Mchinji Council in fight against child labour

 Mchinji District Council director of planning and development Noel Dakamau has bemoaned the rise in child labour cases despite government and stakeholders’ efforts to eliminate the vice in the district.

He expressed the concern on Wednesday during the training of district child labour Committee members organised by Care Malawi.

Dakamau noted that there was a gap in coordinating child labour activities implemented by various stakeholders, including some government offices in the district.

“Many initiatives are being undertaken to address poverty and food insecurity which push children to work in various places,” he said.

Care Malawi senior programmes manager Anderson Kumpolota said the workshop sought to strengthen the capacity

 of district child labour committee members and other structures to fight child labour.

“We want to ensure that district child labour committees are vibrant to continue fighting child balour after the project phases out,” he said.

On his part, Salvation Army project manager Haswell Jim, whose organisation is one of the stakeholders, said the workshop improved capacity and coordination among partners to protect children from child labour.

He said: “From my experience as a person who deals with child trafficking, communities are important in both perpetuating child labour and reducing it.

“With the strategies we have gained from the workshop and combined efforts from district child labour committees stakeholders, we will succeed in eliminating child labour.”

Care Malawi, Microloan Foundation and Rays of Hope are implementing Ending Child Labour in the Agriculture Industry in Malawi Project in Mchinji and Ntchisi districts