labor through Awareness Raising and Education

The Plight of Child Labour in Balochistan
Balochistan is the pooret province of Pakistan; comprising 44% of the total area of Pakistan it is the largest province 63% of the population lives below the poverty line  and 24 out of 27 (at the time of assessment there were 27 districts but now there are 29 districts in Balochistan) while population living in high degree of deprivation standards starts as high as 88%  districts are the poorest of the country . The province economically depends on agriculture, livestock and in coastal areas on fishery. It has experienced droughts and negligence in regard to infrastructural and social development  which continues to subject the common man mainly children at risk of basic survival. There are no industrial opportunities or any other economic activity  that can absorb the local population.

The critical condition of Mass poverty has resulted in mass child labour in the province, due to which a lot of children who want to attend school are utterly unable, because they cannot bear the expenses  or are not in a position to quit work as their and their families’ survival is dependent on their income.

Quetta being the capital of the province is the only urban area of the province, a large number of working children both from the refugee community and local community are engaged in motor garages, hotels, vegetable markets, working as hawkers, shop keepers, driving donkey carts, carpet weaving etc. These children involved in the workforce are more exposed to various kinds of abuse than those going to the educational institutes. The situation of child labour resoundingly asks for most immediate and practical actions, which if faltered at this crucial stage may entail damaging results. One can see the results, thousands of innocent souls on street working in different field including motor garages and/or in its related work and exposed with all kind of abuse and exploitation. SEHER decided to intervene in the motor garages in May 2005 and help children working in the motor garages, live a life of dignity through demonstrating elimination of child labour through awareness raising and education (DECLARE)

Categorization of Children working in Garages
Working on the Rehabilitation of children working in different work places (irrespective in hazardous or non hazardous labor) is very sensitive and complex one, which need very clear understanding of the issue, situation and exact steps to be taken to rehabilitate them. A insignificant error in the judgement may take the implementing agency very far from the rehabilitation, even may prove in the institutionalization of the child labor.

First and foremost thing for SEHER was to understand the conceptual difference between interchangeably used terms of child labour and working child and secondly understanding the main source, from where they filters and lands in the work places. In this regard very intense brainstorming sessions and consultative meetings were held within and outside SEHER with various stakeholders base on which SEHER was able to conceptually define (functional definition) the difference in the light of CRC and keeping the specific social structure and level of poverty in Balochistan in consideration.

Baseline survey:
Once functional definition is defined and the main sources for where children slips and lands in the work places are identified, then it was time to understand the exact number of children working in motor garages, nature of problem they are facing and mechanism to develop support mechanism for them. Hence a Baseline survey was carried out to ascertain the nature/level and volume of child labour undertaken in selected localities, categorized as garages, spare part shops, restaurants, vegetable markets, motor cycle workshops, Junk markets, service stations, cart riders, hawkers, car wash and bakeries.

The entire SEHER team put their consolidated efforts for collection of necessarily required information on the designed survey forms. The survey revealed some very astonishing areas of concerns that needed immediate concerns.

The following extract from the survey report is a glimpse on the quantum and intensity of the issue:

 “51% of the children are orphan and children are compelled to work to survive the family which shows the highest number of parents fall under death. 27% of the parents are working in private sector either they are working in shops, hotels, auto workshops or running their own small businesses or occasionally they are jobless. 11% of the parents working in shops, 6% in govt jobs, and only 1% are associated with Agriculture to support their families but not in very good economic condition as to provide all the basic facilities to children.
 
As per respondent’s response, 62% children are working full day but they are living in their own homes. No case so far has been registered as child living in street particularly child working in garages. As in Quetta most of the parents take their children to shops and then also sent to the school either in morning or in evening. They are of the view that children would grow under their supervision for better future and therefore, 28% children have the opportunity to go to school. Children at home and not working are 7% which is much more serious figure and only 1% refers to other.”

The information collected through survey helped in designing implementation strategies and decision making of the project. It also helped in identification of working children for Internal Lending Schemes (ILS) and Income Generation schemes (IGS) for the sustainability of the process.
 
