THE INFLUENCE OF NGO ACTIVITIES ON CHILD LABOUR AND EXPLOITATION IN KARAMOJA REGION, A CASE STUDY OF NADUNGET SUB COUNTY MOROTO DISTRICT

LIST OF ACRONYMS

ABEK Alternative Basic Education in Karamoja

AVSI Associazione Volontari per il Servizio Internazionale (Association for Volunteers in International Service)

C&D Cooperation and Development

CLMS Child Labor Monitoring System

CPC Child Protection Committee

DCLC District Child Labor Committee

DEO District Education Office

ILO International Labour Organization

IRC International Rescue Committee

KURET Combating Exploitive Child Labor through Education in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Ethiopia Together

LEAP Livelihoods, Education, and Protection to End Child Labor in Uganda

NCDC National Curriculum Development Center

NCLP National Child Labor Policy

NGO Non governmental Organization

SCiUG Save the children in Uganda

SMC School Management Committee

TDMS Teachers’ Development Management System

UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund

UPE Universal Primary Education

USAID U.S. Agency for International Development

USDOL U.S. Department of Labor

VSLA Village Savings and Loans Association

WFCL Worst Forms of Child Labor

WSIP Whole School Improvement Program

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to make an investigation on the influence of NGO activities towards ending child labour in Karamoja region a case study of Nadunget Sub County, Moroto district. The objectives were to examine the worst forms of child labour, its causes and the impacts it has to the community of Nadunget, to assess the opinions community members have about child labour in the community and to critically examine the role played by different NGOs and the impacts their activities have towards ending child labour in Nadunget Sub County Moroto district.

The research design that was adopted in this study was a case study research design. Purposive and simple random sampling procedures were used where questionnaires and interview guides were used for data collection while in the field. Data was analyzed using data from questionnaires and was presented in form of frequency tables and charts. Regarding the study findings, it was revealed that from all the activities administered by different the region, awareness raising campaign and support to education have seen remarkable impacts in ending child labour. Even though the findings reveal that despite all NGO effort child labour is still evident in the area, findings reveal that this is short lived as IRC registered recommendable progress to ensure his is eradicated in the quickest time possible. The capacity of people to handle child labour related problems has also significantly improved great thanks to capacity building and trainings provided by UNICEF.

The researcher concludes that despite the various efforts of NGOs child labour still exists in the community.

The key recommendation put forward by the researcher stress that students should be monitored closely on weekends and school vacations to prevent relapse into WFCL and consider documenting the results as action research for wider dissemination, conduct information-sharing visits and exchanges for NGO partners, teachers, and students between operational districts to discuss implementation strategies and for networking on a peer-to-peer basis (students in particular are information-deprived, especially in Moroto District, and have expressed a desire to speak to other students) or interest basis, place a key focus on action research, such as youth action research, labor market skills analysis, child trafficking, HIV/AIDS behavior change, and sexual and gender-based violence and its impact on child labour in order to fully ascertain the most vulnerable communities and children and therefore scaling up better alternatives when implementing activities and providing support to the beneficiaries.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

This chapter explores the background of the study and the research problem. It further analyzes the purpose and objective of the study, the research questions, and the scope of the study, justification as well as the key terms.

1.2 Background of the study

Despite the prevalence and the many dangers associated with child labour, the phenomenon has received the attention of researchers, academicians and policy makers only recently, and not until International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates showed a large and increasing number of working children worldwide. It is now recognized that in order to combat child labour effectively, policies should be grounded in an informed understanding of its causes, roles and implications. This study uses data from the 1992, 1999 and 2002 Uganda National Household Surveys to explore the extent, determinants and forms of child labour in a poor but growing economy. Of note here is that over this period Uganda introduced universal and compulsory primary education. The study highlights the extent, characteristics and determinants of child labour in Uganda and their evolution over the decade. The theoretical framework is a standard household production model that analyses the allocation of time within the household. Using probit and Tobit models, we estimate the determinants of child labour for the individual child worker. The results indicate that child labour is still common, widespread and starts at an early age in Uganda, although it has reduced significantly over the years. Education and formal employment of the household head significantly decrease the probability that a child will work. Household welfare is another indicator of child labour, as poor households are more likely to have working children. A comparison of the three data sets reveals an increase in the percentage of children combining work and study over time. Nevertheless, the likelihood of child labour increases with the age of the child. The findings provide important results for informing policies to reduce, and possibly eliminate, child labour in the country. (Mwebase: 2007)

For the year 2000, the ILO projects there will be 1,273,000 economically active children, 614,000 girls and 660,000 boys between the ages of 10-14, representing 43.78% of this age group. In 1995, there were 1,162,000 economically active children, 560,000 girls and 601,000 boys between the ages of 10-14, representing 45.31% of this age group. (ILO STAT Working Paper: 1997)

According to UNICEF, there is an estimated 158 million children aged 5 to 14 in child labour worldwide, excluding child domestic labour. The United Nations and the International Labor Organization consider child labour exploitative, with the UN stipulating, in article 32 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child that:

…States Parties recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. Although globally there is an estimated 250 million children working.

In 2008 there were 215 million children working illegally in the eyes of international law, almost 14% of all the world’s children under 18. In sub-Saharan Africa, this proportion rises to 25%. Countries with a particularly high incidence of child labour include Nigeria, Malawi, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. (ILO HDR: 2010)

The global total includes 115 million children under the age of18 engaged in “hazardous work” which could threaten their safety or health, such as handling chemicals, carrying heavy loads, mining, quarrying or enduring long hours. (ILO: 2010)

The remaining 100 million child labourers are those aged less than 15, the international minimum age for legal employment whose tasks are not hazardous but are more substantial than “permitted light work.”

Almost all child labour occurs in developing countries, with about 60% engaged in agriculture. Other occupations include domestic service, factory production and backstreet workshops.

The darkest category of child labour relates to those children caught up in criminal activities such as prostitution, military enrolment, slavery (such as bonded labour), or trafficking (which involves the removal of a child from its home, often involving deception and payment, for a wide range of exploitative purposes).

These categories are beyond the reach of statistical surveys but the numbers are likely to be over 10 million. Together with hazardous work, they are described as the “worst forms of child labour.” The small decline in the overall incidence of child labour in the four-year reporting period to 2008 is inconclusive and disappointing. The most significant change is a 31% drop in hazardous work for children under 15, but this is countered by a 20% rise amongst the 15-17 age groups. Figures are gender-sensitive for the first time and suggest that child labour amongst girls fell by 15% over the four years. The accuracy of this child labour data is improving but is based on national surveys conducted over the period 2005-2008. The impact of more recent economic instability and rising food prices on poor households is therefore not yet reflected in the figures. (HDR: ILO)

This problem attracted concern from several international organizations including the government of Uganda to find ways of redressing this phenomenon in all parts of the of the country that are affected or are at risk of involving children in child labour activities among which include International rescue committee (IRC), UNICEF and Save the Children Norway.

1.3 The problem statement

At least 2.7 million children in Uganda are labourers, an ILO consultant said. Mr. Lambert James who is also a consultant with international programme for elimination of child labour (IPEC)said child labourers in Uganda constitute 34.2% of children of the age of 5 years and 17 years while 54% are between 10years and 14 years (Daily monitor June 2006)

Uganda is a source and destination country for the trafficking of children. Children are trafficked internally for sexual exploitation and forced labor. Karimojong children are sold at cattle markets or by intermediaries for forced labor, including for domestic service and herding. (USDOL 2008)

In its most extreme forms, child labour involves children being enslaved, separated from their families, exposed to serious hazards and illnesses and/or left to fend for themselves on the streets of large cities often at a very early age. Whether or not particular forms of “work” can be called “child labour” depends on the child’s age, the type and hours of work performed, the conditions under which it is performed and the objectives pursued by individual countries. The answer varies from country to country, as well as among sectors within countries.

Therefore this research seeks to redress the omission by investigating the influence of NGOs particularly international rescue committee (IRC), UNICEF, save the children Norway and cooperation and development towards ending child labour and exploitation in Nadunget sub county Moroto district.

