School Child Labour Clubs in Uganda

The United States Department of Labor (USDOL) is currently funding (2007-2011) a child labor project, Livelihoods, Education and Protection to Eliminate Child Labor (LEAP).

The LEAP program strengthens existing school and youth clubs in five districts in northern Uganda to train them on child labor, child rights, and child protection issues, and motivate them through music, dance and drama (MDD).

I had previously observed school clubs in September 2008 with disappointing results – students were not keen or motivated, they were under pressure from their parents to go straight home from school to help with housework, they were not overtly knowledgeable of child labor issues, were not strong or active in community advocacy and sensitization, and they believed that the clubs would disband after the program funding finished.

The LEAP team have learned from these lessons and have re-invigorated the school clubs, to the point where students are keen, motivated, vocal on child rights and protection issues, and active in the community. The students strongly believe that they can “carry on the voice of LEAP” when the program finishes in two years. I was impressed with the confidence and articulation of all students, especially girls, to debate issues of child labor. When I discussed this with government officials in the District Education Office (DEO) in Kitgum Town Council, the reasons for the success of the school clubs were noted as follows:

(1) a teacher is attached to the clubs as a role model, motivator, and to provide direction;

(2) there is constant communication with parents on the activities of the clubs, so that parents know what their children are doing;

(3) the activities and membership of the clubs are an expected part of the school core curriculum;

(4) the clubs build upon the interests of the students; and

(5) the activities are well planned; and

(6) the child labour clubs are supported by the DEO.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. That

Flaws in the Glass, a self-portrait by Patrick White: book review

The manuscript, Flaws in the Glass (1981), is Patrick Victor Martindale White’s autobiography. White, born in 1912 in England, migrated to Sydney, Australia, when he was six months old. For three years, at the age of 20, he studied French and German literature at King’s College at the University of Cambridge in England. Throughout his life, he published 12 novels. In 1957 he won the inaugural Miles Franklin Literary Award for Voss, published in 1956. In 1961, Riders in the Chariot became a best-seller, winning the Miles Franklin Literary Award. In 1973, he was the first Australian author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Eye of the Storm, despite many critics describing his works as ‘un-Australian’ and himself as ‘Australia’s most unreadable novelist.’ In 1979, The Twyborn Affair was short-listed for the Booker Prize, but he withdrew it from the competition to give younger writers the opportunity to win the award. His autobiography, Flaws in the Glass

Sister cities discussed: Canberra and Islamabad

Two months ago, in March 2015, Australia and Pakistan agreed to explore ways to deepen ties. The relationship between Australia and Pakistan has been strong for decades, and the two countries continue to keep dialogues open. The annual bilateral discussions were held in Australia in March to continue engagements on a wide range of matters of mutual interest. The Pakistan delegation discussed points of interest will include sports, agriculture, economic growth, trade, border protection, business, and education. The possible twinning of the cities of Canberra, the capital of Australia, and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, were also on the agenda (i.e. called twin towns or sister cities). Sister City relationships are twinning arrangements that build friendships as well as government, business, culture, and community linkages. Canberra currently has international Sister City relationships with Beijing in China and Nara in Japan. One example of existing

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog