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Technical Cooperation Project Summary

Project Title

Combating Child Labor Through Education in Zambia (JCM) - Phase I

Region/Country

AFRICA/Zambia

Project Duration

September 1, 2002 – August 27, 2006

Fiscal Year & Funding Level

FY 2001: USD 652,000

Problem to be Addressed

Severe economic problems confront Zambia, and are compounded by an inadequate educational system that offers limited learning opportunities, a lack of trained teachers, and insufficient school resources. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has orphaned hundreds of thousands of children. In this context, an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 children are currently not attending school in Zambia, and are working or are at risk of working in agricultural activities, prostitution, street vending, and stone crushing, among other occupations.

Results

The project withdrew 2,604 children from exploitive labor in stone crushing, prostitution, agriculture, cattle herding, and amongst children living and working on the streets in Lusaka, Copperbelt, and Eastern Provinces, and reintegrated them into schools. The project also raised awareness amongst parents, communities, teachers, and government education officials about the problem of child labor in Zambia, and provided trainings and awareness campaigns to reduce its prevalence.

Project Objectives

To reduce the incidence of children working in worst forms of child labor in Zambia

Intermediate objectives included:

  • Rehabilitate and integrate children withdrawn from three worst forms of child labor will be into the formal educational system;
  • Raise awareness of parents, teachers, and children of the importance of education and the effects of child labor;
  • Strengthen JCM community schools as well as transition processes; and
  • Ensure national institutions that make policy are made aware of new information on child labor and education.

Summary of Activities
  • Developed an awareness campaign utilizing flyers, posters, pamphlets, tee-shirts, radio, and drama to sensitize the community about the negative effects of child labor;
  • Furnished community schools with necessary resources and provided children with required school materials and uniforms;
  • Made agreements with formal schools to improve the transition and placement of children into the formal school system;
  • Disseminated a JCM newsletter and survey results to key policy makers and developed a system to capture all public information on child labor and education; and
  • Established community committees to address child labor issues and conducted income generation activities for the caregivers of the children.

Grantee

Jesus Cares Ministries

Implementing partners

Ministries of Education, Labor and Social Security, Science, Technology, and Vocational Training, Community Development, Youth and Child Development, and Health. Zambia Community Schools Secretariat, Children in Need Network (CHIN), American Institutes for Research, UNICEF, and the World Food Program.

Contact Information

Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking (OCFT)

(202) 693-4843