1.4 General objective

To assess the influence of NGOs on the fight to end child labour in Nadunget sub county, Moroto district

1.5 Specific objectives

Examine the worst forms of child labour, its causes and the impacts it has to the community of Nadunget
To assess the opinions community members have about child labour in the community
To critically examine the role played by different NGOs and the impacts their activities have towards ending child labour in Nadunget sub county

1.6 Research questions

What is the level of communities awareness and their opinions about child labour and exploitation in Nadunget sub county
What is the community’s opinion about the various forms of child labour, its causes and the negative impacts in the district?
What does the community feel about the services provided by NGOs in the sub county in ending child labour?
How effective are NGOs in providing their services towards ending child labour in Nadunget sub county

1.7 Research gap

A number of researches have been carried out about NGOs and child labour in the country, continent and the world at large. Most researchers focused on the contributions of NGOs to end child labour in abroad sense. This study therefore was to investigate the contributions of NGOs to end child labour in conflict ravaged areas with specific reference being Nadunget sub county Moroto district.

1.8 Scope of the study

In this section of the study the researcher analyzed three key aspects; namely the geographical scope, time, and content.

1.8.1 Geographical scope

The study was conducted in Nadunget Sub County, Moroto district. Nadunget Sub County is found north western part of the district, 8 kilometers along Moroto-Kotido highway.

1.8.2 Time scope

The problem of child labour in Karamoja started way back in the early 1980’s but intensified in the 1990’s due to increasing poverty, cattle rustling and increase in the cost of living. However the focus of study was sighted starting from 1990 to date when the problem came to lime light and became a serious issue of public debate.

1.8.3 Content scope

The research had his focus on the influence of NGOs on child labour and exploitation in Nadunget sub county, Moroto district.

1.9 Justification of the study

The study is aimed at assessing the influence of NGOs towards child labour and exploitation in Nadunget sub county Moroto district.

The results of the study are expected to benefit the following people

The study will help opinion leaders, the community at all levels and all other stake holders about the impact the NGOs have on child labour and exploitation in Moroto district.
The study will be of high relevance to policy makers in a way that they will be able to design appropriate measures that can compliment NGO activities and make the work of fighting child labour in the district a success in time to come
The study significantly enabled me the researcher access information of child labour and NGOs and also be able to interact with the members of the community. Most of all the study will enable me have a partial fulfillment of the requirements for an award of a Bachelors Degree of Development Studies of Kyambogo university.

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Introduction

This chapter examines and analyses documents, text books, research monographs, online journals, world wide web extracts, news articles, public speeches, institutional publications and any other material that may have been written in relation to this study. They are works of various distinguished scholars who have researched, taught, explored and published texts about the subjects of the study. It was intended to give a review of information that already exists and identify some of the gaps that have been left by the previous researchers and scholars. This forenamed gap is the main basis of this study and was mainly intended to fill them. The chapter therefore was intended to link this study to other studies that have already been carried out in relation to this topic. It should however be noted that not much literature exists about this topic in the context of the area of study hence necessity has been attached to this study in relation to the study area.

2.2 The NGO’s

World Bank (1997) defines an NGO as a private organization that pursues activities to relieve suffering, promote interests of the poor, provide basic social services like health and undertake economic development. This definition does not take into account the categorization, nature/origin of activities being undertaken by a particular type of NGO. The ambiguity of this definition necessitates examining other definitions with more detailed insight into the nature of different types of NGOs.

To this effect, Bageya Waswa (1998) defines NGOs as basically voluntary organizations formed to perform stipulated or defined roles for the benefit of society or the target population without any financial gains out of their activities. This definition focuses on the collective benefits that should accrue from an NGO.

2.3 About child labour

Considerable differences exist between the many kinds of work children do. Some are difficult and demanding, others are more hazardous and even morally reprehensible. Children carry out a very wide range of tasks and activities when they work.

Defining child labour

Not all work done by children should be classified as child labour that is to be targeted for elimination. Children’s or adolescents’ participation in work that does not affect their health and personal development or interfere with their schooling is generally regarded as being something positive. This includes activities such as helping their parents around the home, assisting in a family business or earning pocket money outside school hours and during school holidays. These kinds of activities contribute to children’s development and to the welfare of their families; they provide them with skills and experience, and help to prepare them to be productive members of society during their adult life. (Bhukuth, 2008)

The term “child labour” is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.

2.4 Defining the worst forms of child labour

This chapter presents what are now referred to as the “worst forms” of child labour. These are the activities that are hazardous, detrimental to children and/or morally repugnant, and they are today the special target of both international research and action programmes. They occur everywhere, not just in a few countries. In this chapter, a definition of the worst forms will be offered, and several occupations that are linked to the worst forms will be discussed, including the impact on the children’s health and safety. The last part of the chapter will focus on the incidence of the worst forms of child labour in developed countries. (Bhukuth 2008:10)

Approximately 31.1 percent of children age 5 to 14 were estimated to be working in Uganda. That same year, 84.2 percent of children age 5 to 14 were attending school. While attendance appears to be high, the reality is that many children combine school and work. Approximately 35.3 percent of children age 5 to 14 were estimated to be both working and studying. Children in Uganda are exploited in the worst forms of child labor, many of them in crop farming and commercial agriculture, including in the production of tea, sugarcane, tobacco, rice, vanilla, and coffee. Children also cut and burn trees to produce charcoal. Children work in fishing and caring for livestock. Children who work in these agriculture-related sectors do so under dangerous conditions, including working long hours and carrying heavy loads. In addition, according to the 2005-2006 Understanding Children’s Work Study in Uganda, children in rural areas are three times more likely to work than children in urban areas and child participation in work is highest in the eastern and central geographical regions. (Homa Zarghamee et al 2009)

Other worst forms of child labor exist in the urban informal sector, where children work long hours selling small items on the streets. Children working on the streets are exposed to a variety of risks, which may include severe weather, accidents caused by proximity to automobiles, and vulnerability to criminal elements. Children also risk exposure to dangerous activities and exploitation while working in bars, restaurants, and in brick making and laying. Children in Uganda are also exploited in the worst forms of child labor in cross-border trading with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Rwanda, and Kenya by undertaking activities in the transportation and loading of goods. Although evidence is limited, there is reason to believe that the worst forms of child labor are used in the production of salt, stone, and pornography. Children in Uganda also work as domestic servants. Child domestic labor commonly involves long hours of work and dangerous activities, while often exposing children to physical and sexual exploitation by their employer. Some children as young as age 10 are victims of commercial sexual exploitation. Uganda is a source and destination country for the trafficking of children. Children are trafficked internally for sexual exploitation, and forced labor, and children, specifically Karamojong children, are sold at cattle markets. Children are trafficked for forced labor in fishing, agriculture, and domestic labor. Ugandan children are also trafficked to European and East African countries for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. In addition, there are reports that Ugandan children are trafficked to Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq for labor exploitation. Children from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Burundi are trafficked to Uganda for commercial sexual exploitation and agricultural work. Children are also trafficked from India to Uganda for commercial sexual exploitation. There were no reports of abduction or recruitment of new child soldiers in Uganda by the Government of Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) or the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). However, it is unclear whether the LRA has released all of the Ugandan children within their ranks and whether they have completely ceased using children in a combat capacity, given that up to 40,000 previously abducted children are reportedly still missing, and there are reports of ongoing abductions by the LRA in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and southern Sudan. (Homa Zarghamee 2009)

2.4 Causes of child labour

Child labor persists even though laws and standards to eliminate it exist. Current causes of global child labor are similar to its causes in the U.S. 100 years ago, including poverty, limited access to education, repression of workers’ rights, and limited prohibitions on child labor.

Poverty and unemployment, Poor children and their families may rely upon child labor in order to improve their chances of attaining basic necessities. About one-fifth of the world’s 6 billion people live in absolute poverty. The intensified poverty in parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America causes many children there to become child laborers. Poverty is the main cause of child labour. Poor parents send their children to work, not out of choice, but for reasons of economic expediency. The hunting grounds for child traffickers are invariably areas of the most extreme poverty where families have exhausted all other strategies for survival.

Poverty is also a symptom of child labour. Denial of education blocks the escape route from poverty for the next generation of the household. The main causes of child labor include poverty, unemployment, and excess population. Among these, poverty is the primary cause of child labour. You must have observed that poor families have more number of children, so it becomes very difficult for them to survive on the income of only one family member which is also quite less. So they make their small children their source of income. They make their children work in factories, shops, even selling items on streets. Some parents even carry infants on the streets to earn money from begging. There are very bad effects of child labor for our society, which forces some children to steal things from others in order to satisfy their daily living. Many small girls are even made to indulge in prostitution. Some percentage of child labour also comes from harassment by parents, step-parents or relatives. (Baland et al 2000)

There are many cases of child labor where a child has to work against the repayment of a loan which was taken by his father who was unable to pay it off. This is called as ‘bonded child labour’. Bonded child labor normally happens in villages. Such children work like slaves in order to pay the loan taken. Not only poor families, but some well established business families also put their children into business at a quite young age instead of making them complete their education.

Access to compulsory, free education is limited. Approximately 125 million children in the world do not attend school, limiting future opportunities for the children and their communities. The Global Campaign for Education estimates that free, quality education for all children would cost ten billion dollars, the same as 4 days of global military spending. Existing laws or codes of conduct are often violated. Even when laws or codes of conduct exist, they are often violated. For example, the manufacture and export of products often involves multiple layers of production and outsourcing, which can make it difficult to monitor who is performing labor at each step of the process. Extensive subcontracting can intentionally or unintentionally hide the use of child labor. Laws and enforcement are often inadequate. Child labor laws around the world are often not enforced or include exemptions that allow for child labor to persist in certain sectors, such as agriculture or domestic work. Even in countries where strong child labor laws exist, labor departments and labor inspection offices are often under-funded and under-staffed, or courts may fail to enforce the laws. Similarly, many state governments allocate few resources to enforcing child labor laws. (Parker: 1993)

Other factors may provoke this cycle; for example, schools in poor countries are often inaccessible or prohibitively expensive, with inadequate teaching and classroom resources.

Many agricultural economies involve seasonal migration for whole families, to the detriment of schooling and inevitable employment of children. Cultural pressures too can undermine perception of the long term value of education, especially for girl children.

Economic setbacks arising from recession, climate disaster, conflict or family bereavement will therefore regenerate the supply side of the child labour equation. This has been one consequence of HIV and AIDS in Africa – household resources have been depleted by prolonged absence from work or medical expense.

This supply of child labour is matched by the demand of unscrupulous employers for a cheap and flexible workforce. This attribute appeals especially to small-scale enterprises, including those whose owners exploit their own family members.

There is perceived value in the particular skills that children’s dexterity can offer; for example in weaving or in tasks involving crop seeds. Girl children are in demand for domestic service, the invisible nature of which adds to their vulnerability to abuse. Absence from official statistics is also the fate of those girls kept away from school in order to work for their own families in the home or on the land. (Emerson 2011)

2.5 Activities of NGOs in child protection in Karamoja

2.5.1 UNICEFs role in child protection in Moroto district

In close collaboration with local, national and international partners, UNICEF has continued to respond to the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable populations in the most disadvantaged districts of northern and north-eastern Uganda. The focus has been on the priority areas of emergency health and nutrition, basic education, clean water, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment child protection and shelter.

In the area of health and nutrition, UNICEF and its partners trained and equipped 2,500 community-based health volunteers to provide first-line treatment to 300,000 children; provided therapeutic milk and other materials to benefit more than 6,000 severely malnourished children receiving assistance in therapeutic feeding centers, conducted a mass vaccination campaign to contain an outbreak of measles; implemented a rapid response to a cholera outbreak in three districts; and distributed more than 70,000 insecticide-treated nets for use by children and pregnant women as part of malaria prevention and control.

In water and environmental sanitation, UNICEF and its partners constructed more than 30 new motorized and reticulated water systems to increase access to safe water in the IDP camps; fitted 214 boreholes and 15 shallow wells with hand pumps; repaired 317 existing boreholes; installed 40 rainwater harvesting systems in temporary learning centers and ECD sites; and constructed more than 12,800 latrine stances.

In HIV/AIDS, UNICEF and its partners provided voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services to approximately 13,200 people; and strengthened services by supporting the procurement and distribution of antiretroviral drugs to benefit more than 80,000 people.

Education (US$ 9,179,530)

In education, UNICEF and its partners provided some 300 early childhood development (ECD) sites with learning materials and training for caregivers; constructed 350 new classrooms in temporary learning centers based in the camps; and provided in-service training to 400 primary schoolteachers in psychosocial care, the special needs of girl pupils and the promotion of hygiene and sanitation.

Some 950,000 primary school-aged children aged 6-12 years; 77,000 children below age six;

4,175 primary schoolteachers, non-formal education instructors and administrators; and 5,325ECD caregivers in Acholi, Lango, Teso and Karamoja sub-regions benefit from the following key activities to re-open schools and learning environments, and prioritize the return of children back to school in IDP camps and areas of return and resettlement:

Strengthen infrastructure of 60 schools, including through repairs to classrooms and playground areas, and installation of water and sanitation facilities;
Scale up accelerated learning strategies to 20 schools per district, expand non-formal education programmes and implement back-to-school/go-to-school campaigns;
Provide start-up facilities and equipment, and training in early learning and stimulation interventions for volunteer caregivers and other stakeholders to establish and sustain community-based ECD and day-care centres;
Train teachers and pupils in life skills for HIV/AIDS prevention and psychosocial support;
Establish 50 ECD and 50 day care-centers; supply school-in-a-box education and recreation materials to all primary schools; expand Girls Education Movement activities and breakthrough-to-literacy teaching-learning methodology in primary schools and non-formal education sites.

Child protection (US$ 10,189,860)

In child protection, UNICEF and its partners reunified and provided follow-up psychosocial counseling to approximately 1,700 formerly abducted and other unaccompanied children; supported ‘night commuter’ shelter sites to provide basic services benefiting up to 16,000 children; and established a mechanism to assist up to 2,000 children and women returning from the LRA, as part of contingency arrangements following the announcement of an agreed ceasefire between the Government and LRA in August.

Some 450,000 children and women in Acholi, Lango, Teso and Karamoja sub-regions benefit from the following key activities to provide a safe and supportive environment, with special focus on children in IDP camps and areas of return and resettlement:

Assist interim care and transit facilities (reception centers for formerly abducted children, women and youth) to provide early return support, and medical care, family-tracing, family preparation and reinsertion support;
Provide reintegration assistance, including child social and livelihood networks, gender-specific reintegration, micro-projects and non-formal education for formerly abducted children, women and youth;
Assist Government and NGOs to strengthen integrated protection mechanisms and case management systems to benefit children in 75 IDP camps and areas of return;
Strengthen multi sectoral prevention and response to gender-based violence by improving access to quality health, psychosocial protection and legal services for girls and women.

Family shelter and non-food items (US$ 6,314,000)

In shelter, UNICEF and its partners provided emergency household and other non-food items to approximately 69,000 households including those affected by fire outbreaks in the camps, those returning to their communities of origin and those whose members include persons living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.

Up to 630,000 vulnerable persons in IDP camps and areas of return in Acholi, Lango and Teso sub-regions benefit from the following key activities:

Provide 85,000 non-food items, essential/emergency family kits – each kit contains plastic sheeting (1); blankets (3); jerry cans (2); cooking set for five persons (plates, cups, forks, spoons, knife and pots); and soap (1kg);
Provide 30,000 non-food items, complementary population movement kits – each kit contains farming tools (1 pick axe, 1 shovel, 1 hoe); antiseptic solution (150ml); safety matches and candles (20) and related materials.

2.5.2 Role played Save the children in Uganda towards child protection in Karamoja

Background

Save the Children in Uganda (SCiUG) is a leading international child rights based non-governmental organization implementing programs that have immediate and a lasting impact on children in Uganda. It is a consolidation of Save the Children Norway (Managing Member), Save the Children Denmark, Save the Children USA, Save the Children UK, Save the Children Sweden and Save the Children Italy programmes. SCiUG implements a broad range of emergency, recovery and development programmes which cover over 26 districts in the North, East, Central and Western regions of Uganda. Since 1959, Save the Children has been working for the wellbeing of children in Uganda. Through advocacy for a strong policy and legal framework on Child wellbeing and by partnering with communities, SCiUG has addressed child rights issues and undertaken programs with lasting impact on children’s lives.

Save the Children in Uganda understands that the Karimojong people have a right to their traditional pastoral lifestyle. Inherent within the Karimojong way of life are viable livelihood and economic opportunities-not least of which is pastoralism, whose potential has not been fully exploited. Save the Children in Uganda believes that the ongoing development effort in the region by Government and Non-Government actors should build on already existing opportunities and maximize the potential which the Karimojong way of life presents. For over three decades now, the Karamoja region has been affected by the multiple challenges of underdevelopment, poverty, insecurity; fuelled by small arms trafficking, food and water shortage and cattle rustling. While this situation has affected the Karimojong people in general, children have borne the brunt. The plight of children in the region is exemplified by the low levels of enrolment in school, high levels of malnutrition, involvement of children in cattle rustling, high incidence of girl child marriage and the out migration of children on to the streets of towns and other urban areas.

In supporting Government of Uganda to redress the current reality, Save the Children in Uganda, with funding from the Save the Children Norway/Norwegian Government has worked with communities and the district local governments to develop and implement the Alternative Basic Education for Karamoja programme since 1995. Besides providing children an opportunity to realize their right to education, this program has been a conduit for extending HIV/AIDS and Child Protection services.

The ongoing disarmament process by Government of Uganda has presented a new opportunity for all partners in development to support Government efforts to stabilize and develop Karamoja. To this end, Save the Children in Uganda, with financial support from the European Union (EU) Instrument for Stability (IFS) is implementing a Human Rights and Peace Building Project in the districts of Nakapiripirit, Moroto, Kotido and Kaabong. As part of this initiative, Save the Children in Uganda has worked with the UPDF/ Ministry of Defence to engender a disarmament process which is consistent with protection and promotion of human rights including those of children. As a result of this partnership, the following has been realized:

UPDF officers and foot soldiers in the region have been trained in human rights, child rights protection, and peace building.
The Human Rights Desk of the UPDF has been supported to develop communication messages and material on child protection, peace building and human rights observance
The Civil Military Coordination Centers have been equipped with basic office facilities and provided with transport means to conduct community outreach and public information sessions in the community.

It is the considered belief of Save the Children in Uganda that the disarmament process must be consistent with protecting and promoting human rights including those of children for sustainable peace and development to be achieved in the Karamoja region.

In Strengthening Child Protection Structures, Eight Child and Family Protection Units and Eight two-stance VIP latrines have been constructed in Kotido, Moroto, Kaabong and Nakapiripirit districts, and are near completion. The Child and Family Protection Units serve as reception centers for all children in conflict with the law as well as children who need special protection from police.

2.5.3 Programmes implemented by IRC department of child labour in the fight to end child labour

Introduction

IRC in partnership with AVSI Foundation is carrying out a four year education initiative, Livelihoods, Education & Protection to End Child Labor (LEAP) in Uganda. The Project is implemented in Kitgum, Gulu Pader, Lira and Moroto districts and is funded by the United States Department of Labor. The main purpose of the project is to withdraw or prevent children from exploitative and hazardous child labor through the provision of relevant education opportunities, capacity building for teachers, and the mobilization of local government, districts, and community groups. (MID TERM REPORT LEAP: 2009)

Pilot Programs

Piloting programs has been used extensively by the LEAP project. For example, the introduction of VSLAs was piloted in Kit gum District, commencing in July 2008. The successes of the VSLAs include cumulative savings, cumulative loans, the use of loans to start small businesses for income generation, support to communities through a kitty of funds used, for example, to pay for more power/electricity to their children’s school thus resulting in a tightly bonded group with a sense of purpose and pride. Hence, VSLAs have been scaled up in Lira, with other districts planned.

Working with ILO, the LEAP project also piloted/pre-tested the introduction of their SCREAM module Child Labor in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations in Lira District, particularly involving girls with low self-esteem and boys involved in criminal, antisocial, or drug-related activities. Hence, the use of pilots is an excellent, cost-efficient way to test an innovative activity or model before implementing it on a larger scale and it is also a way to make continuous shifts and amendments. (MID TERM REPORT LEAP: 2009)

School Clubs

The LEAP project strengthened the existing school and youth clubs to energize them; train them on child labor, child rights, and child protection issues; and motivate them through music, dance, and drama.

Partnership with the Government

Government officials at the district level, particularly within the education and labor ministries, are committed, serious, and active in their efforts to combat child labor. They particularly take the sustainability plans discussed with LEAP project staff seriously and intend to continue many activities. At the national level, MOES and MGLSD have collaborated with various stakeholders, including LEAP project staff, to progress policy reform and foster the infusion of child labor awareness into the primary curriculum through the National Curriculum Development Center (NCDC). (MID TERM REPORT LEAP: 2009)

District Ordinances

At the district level, the LEAP project has worked with District Councils to progress ordinances in Gulu, Lira, Pader, and Kitgum. In Lira District in 2009, the local government developed a child protection ordinance that includes paragraphs on “harmful employment,” “aiding street children,” “corporal punishment prohibited,” “places of entertainment not to admit children,” and “Advertisers not to employ children.” The ordinance includes offences and punishments. The evaluator sighted an invitation by the Gulu District Local Government to AVSI on October 22, 2009 to discuss the draft ordinance seeking to “promote girl child education in the district.” The draft ordinance on quality assurance in education includes statements such as “Every school has at least two female teachers” and a full section on child labor mitigation strategies. The section on the promotion of girls’ education includes early marriages, pregnancy, domestic chores, and sanitary facilities. Pader District is developing an education and gender ordinance. These ordinances will be submitted to the attorney general and it is expected that they will be in force by the end of 2009. District Councils were proud of their progress in child labor, education, and child protection issues, which they believe will considerably advance the sustainability of enforcement measures to combat child labor and put in place instruments for positive change. (MID TERM REPORT LEAP: 2009)

Policy Support

At the national level, the government has taken a number of measures to progress child labor policies and strategies. The LEAP project staff is involved in these measures through attendance at committee meetings and other avenues for cooperation. This includes, as part of the Technical Working Group, the development of the Popular Version of the NCLP, which simplifies the policy for implementation at the local level. This is at the third draft stage, as of September 2009, and is expected to be finalized by the end of the year. The LEAP project has also been involved in advancing the list of hazardous work developed by MGLSD’s Child Labor Unit61 and the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labor. The government is also moving forward, with ILO, to finalize the National Employment Policy. The formulation of the

Education Blue Print is another area of collaboration in which the policy outlines the priority needs for northern Uganda.

Infusion into the Primary Curriculum

The LEAP project has been working with the NCDC for the infusion of child labor and life skills into the thematic curriculum for P4–P7 primary classes. This is currently in draft form. The thematic curriculum incorporates all subjects and trains pre-service and in-service teachers on innovative classroom practices. NCDC confirms that it had “traces” of information on child labor and life skills in the curriculum but they were “not well grounded and needed orientation.” With the LEAP project’s involvement, they worked on translating the ideas into learning situations. (MID TERM REPORT LEAP: 2009)

Coordination with International Labour Organization

The LEAP project is participating with ILO in revising the NCLP into a popular version, which began in July 2009. In 2010, the project will continue to participate in finalizing the document and will conduct pilot testing of its implementation in Lira District. After pilot testing, the project will also support the rollout of the popular version to the communities in their five operational districts. ILO also indicates that the LEAP project is involved in the advancement of the National Action Plan, as well as national awareness-raising campaigns. The LEAP project also invited ILO members to a sustainability workshop and are continuously involved in discussions with ILO regarding child labor issues. (MID TERM REPORT LEAP: 2009)

2.6 Challenges faced by NGOs in combating child labour

A challenge to the CLMS in the district is the lack of labor officers. There are limited government labor officers to adequately visit workplaces and child labor sites, such as stone quarries. To combat this lack, the DEO staffs members often visit child labor sites as part of their duties, as does the district Probation and Welfare Office staff. This issue is a government issue and is outside the scope of the LEAP project. However, the districts are highly committed to monitoring and combating child labor despite the inadequate provision of labor officers.