Establishment of Working Children Care Centres (WCCCs)

2.2.1 Non formal and formal education
Classes of non formal education were held on regular bases, the educational classes were without purpose, keep engage those children (labour children) who had previously been dropped out or who fell into the right age-bracket to be accepted into formal schools.  While literate those children who have never been to schools Hence, Non-Formal Education NFE as an alternative education were provided to those who due to their age could not receive formal education through schools.
2.2.2 Life Skill Based Education
Based on SEHER’s experience, Life Skill Based Education was made part of the syllabus so that improvement in the behaviour and attitude of the children could be brought about. The LSBE primarily focused the following areas in children’s personality development:

•           Problem Solving
•           Decision Making
•           Creative Thinking
•           Critical Thinking
•           Self Awareness
•           Coping with stress
•           Coping with emotions
•           Effective Communication
•           Interpersonal Relationship

Over 200 children (12-17 years age group) went through LSBE trainings in four training cycles and brought qualitative changes in their lives. The results can be understood that as many as 118 children pulled out themselves and enrolled in schools. 

Recreational Activities:
Access to recreational activities is one of the key elements  that SEHER ensured during its multiple reformatory activities. Children spent most of their leisure times in indoor and outdoor games and kept the blissful spirit of childhood alive in themselves. Some of the joyful recreational activities included:

In-door and Out-door games:
Exploring the natural playing craze of the children SEHER provided the children all necessarily required items for traditionally celebrated games of cricket and football in addition to Sega Games, Ludo and Karamboard. The thrill in games remained the centre of children’s attraction, which to a great extent helped in reviving their lost childhood.

Creative Arts:
The children hidden realms were touched with creative activities art. The children throughout the year expressed their incommunicable feelings and thoughts through artwork and released their mental stresses. The children expressed their extreme interests in making posters, skit performances, singing songs and poetries.  

Picnics:
Children were occasionally taken to renowned picnic spots, where the children were temporarily relieved from harsh moments of the garages, working under the scorching heat of the sun, disgusting smells of burnt oils and hazardous chemicals. Children formed a world of childish ecstasy wherein they sang songs and cohesively danced on the beats of drum. They enjoyed the nutrient meals, fruits and juices. 

Providence of Nutritious supplements:
The children do not get balanced diet during their long working hours. The children work 12 to 14 hours a day without proper nutrient which results in malnourishment in the long run. SEHER felt a vital need of nutritious supplements in rehabilitation of children and, therefore, started a program to serve rich nutritious supplements to children. The supplementary foods included milk, eggs, juices and fruit on daily bases and chocolate, ice cream, chart and pachora on weekly basis

Health services:
Adequate health services were provided to all working children enrolled and visited the health centres. This activity on one hand helped in improving the health condition of the working children and on the other hand, to a great extent, helped in knowing the quantum of sexual and physical abuse with the working children and also disclosed incidences of sexually communicable diseases/infection of HIV/AIDS and STIs.

Improving livelihood:
Since adult unemployment or low income leads to child poverty including child labour Internal Lending Schemes (ILS) and Income Generation schemes (IGS) were introduced to link up with the parents/guardians of the children provided with vocational training and entrepreneurship skills. It was an alternative means of livelihood for the parents of young working children. Once the parents learned the skills income generating plans were developed, feasibly assessed and were given financial grant on maturity. The grants were awarded with the condition to resume the education of their children and commitments to keep continue their education.

Provision of alternative means of livelihood to the parents/guardians of the children working the garages and other hazardous work places is done through various skill training followed by financial package for starting self employment to 70 families parents/guardians of category B children i.e. “children who dropped out schools due to poverty/lack of resources” which is resulted pulling out 180 children from garages and other hazardous work places and enrolled in the schools.

