Parliamentary committee visits Clear project in Mchinji
Chairperson for the Parliamentary Committee on Social and Community Affairs, Richard Chimwendo-Banda, has asked communities in Mchinji district to eliminate all forms of child labour and ensure that children do not drop out of school.
Banda said this on Tuesday when he, together with 14 other committee members, visited Child Labour Elimination Action for Real Change (Clear) project funded by Save the Children International at Chamwankhuku at Kapiri in Mchinji.
He said child labour was one of the detrimental factors affecting children’s education in tobacco growing districts such as Mchinji, saying employing children affects their future.
Said Chimwendo-Banda: “Poverty will not be eradicated if you continue employing the children in tobacco estates, the children will not be educated, as a result, they will be jobless as adults with nothing to do.”
He appealed to the communities to be in the forefront of ending child labour when the project phases out.
Banda also warned parents and guardians against sending children to gulewamkulu during school season.
He then commended Save the Children International, Creccom, Yoneco and Total Land Care for implementing the Clear project in the district which has seen 92 children withdrawn from tobacco estates .