The issue of violence has not yet reached the level where it attracts public debate. The interventions so far undertaken are piecemeal by nature. For example, the national plan of action (2003-2007) was being developed to deal with, “child sexual; abuse and exploitation in 2003. There are current efforts by Uganda child rights NGO network with the ministry of gender, labour and social development to review and adopt the plan. A ban on corporal punishment in schools also lacks the necessary force to be enforced. The complete picture is therefore is that violence is being addressed in piecemeal, albeit, without an integrated and coherent strategy that can yield significant impact.

Protection of the children vulnerable through social security is still a problem in Uganda due to the prolonged conflict the country suffered where children were affected most as well as children in poor households. The MGLSD has compiled categories of vulnerable people in the National Strategic Programme Plan for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children: 2005-201.The priority areas for intervention are sustaining livelihoods, linking essential social sectors, strengthening policy and legal framework, and enhancing capacity to deliver. However, there is a challenge of resources for implementing the programme effectively. Other important policy guidelines include the National Policy on Disability in Uganda, the National Child Labour Policy, for example.

Implementation Challenges

Implementation challenges continue in the Karamoja region in terms of livelihoods provisions (such as VSLA, vocational training, and apprenticeships). These challenges have specifically included delays in establishing VSLAs due to piloting the activity in other districts first (currently there are no VSLAs in the Karamoja region), the lack of vocational training institutes with the flexibility to accept LEAP project beneficiaries, and the difficulty in identifying suitable quality artisans for the apprenticeship activities (and gaining community support). These challenges have been clearly identified by the project’s management team who continue to explore solutions. Discussions have indicated that they may be able to introduce VSLAs in the Karamoja region in 2010.

The main delays have been in the livelihood component, action research, and some training to secondary teachers. Planning is currently underway by the project team to address these delays. The delay to apprenticeships and non formal vocational education enrollments is largely due to limited resources and institutions in the regions. The delay to implement action research is mainly due to the scheduling of partners. Training planned for 2010 will address whole school improvement with head teachers in school management; secondary teachers will receive training in the same topics provided to primary teachers. During discussions with secondary teachers, they had not yet received guidance and counseling training, which they were keen to receive because they identified it as critical and extremely beneficial for students as well as for teachers (both groups being in need of psychosocial support). The delay to secondary teacher training is due to the activity being funded by match funds. Two grants have only recently been received to fund part of the training, and the project team is currently seeking additional match funding.

Another implementation challenge is the duration of support limited to two years, and the phasing in of cost sharing to parents. This is currently being piloted in Moroto District and efforts appear to be positive. However, many parents (and stakeholders) indicated to the evaluator that it would be difficult to implement in their school or sub-county. There is an underlying concern that students will relapse into exploitive labor if parents can’t afford to participate in cost sharing. Hence, it is recommended that the implementation of cost sharing is carefully and closely monitored and documented during its pilot phase.

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter presents a detailed plan, clearly indicating how the information was obtained from the study, the information type, sources, processing, analysis and presentations of findings. On addition to that, it also covers the research design that was used as well as the limitations faced during the study.

3.2 Research design.

Both quantitative and qualitative approaches of collecting data were used; the quantitative approach was to make the research highly structured and allow generalization of the data collected. The researcher also used exploratory and survey research designs to collect data since the study was aimed at assessing and investigating deep into the study phenomenon. By employing the exploratory research design, the researcher was able to explore more on the knowledge known about the study problem.

The researcher intended to use the survey design in order to acquire data which was gathered from a large number of people sampling out as few and interviewing them so as to be able to explain and describe the patterns of the study phenomena.

Data was analyzed according to the percentages after coding the results where for instance greater a greater percentage of the respondents and the beneficiaries having high percentage of NGO support, their contribution will be considered great.

3.3 Study area

The study was carried out in Nadunget Sub County in Moroto district from where the data shall be collected. The researcher was able data from the above study area as he considered it a better place from which he acquired relevant information about the problem.

3.4 Study population

The population included the community members and children involved in child labour both school going and school non going pupils in the study area. The researcher sampled out respondent from three parishes taking into consideration gender.

3.5 Sample size

Through using the convenience and purposive sampling methods, the researcher used 60 respondents to acquire necessary data of which the majority were community members and children exposed or at risk of involving in child labour activities.

3.6 Sampling procedure and sampling technique

3.6.1 Sampling method

The methods to used stratified random sampling and purposive sampling methods to collect the data as this was more applicable to the study area being that I had time to carry out the proposal and collected the relevant data needed.

3.6.2 Sampling composition

The sample composition of the respondents included; first and foremost, the community members, the children involved or at risk of child labour and NGO staff. A sample of 60 respondents was selected to represent the views of other people as it was not possible to include all people of the community in the study. This was because the resource and the time available limited the researcher to exhaustively reach to all the community members.

Table 1: showing the categories and the number of respondents

Category	Number	Percentage
NGO officials	4	(4/60)X100% 7%
Other civil servants	3	(3/60)X100% 5%
Community members	38	(38/60)X100% 63%
Children	15	(15/60)X100% 25%

3.6.3 Sampling procedure

The researcher picked a sample of respondents at random with assistance of the local council leaders and members of the community.

Questionnaires and discussion questions used were distributed to the selected sample of respondents who answered them and were then collected after a period of 5 days as well as discussions carried out. On the day of collecting questionnaires, the researcher conducted self administered interviews with the respondents and took notes which he used for writing the report.

3.6.4 Research procedure

The researcher obtained a letter of introduction from Kyambogo university faculty of education, department of teacher education and development studies which he presented to the respondents and local leaders of the study area the researcher was then able to get permission to conduct his study.

The researcher continuously introduced himself to correspondents so as to get permission to undertake the research in different places. This helped the researcher to have identity before the respondents and ensured his security in the area of study.

3.7 Data collection methods and tools

The following methods and instruments were used to collect the data.

3.7.1 Questionnaire method

A questionnaire shall be developed covering the basic demographic and socio-economic information. Questionnaires shall be piloted in assistance with community members and local leaders outside the programme areas.

The researcher will use semi structured questionnaires to collect data from the respondents. They will be answered by respondents and then collected later by the researcher. Questionnaires are considered appropriate since they can be administered to a large population of the respondents and are given ample time to think and express themselves and quite a lot of information may be collected in a relatively short period of time.

3.7.2 Key informant interview method

The researcher obtained data from people who were in position to know the community as a whole and had firsthand knowledge that was able to provide particular insight that was not possible with other community members. This enabled the researcher to get information about a problem in their community from a limited number of well informed respondents. Children exposed or are at risk of involving in child labor activities were the key focus of the researcher.

3.7.3 Observation

Direct observation was employed by the researcher; he was able to get live data by looking at what is taking place in Nadunget. This enabled the researcher to understand the context of the problem and enabled him to be open minded, inductive, and see things that were not freely been talked about in the interviews and other methods.

This also involved the use of over and less structured non participant observation of the NGO activities relevant to this study. It was used to study the existing NGO activities on child labour in relation to the community members whom they serve. This helped the researcher to get more factual, detailed and context related information as well as acting as a test of reliability of the responses from the various categories of respondents.

3.7.4 Documentary review

The researcher used this method by reviewing related literature of other previous researchers. The gaps which were left were identified and filled in the due course of the study.

3.8 Data management, processing and analysis

This shall involve carrying out the following; editing, coding, tabulation, frequency distribution and analyzing using SPSS

3.8.1 Editing

This involved the researcher checking for the errors and omissions from the information/data collected from the field. These greatly helped in noting the relationships between the answers suggested by the respondents to different questions and thus deleting the inconsistencies.