Ensuring the continuity of children to be in the schools or in other work at other some point parents/guardians should not once again take the child from school to work places. SEHER has not only taken affidavit separately from their family/parents/guardians but also pays regular follow up visits of the schools where such children are enrolled to monitor their regularity and drop out, but also pay visits of the work/small business of the family/parent/guardians to guide them for further improvement in their initiative/business as well as ensure that child is not indulged in any labour. As far as category A i.e. “children who dropped out due to corporal punishment and/or protection issues is concerned SEHER had series of orientations with various school management and teaching staff (mostly those schools, from where children were dropped out due to corporal punishment and/or protection issues). The result of regular orientation and sensitization resulted in formation of child welfare committees (CWC) consisting of school management and teachers, in 7 schools as well child welfare and protection councils(CWPC) in all 7 schools consisting of 11-15 children of the respective schools. Ensured as protection mechanism for children enrolled from the category A or children who dropped out due to corporal punishment and/or protection issues. 83 such children are re-enrolled in different schools of Quetta city. While regular follow up visits and monthly meeting with CWC and CWPCs ensured protection of re-enrolled children in particular and other children in schools in general.

While under the category C i.e. “Children who dropped out schools due to lack of copping with the courses/syllabus is concern, SEHER believes that each child has its natural tendency, which is also proved by “Multiple Intelligence Theory” child may have its own area of interest, instead of forcing him/her to be schooled he/she may not be of a person or having the tendency towards intelligence    school keeps its learning foundation on it. He/she might be of other intelligences  to which school does not give any room and declare him/her incompetent, duffer and/or unable in copping the course/syllabus. Keeping the importance of “other intelligences” in mind, SEHER focused those children, who were neither due to poverty nor due to corporal punishment and/or protection issue dropped out from schools and landed in the hazardous work places through its working children care centres. They have been given all the opportunities to enhance their various intelligences such as under kiensthetic intelligence, regular opportunity of indoor games (chess, laudo, Caram Board, cards, video games) and outdoor games (foot ball, cricket, volleyball, various races etc) under the musical intelligence (folk dance, singing songs, poetry, skits dramas, playing various musical instruments etc) under inter and intera personal intelligence (formation of their organization, meeting with various stakeholders, peer education, organizing social events etc).

Such activities remain regular features with 120 children through out the period, while based on through analysis further children are categorized and provided more opportunity and coaching in those areas, where they had more interests. Which really proved tremendous improvement in their respective knowledge and skill.

  Formation of children councils:
One of the most important elements in CRC is to empower children through formation of children organizations. The children should be enabled to freely express their opinions and make all those decisions affecting their lives.

SEHER formed 30 children councils of children working in motor garages or in related businesses or shops. Each council consisted 15 child members. The councils’ members were trained in organizational management, problem solving and group dynamics to make their decisions in their best interests.     

Formation of Child Care Committees:
In order to develop a support mechanism for children’s association SEHER formed 18 child care committees. The committees comprised mechanics, motor garage owners, and related shopkeepers. The size of the committees varied from pocket to pocket depending on the area. The prime objective of the CC committee was to ensure child protection, extend their help to children’s councils, participate in WCCC activities and spread awareness to other mechanics in their respective area of work. For the purpose, the committees were given trainings on CRC, Child protection concept and issues.

Awareness raising was one of the foremost parts of the entire project. SEHER focused on it at two levels. The first level of awareness raising involved children through regular classes by making part of their syllabus. And the second level was focused on the people relating to children’s working area.

i.           Working Children Committees, Motor Garage Union and adult mechanics working in the Garages that children confront were made aware of Child Protection concept and issues, Convention on the Rights of Children, CSA, CSEC and the role of adults in working areas. The area of influence touched 4000 stakeholders.
ii.          The Line Departments including Labour Department, Social Welfare Department, Child Labour Unit and the Representatives of Local Govt were sensitized for enforcement of prevailing Laws regarding Child Labour, CRC, CSA and CSEC.
iii.         Awareness Campaigns and sensitization of parents, Primary Care Givers and community members on consequences of child labour, Child Protection, CSA, CSEC, CRC and how to play their roll for elimination of child labour were run.
iv.         Highlighted the issues of Child Labour and Child Protection through workshops, seminars, policy dialogues and IEC material.