Project Title |
Combating Child Labor in the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labor in the Farming and Stockbreeding Sectors in Nicaragua |
Region/Country |
THE AMERICAS/Nicaragua |
Project Duration |
April 2000 – December 2004 |
Fiscal Year & Funding Level |
FY 2000: USD 681,021 |
Problem Addressed |
Due to many contributing factors, such as a recent history of internal conflict, a high rate of unemployment and a high percent of the population living in conditions of poverty, child labor remains a serious problem in Nicaragua, especially in the agricultural sector. Most small farmers live in poverty. Throughout the year, small farmers supplement their income by working on large-scale farms where they help cultivate the land, harvest crops and herd the cattle. Children as young as four years old work alongside their parents in commercial farming and stockbreeding. Children engaged in commercial farming and stockbreeding face many safety and health risks. These children often have to handle heavy loads, which can cause severe muscle strain and back injury. In addition, they may suffer from respiratory, dermatological, and other illnesses as they often work without protective clothing or adequate working tools and may be regularly exposed to toxic chemicals, pesticides, and disease-carrying insects. |
Results |
The project withdrew 2,445 children from exploitive child labor and prevented 1,172 children from entering the worst forms of child labor, specifically child laborers engaged in the farming and stockbreeding sector, and those at risk of work, in Chontales, Nicaragua. |
Project Objectives |
Development Objective:
To contribute to the prevention and elimination of child labor in the farming and stockbreeding sector in the Department of Chontales through the provision of alternatives to the children and their families, and mobilization of a broad social alliance to support action against child labor.
Immediate Objectives:
- At the end of the project, child labor in farming and stockbreeding sectors in the Department of Chontales will have been reduced by (i) withdrawing at least 1,000 children between the ages of 7 and 14 years from full-time work and enrolling them in schools; (ii) preventing at least 4,000 children between the ages of 7 and 14 years, who combine school with work, from dropping out of school and ensuring their regular school attendance; (iii) enrolling at least 360 younger siblings of working children in pre-schools; (iv) providing another 360 pre-school children with social protection services; (v) training at least 300 families of working children to participate in alternative income generating activities; and (vi) ensuring that a select number of these families have access to a revolving fund to be established by the program;
- At the end of the project, a credible workplace monitoring system will have been implemented to verify that (i) target children and families are benefiting from the social protection services provided by the program; (ii) child workers between the ages of 7 and 14 years are withdrawn from full-time work in farming and stockbreeding and provided with education and other support services; and (iii) no new children are entering work in farming and stockbreeding in the Department of Chontales; and
- At the end of the project, governmental institutions, farmers and stockbreeders associations and agricultural producers, and local authorities will have been mobilized to take action against child labor, including provision of financial and in-kind support to programs. Capacity of partner organizations to design, manage and implement child labor action programs will also have been strengthened.
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Summary of Activities |
- Withdrew children between the ages of 7 and 14 years from full-time work and enrolled them in schools;
- Prevented children between the ages of 7 and 14 years, who combine school with work, from dropping out of school, and ensured their regular school attendance;
- Enrolled younger siblings of working children in pre-school, and provided additional pre-school children with social protection services;
- Trained families of working children to participate in alternative income generating activities;
- Implemented a credible workplace monitoring system;
- Mobilized governmental institutions, farmers and stockbreeders associations, agricultural producers, and local authorities to take action against child labor; and
- Strengthened the capacity of partner organizations to design, manage and implement child labor action programs.
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Grantee |
International Labor Organization’s International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO-IPEC) |
Implementing partners |
Ministries of Labor, Education, Agriculture, Family, and Health; Local authorities; Community organizations; Academic Institutions; the Diocese of Chontales; UNAG; National Union of Farmers and Stockbreeders; The Rural Fund of Chontales (Caja Rural); The Catholic Church of Chontales. |
Contact Information |
Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking (OCFT)
(202) 693-4843 |