3.8.2 Coding

This was next procedure after editing with the purpose to classify answers given into meaningful categories especially the open ended questions so as to ensure the correspondences in the data collected. This involved the assigning of answers to all questions and to categorize them as was deemed necessary. The researcher constructed a coding frame for each question. On the part of the close ended questions, coding frames were determined before the research was undertaken.

3.8.3 Tabulation

The information after being coded was transferred into tables which were constructed by the researcher. These tables enabled the information to be summarized by the researcher to come up with corresponding information.

3.8.4 Data analysis

The process intended to provide information/data in a summarized form that therefore yielded answers to research questions. It also involved the researcher carrying out some statistical techniques and data interpretation. The SPSS method of data computation was applied in the process.

3.8.5 Study limitations

The study was so costly since it involved high financial expenditures in terms of transport, typing, printing, meals and general up keep during the study.
Being a nomadic community, it was difficult to access children and community members for interviews since most of them had to gather fruits and graze cattle early in the morning and come back in the afternoon.

Some respondents decided to refuse to release some vital information during interviews due to security purposes, ignorance and some adamantly intended to refuse.

CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION OF RESULTS AND DATA ANALYSIS

4.0 Introduction

This chapter entails the presentation of results and data analysis in the study. The purpose of the presentation and analysis of results was aimed at establishing the influence of NGO activities on child labour and exploitation in Nadunget Sub County, Moroto district Karamoja region.

4.1 Socio economic characteristics of the respondents

Majority (60%) of the respondents were aged above 30 years (table 1). Most (52%) come from relatively larger families of 6 to 10 persons. More than half of the respondents were female with majority (67%) married.63% were peasants whose survival majorly depends on fruit gathering and wild hunting. Most (64%) of the respondents had not attained education level beyond primary. About 75% of the respondents owned assets, majority (66%) owning houses. Majority (65%) of the respondents had annual income of less than 250,000 Uganda shillings. Most respondents (63%) lived in grass thatched houses. About 60 and 40% live in a distance of more than 10kms from the nearest market, school and work place respectively. (See table overleaf)

Table 1: socio economic characteristics of the respondents

Factor freq (%) Factor freq (%)

Age Family size

<15 6 10 1-5 26 43

16-30 18 30 6-10 31 52

>30 36 60 >10 3 5

Sex Assets owned

Male 21 35 House 40 66

Female 39 65 Land 5 9

None 15 25

Marital status Annual income

Single 11 18 <250,000 39 65

Married 40 67 251,000-1,000,000 5 8

Divorced – – >1,000, 1 2

Separated 2 3 None 15 25

Widowed 7 12

Current occupation Types of houses owned

Student 15 25 permanent 9 15

Peasant 38 63 semi-permanent 13 22

Civil service worker 2 3 grass thatched 38 63

NGO worker 5 7

Education background

No formal education 20 34

Primary 18 30

Secondary 15 25

College 2 3

University 5 8

Distance from nearest Distance from school

market (kms) (kms)

<4 3 5 <4 16 26

4-10 21 15 4-10 20 34

>10 36 60 >10 24 40

Source: primary data 2011

4.2 Local communities’ awareness about child labour and exploitation in the community the worst forms of child labour, the causes and its negative impacts to the community.

About 87% of the respondents were aware of the existence of child labour in the community, majority (74%) getting awareness from NGO’s (table 2). Other sources of awareness included CBO’s, workshops/seminars, relatives and friends.

Majority of (80%) of the respondents expressed quarrying as the most common form of child labour in Nadunget community closely followed by petty trade at (79%) other forms included according to the respondents charcoal burning, commercial sex exploitation and brick laying. About (95%) of the respondents identified the core cause of child labour in the community as poverty and illiteracy (89%). Others as cited by the respondents included unemployment and child headed households. Regarding the opinions about the negative impacts of child labour, majority (80%) of the respondents expressed that it has caused unwanted pregnancies others also say that child labour in the community has resulted into high levels of school dropouts especially by girls and has exposed children to the risk of acquiring diseases like HIV/AIDS and STI’s.(see table overleaf)

Table 2: Local communities’ awareness about child labour and exploitation in the community the worst forms of child labour, the causes and its negative impacts to the community

Variable/question freq (%)

Are you aware of the existence of child labour in your community?

Yes 52 87

No 1 2

Not sure 7 11

What is your source of awareness?

NGO’s 44 74

CBO’s 6 10

Workshops/seminars 2 3

Relative/friend 8 13

What according to your own view are the worst forms of child

labour in your community?

Quarrying 48 80

Petty trade 47 79

Charcoal burning 40 67

Commercial sex exploitation 29 48

Brick laying 13 22

Selling water 42 70

Selling firewood 38 63

In your own view, what do you think are the causes of child

labour in your community?

Poverty 57 95

Illiteracy 53 89

Child headed families 42 70

Tradition 6 10

Unemployment 42 70

What according to you are the visible negative impacts of child

labour to your community?

Stigmatization of the child 35 59

School dropout 46 76

Retarded growth of children 25 42

Unwanted pregnancies 48 80

Exposes children to the risk of acquiring diseases like

HIV/AIDS and STI’s 43 71

Source: primary data 2011

4.3 Opinion of community members about NGO’s and other institutions participating in support to end child labour in Nadunget sub county, Moroto district.

Opinions of local people about roles of NGO’s participation to end child labour in Nadunget Sub County and how they are performing varied widely among respondents (table 3).outstanding roles of NGO’s participating included awareness raising campaigns, capacity building and support to education. Majority (60%) of the respondents also think IRC is so far working very well in addressing these roles.

UNICEF’s main roles included promotion of sports and support to education. Only 44% of the respondent’s interviewed think UNICEF is working very well to address its perceived roles. Cooperation and development was perceived to be doing well mainly in sports with about 51% of the respondents thinking cooperation and development is working well to address its roles. Respondents think Samaritan purse is contributing greatly to end child labour especially in capacity building and provision of food to fig hunger which forces children to involve in child labour. (See table overleaf)

Table 3: Opinion of community members about NGO’s and other institutions participating in support to end child labour in Nadunget sub county, Moroto district

(%) response

Role of institution opinion about the institution working

Awareness capacity support school sports education working working just not totally

INSTITUTION raising building clubs very well well satisfactory satisfactory ineffective

IRC 81 60 86 58 79 60 18 20 2 –

UNICEF 16 42 48 70 80 44 30 18 8 –

C and D 6 30 15 90 60 15 51 29 5 –

SP – 56 – 3 – – 15 47 31 7

SCiUG 10 20 – 20 50 5 10 40 30 15

OTHERS

CBO’s 79 35 10 – 72 – 28 64 8 –

LG 37 51 54 70 2 – 10 65 20 5

Source: primary data 2011

4.4 Opinions of the community members on the impacts of NGO activities on child labour in the community

NGOs have gained a remarkable contribution in support to end child labour in Nadunget Sub County. A majority (70%) strongly agree that NGO activities have helped children gain strong attitude of being at school. Also a majority (60%) strongly agree that NGO activities have helped increase awareness and attitudes of the community about the negative impacts of child labour. Most (59%) agree that NGOs through their activities have helped children understand and demand for their rights especially by supporting school clubs. However 36% disagreed that NGO activities have increased children retention in schools. Half of the respondents (50%) strongly disagreed that NGO activities have helped withdraw completely children involved in child labour.

