NGO to train 20 youths in vocational skills

Impact Centre for Economic Empowerment and Development (ICEED) is set to train 20 youths withdrawn from child labour work in coffee plantations in Traditional Authority (T/A) Khosolo in Mzimba District.

The centre’s project coordinator Lusubiro Mwakasungula said 40 workers and producers at lower tiers of coffee supply chain in the area will also benefit from livelihood and economic empowerment activities.

Speaking during a child labour and protection committee meeting in the district, she said the eight-month project funded by International Labour Organisation under Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labour in Supply Chains in Africa seeks to reduce child labour tendencies in tea and coffee estates through provision of market linked vocational skills to children under the legal working age.

“We are aimed at reducing incidences of child labour in the tea supply chain and coffee supply chain through providing market viable technical vocational skills training programme for 150 youths of a legal working age and livelihood and economic empowerment activities for 250 workers and producers,” said Mwakasungula.

She further said the project will also enhance the capacity of cooperatives in checking child labour.

Mzimba South district labour officer Russell Mhone said the project, which will see Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority providing the skills training, has potential to reduce child labour in the district.