NGO fights child labour in Mchinji

Centre for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education field officer Lloyd Nyirenda says they have intensified interventions to end child labour in tobacco production in Mchinji District.

He said this in an interview on Tuesday when they distributed 20 bicycles to community child labour committee members from traditional authorities (T/As) Dambe and Mduwa in the district.

Nyirenda said: “We are implementing a project in Mchinji that seeks to address decent work deficits and improve access to rights in the tobacco sector by making sure that children are not working or employed in tobacco farms.

“We have distributed bicycles to community child labour committee members because we want them to travel easily in communities when they conduct awareness campaigns on child labour.”

He also said they want people in the district to know that government abolished the tenancy labour system in tobacco production, as such, no one should be employed under the system.

Mchinji district senior labour officer Lyson Tasauka said child labour cases in tobbaco farms are still rampant in the district.

He said: “We have also established that the tenancy labour system is still being practised in the district despite government abolishing it.

“So, the project is helpful as it is raising awareness on child labour and tenancy labour system.”

Ziyaye Phiri, chairperson of a child labour committee in T/A Dambe, said the bicycles will ease their mobility.

The Employment Act of 2000 sets the minimum age for admission of a child employment at 14 years.

The Act further prohibits children between ages 14 to 18 to work in hazardous environment.

However, the 2015 National Child Labour survey conducted by the National Statistics Office indicates that 38 percent of children aged between five and 17 are involved in child labour in the country.

The organization is implementing the project in Mchinji with funds from International Labour Organisation.