Asked whether under current focus by NGOs child labour still exists, 62% of the respondents strongly agreed on the statement and when asked whether the community has more access to child labour services provided for by NGOs, 57% of the respondents disagreed. Likewise 68% of the respondents disagreed when asked whether NGO activities benefit the community impartially. Many also disagreed on the statement that all NGO involved are equally participating actively in support to end child labour. (See table below)

Table 5: Opinions of the community members on the impacts of NGO activities on child labour in the community

(%) Response

Statement SA A D SD DK

Under current NGO focus, child labour still exists 62 30 6 2 –

The local community has more access to child labour services 9 12 57 22 –

NGO services benefit people in the community impartially 6 20 68 – 6

All NGOs involved have equally contributed to eradicate child labour in our community 5 3 7 75 –

NGO activities have helped children gain attitude of being at school 70 15 2 1 12

NGO activities have helped children understand their rights and demand for them 59 10 3 2 26

Ngo activities have increased children retention at schools 21 34 36 7 2

Have increased awareness of child labour and its negative impacts to the community 60 30 7 – 3

Have integrated the community to decision making of their programmes 40 12 18 10 20

Have withdrawn completely children involved in child labour 6 14 30 50 –

Source: primary data 2011

4.6 Assessment of the efficiency of NGO programmes and community roles in support to end child labour

Institutions participating in support to end child labour in Nadunget Sub County Moroto district include NGOs, CBOs, local government authorities and individual members of the community. About 7% of individuals however said that they do not play any significant roles in support to end child labour. They claim that this is work for NGOs. Those who were involved in child labour activities said they were helping in mobilization of people for awareness raising campaigns, reporting any cases of child labour and them themselves sending children to school. Majority (85%) of the respondents said that their communities have collaborative child labour control activities with NGOs and that the arrangement is mainly about identification of children vulnerable to child labour in order to access NGO support, reporting of culprits and actively participating in awareness campaign.(see table below)

Table 6: assessment of the efficiency of NGO programmes and community roles in support to end child labour

Variable/question freq (%)

In your own view, which of the following programmes

implemented by NGOs is effective so far in the

fight to end child labour in your community?

Awareness raising 16 26

Provision of school materials 7 12

Psychological counselling for children 1 2

Vocational education 2 3

Recreation and play activities 3 5

Sponsoring children to school 31 52

In your own view, what do you think are individual roles

of community members in NGO programmes in ending child labour

No significant role 4 7

Reporting any cases of child labour 11 18

Support during mobilization for awareness raising campaigns 3 5

Sending children to school 42 70

Does the community have participatory child labour control activities

with NGOs?

Yes 51 85

No 5 9

Not sure 4 6

If yes what are this arrangements?

Identification of children involved in child labour in order to get necessary support 29 49

Reporting culprits 12 20

Sensitisation of people 19 31

Source: primary data 2011

4.7 The capacity of people to support child labour related programmes and to ensure that child rights are followed in the community.

Majority (68%) of the respondents expressed that all their household members received training in child rights, girl child education, the worst forms of child labour and the negative impacts to the community. Although some of them said they were not aware of any training opportunity or any provider of child labour control services, 72% of them said they did not need the training. Contrary to this, majorities of the respondents said some of their household members especially children received training on this issues from their schools. Generally, more children received training as compared to teachers, household heads, local leaders and other household members on girl child education and child rights. Local leaders got more training on the worst forms of child labour and 23% of household heads got training on the benefits of girl child education. (See table overleaf)

Table 7: The capacity of people to support child labour related programmes and to ensure that child rights are followed in the community

(%) response

Girl child education child rights worst forms of CL dangers of CL

ACTIVITY

Community members received training

Yes 68 80 63 59

No 32 20 37 41

Reasons for not training

No need 24 72 47 32

Expensive 10 17 40 33

Not aware of the opportunity 67 50 55 44

Busy 61 14 52 58

No training provider – – – 1

Person who received the training

Children 60 54 42 18

Teachers 10 19 40 15

Local leaders 7 6 10 61

Household heads 23 21 8 6

Training provider

IRC 48 55 100 100

UNICEF 30 25 – –

SP – – – –

C and D 22 20 – –

STC – – – –

Application for the training

Yes 37 – – –

No 63 100 100 100

Reason for non application

Provided for free 87 82 86 80

Time consuming – 6 – –

Not aware 13 12 14 20

Source: primary data 2011

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0 Introduction

The chapter presents the discussions of the results, conclusions and recommendations

5.1 Discussions of findings

Assessment of the influence of NGO activities on ending child labour in Nadunget sub county, Moroto district presented in the preceding sections provides several important insights the current state of child labour in Moroto district. Through this assessment, attempts to show the level of awareness of the vocal people and about the worst forms of child labour, its causes and its negative effects on development, their opinion about the impact of NGO activities on eradicating child labour in the district and their capacity in terms of training to manage and control child exploitation in the community. However when drawing conclusions about results discussed herein, the following cautions should be considered; the subject of child labour and exploitation proved difficult to investigate. Most respondents did often not understand the questions asked, each interview took too long and sometimes respondents got restless and lost interests and concentration with the lengthy interviews. Despite these limitations, the study has been successful in showing the broad picture of the influence of NGO activities on child labour and exploitation in Nadunget Sub County, Moroto district Karamoja region.

Although the findings suggest that many people were aware of the existence of child labour in the community, its worst forms, its causes and negative impact to development, through NGOs, almost all of them did not take initiative to find measures of combating it and although most of the people understood and received NGO services and programmes geared towards ending child labour, they did not undertake them fully due to lack of clarity of intents. Lac of clarity of intents leads to poor outcomes especially to the poor and illiterate communities like Nadunget in ending child labour, similarly, majority of the respondents have consented that NGO activities have strongly helped children to gain attitude of being at school and most importantly reducing their risk of involving in child labour activities although many still feel that under current NGO focus child labour still exists. To them NGOs put much emphasis on supporting child rights clubs. According to the respondents NGOs have not put much emphasis on the rights and obligations of local communities in the quest to ending child labour in the community.

The implementation aspect of NGO activities is not fully effective. Local peoples participation in child labour programmes provided for by NGOs is not give sufficient attention. Their decisions are often ignored. It is also clear that from the study, the local communities feel that child labour has drastically declined over the past years basically with NGO intervention with high regards. To the respondents, a couple of factors like girl child education support, sponsorship of children to school, awareness raising campaigns contributed significantly to the decline. Little is being done in terms of trainings to the community leaders to be able to manage child labour related cases in the community effectively.

The dilemma of child labour in Karamoja most especially Nadunget Sub County in Moroto district is lack of participatory follow up of children involved and at risk of involving in child labour and critical focus on the most vulnerable children in the community. According to the study conducted, it is clear according to the respondents that NGOs do not provide services to the community members impartially using sampling method while the rest of the community remains traumatised by the stigma and to add on, the respondents strongly agree that the NGOs do not follow up their beneficiaries which leaves the gap open for children to continue being involved in child labour related activities. According to the findings, the trends of child labour in the community are regressing but at a slow pace great thanks to NGO efforts, the trends are however expected in a near future to decline because child labour issues have hit public debate, children are gradually realising their rights and demand for them and most importantly NGOs are dedicating all their efforts to end child labour.

The finding clearly reveal quarrying and petty trade as the major activities that children are involved in for survival in Nadunget sub county and this justifies the fact that poverty and illiteracy are the key causes of child labour in the community. This therefore leaves a task to NGOs and other stakeholders to support especially livelihoods and adult education and also alternative income generating activities like support to rural savings and productive assets like construction of dams.

According to the study findings, majority of the people recognise IRC as the most actively participating NGO towards ending child labour whose outputs are tangible and recognisable in the community although some other respondents recognise other NGOs like UNICEF, Cooperation and Development as also active partners in ending child labour in the district. Other people living in communities where they don’t get any service of child in Nadunget Sub County like Komaret, Lotirir find it hard to control the phenomenon so the cases are high in such areas. It is in this scenario that with NGO activities people’s expectations to end child labour so soon becomes a dream. People continue utilising their children as source of their incomes to support livelihoods consequently exposing them to all the risks that accrue. This therefore undermines NGO efforts to meet their core objective to eradicate child labour so soon.

5.2 Conclusions

The current efforts by NGO activities and their programmes as regards to child labour is not a only panacea to addressing the welfare of rural poor in different economic conditions in Nadunget sub county, yet this is typically the sole cause of child labour in the region. Although many local people were well aware of the dangers of child labour alongside NGO activities, nearly all of them did not effectively utilise the services since the intents virtually were not clear. Capacity for local leaders and household heads on how to improve the welfare instead of utilising children as a source of income for livelihoods in terms of training is generally very weak.

