Non-governmental organisations and child labour in Kabarole District: A case study of joy for children Kijura - Sub County

Abstract

The study investigated the challenges faced by NGO’s in the fight against child labour in Kabarole District with a case study of Joy for Children organisation. It specifically focused on; investigating the common causes of child labour, the forms of child labour, the challenges faced by NGOs in the fight against child labour and to identify measures that can be taken to curb the vice of child labour in the District.

This study adopted a case study design that sought to analyse the challenges faced by NGOs in the fight against child labour. This study was largely qualitative. Data were from both primary and secondary source. While primary data was collected by way of focus group discussions and key informant interviews, on the other hand secondary data was collected through documentary review analysis.

The study found out that child labour was happening in Kabarole District. The most affected age group was 10-17 years. Most were involved in agricultural activities like weeding, digging, tea plucking both in big plantations and smallholder farms. Agricultural activities were the most complicated forms of child labour. These activities brought with them other vices such as theft, early marriages, school dropout, rape, drug abuse, alcoholism and in some cases death among the children. The major causes of child labour were found to be poor parenting, poverty, family set/separation or divorce, cultural rigidities, inaccessibility of some of the schools and peer influence. Furthermore, it was established that the community could not differentiate between child labour and light work much as the churches did not condone activities related to child labour. Lack of funds and misuse, lack of collaboration with the local governments, low community cooperation, limited coverage, inaccessibility of some places, parental approve and lack of established government structures were the major challenges faced by NGOs in the fight against child labour.

Hence there is need to fight the vice by the whole community, mobilization and sensitization of the parents about the dangers of child labour, need for effective management of funds by the NGOs, and the need for effective collaboration between the different and line government departments with other stakeholders like NGOs