| AYISE |

INTEGRATED CHILD PROTECTION PROJECT

In 2005 AYISE conducted this project, with the support of UNICEF. The project addressed the following of AYISE's key areas:

Child Protection - this was the main focus of the project
Education - as we worked to ensure children were released from domestic or paid labour duties to enable them to attend school
Human Rights - we worked to ensure children were not engaged in hard labour at a young age, against their human rights

The Issues - click here to read more

It was discovered that there are many children migrating to Blantyre city in search for livelihood opportunities. As a result the children end up either in the streets or working as domestic labourers because they discover that their age and qualifications are not appropriate for the prospected job market (in industries or factories for example).

The Project - click here to read more

The year long Integrated Child Protection Project, funded by UNICEF, was implemented in Bangwe, BCA, Chilobwe, Chilomoni, and Namiyango. The project’s main aims were to reduce the prevalence of domestic child labour and mitigate its impacts; advocate for fair working conditions of Domestic Child Workers through awareness, registration, identification, drawing of employment contracts as well as setting up of community child protection committees. It also aimed at rehabilitating and repatriating willing working children to their places of origin

The project activities included carrying out advocacy campaigns on child abuse, child rights and effects of domestic child labour at all levels; training and formation of child labour monitoring committees; and provision of support services to domestic child workers through drawing basic job contracts to avoid abuse. In addition, paralegals were trained and victimised children were rehabilitated and reintegrated.

The Outcomes and Findings - click here to read more

ACHIEVEMENTS
The activities created an enabling environment responsive to any forms of child abuse and exploitation through;

Formation of community child rights and child labour monitoring committees,
conducting of paralegal and child rights training for monitoring committees children’s forum,
provision of counseling sessions to victimised children and
building rapport between AYISE and other stake holders.

CHALLENGES
The challenges faced included increased demand for services from beyond targeted areas; and inadequate information, education and communication (IEC) materials, especially those relating to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). There were also difficulties in identifying child domestic workers as some employers alleged they are not employees but their relatives. Lack of openness on employer’s part limited the extent to which children could be helped and or protected. Lack of identities (IDs or t-shirts) for the community committee members led to failure in getting information from the employers. Parents of reintegrated children request AYISE to support the children educationally by paying school fees, and buying them exercise books for example. Additionally, as some cases are in court, some defendants have hired lawyers to represent them while the children cannot afford lawyers hence making it harder for the child to achieve justice.

LESSONS LEARNT
It was noted that child protection should be extended to the entire Blantyre district as there is an increase in the numbers of children being victimized by their own parents among other perpetrators. Reintegration should be combined with financial support to initiate livelihood interventions to enable them to go back to school. Poverty, hunger, disease and other natural disasters exacerbate the vulnerability of children hence their increased migration to urban areas in search for employment and other survival means. In other words, there is a need to address underlying factors that increase vulnerability and the migration of children to urban areas.