A majority of supported children who are school going are still involve in child labour activities especially those who are not in boarding and this can be explained by the hours they work and number of days in a week and also those who are in boarding also involve in such activities during holidays. This according to the respondents is due to lack of follow up of children even during after school days.

The significant role that NGOs are credited for are awareness raising campaigns and support to education but at the same time people are not contented with the support given to the children like school materials and school fees because respondents expressed that the support rendered is not sustainable citing IRC as an example which supports children for only a period of two years and leaves them. These forces children who cannot afford to continue to go back to the activities they were involved in before. Hence this is a limitation of services provided by to the people of Nadunget Sub County in Moroto district which has hampered the end of child labour in the region.

According to the study, the most significant player amongst NGOs contributing greatly to end child labour is IRC according to the respondents and their activities are visible in the communities it implements the its programmes like especially awareness raising campaigns, outreach programmes to community members, sponsoring children to school and many more so to my own opinion IRC other than any other NGO deserves credit for its activities although community members think the support is not reliable enough.

5.3 Recommendations

Monitor students closely on weekends and school vacations to prevent relapse into WFCL and consider documenting the results as action research for wider dissemination.

Conduct information-sharing visits and exchanges for NGO partners, teachers, and students between operational districts to discuss implementation strategies and for networking on a peer-to-peer basis (students in particular are information-deprived, especially in Moroto District, and have expressed a desire to speak to other students) or interest basis.

Place a key focus on action research, such as youth action research, labor market skills analysis, child trafficking, HIV/AIDS behavior change, and sexual and gender-based violence and its impact on child labor in order to fully ascertain the most vulnerable communities and children and therefore scaling up better alternatives when implementing activities and providing support to the beneficiaries.

Reconsider scaling up VSLAs in the district, with availability of funding this will help improve on the welfare of people in the community and raise their income without using children to get income.

Monitor the employment options and opportunities for graduating students from vocational and apprenticeship programs and consider documenting the results as action research on graduate employment.

NGOs should strengthen teacher training, particularly in guidance and counseling.

Provide further research to track the impact of remedial classes.

Monitor and document the parent cost-sharing intervention during its pilot phases, particularly to determine whether students will relapse into exploitive labour if parents cannot afford to participate in cost sharing.

Continue discussions with the NCDC regarding collaboration to infuse child labour and life skills into the secondary school curriculum.

REFERENCES

ILO, International Labour Office – Bureau of Statistics, Economically Active Population 1950-2010, STAT Working Paper, ILO 1997)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_labour

Tom Mwebase 2007; Paper provided by African Economic Research Consortium in its series Research Papers with number RP_167.
Baland, Jean-Marie and James A. Robinson (2000) ‘Is child labor inefficient?’ Journal of Political Economy 108, 663–679
Basu, Kaushik, and Homa Zarghamee (2009) ‘Is product boycott a good idea for controlling child labour? A theoretical investigation’ Journal of Development Economics 88, 217–220
Bhukuth, Augendra. “Defining child labour: a controversial debate” Development in Practice (2008) 18, 385–394
Emerson, Patrick M., and André Portela Souza. “Is Child Labor Harmful? The Impact of Working Earlier in Life on Adult Earnings” Economic Development and Cultural Change 59:345–385, January 2011 DOI: 10.1086/657125 uses data from Brazil to show very strong negative effects—boys who work before age 14 earn much less as adults
Humbert, Franziska. The Challenge of Child Labour in International Law (2009)
Humphries, Jane. Childhood and Child Labour in the British Industrial Revolution (2010)
ILO, Investing in every child: An economic Study of the Costs and Benefits of Eliminating Child Labor
Kirby, Peter. Child Labour in Britain, 1750-1870 (2003)
The International Labour Organization Reports on Child Labour – statistics and trends published in the 2010 progress report, from ILO TV.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Cause-and-effects-of-Child-Labour
The Daily monitor 16 June 2006
United States Department of Labor, 2008 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor – Uganda, 10 September 2009, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4aba3eb83c.html[accessed 21 November 2010]

APPENDIX I

QUESTIONNAIRES

Dear respondent,

This is to request you to participate in the study on The influence of NGO activities on child labour /exploitation in Karamoja region, A case study being Nadunget sub county Moroto district. the statement in the study represents the questions to persons with knowledge and experience in implementing, coordinating and supporting the activities aimed at ending child labour and exploitation in Karamoja region specifically Moroto district. Therefore you are requested to give your opinion and facts on each of the questions. Your sincere response will provide data for research in partial fulfillment of the award of a degree of development studies of Kyambogo University. Your kind response will be duly appreciated and will be treated with utmost confidentiality.

Section A

Socio- economic characteristics of the respondents

i) Age

< 15 16- 30

> 30

ii) Sex

Male Female

iii) Marital status

Single Married

Divorced Separated

Widowed

iv) Family size

1-5 6-10

>10

v) Current occupation

Student Peasant

Civil servant worker NGO employee

vi) Education background

No formal education Primary

Secondary College

University

vii) Assets owned

House Land

None

viii) Annual income

< 250,000 251, 000- 500,000

501, 000- 1,000,000 > 1,000,000

ix) Types of houses occupied

Permanent Semi permanent

Gross thatched

x) Distance from place of work or school (kms)

< 4 4-10

>10

xi) Distance from nearest market (kms)

< 4 4-10

>10

Section B

A] Objective 1

To examine the communities opinion about the worst forms of child labour, its causes and its negative impacts to development.

Local community’s awareness of the existence of child labour in the community
i) Are you aware of the existence of child labour in your community?

Yes No

Don’t know

ii) If yes what are the sources of awareness

Human rights organizations NGO’s

CBO’s Workshops and seminars

Relative/ friend

Communities opinion about the worst forms of child labour, its causes and its negative impacts in the community
i) In your own opinion, what do you think are the works forms of child labour in your community?

……………………………………………………………………………………

ii) What do you think are the causes of child labour in your community?

………………………………………………………………………………………

iii) According to you, what are the visible negative impacts that child labour has got in your community?

………………………………………………………………………………………

B] Objective 2

To investigate the efficiency of NGOs activities in ending child labour in Nadunget sub county.

Assessment of the efficiency of NGO programmes and community roles to end child labour.
i) Which of the following programmes implemented by NGOs is the most effective according to your own view in support to end child labour?

Awareness campaigns Provision of school materials

Support to school clubs Psychological counseling in schools

Vocational education Recreation and play activities

Paying school fees for children

ii) In your own view, what do you think are the individual roles of community members in NGO implemented programmes?

No sufficient role Reporting any cases of child labour

Support in mobilization of people for awareness campaigns

iii) Does the community have participatory child labour control activities with NGOs

Yes No

Not sure

iv) If yes, what are these arrangements?

Identification of vulnerable children to get support Reporting culprits

Awareness rising campaigns

Opinion about NGO’s and other institutions participating in support to end child labour in Nadunget sub – county

Role of institutions						Opinion about how the institution is working
NGO	Awareness campaigns	Capacity building	Support school clubs	Sports	Education	Working very well	Working well	Just satisfactory	Not satisfactory	Totally ineffective
IRC
UNICEF
SCiUG
C&D
SP
Others
LG
CBOs

C) Objective three

To examine the impacts NGO activities have towards child labour and exploitation in Nadunget sub county

Opinion of community members on the impact of NGO activities on child labour in the community

Statement	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree	Don’t know
NGO’s activities have helped children gain attitude of being at school
NGO activities have helped children know their rights and demand for them
Has increased awareness of child labour and its negative impacts to the community
Have integrated the local community to decision making of their programmes
Have helped children involved in child labour to completely withdraw from such activities
Under current NGO focus, child labour still exists
The local community does not have more access to NGO child labour services.
NGO services benefit people in the community partially
NGO’s have not effectively implemented their activities in all the communities of their operations
Not all NGOs have fully participated in the support to end child labour

The capacity of people to handle child labour issues and to ensure that child rights are followed in the community
i) Did your community member get training on the following activities?

Activity	Yes	No
Girl child education
Child rights
Dangers of child labour
Worst forms of child labour

ii) If not what is the reason for not training in?

Activity	No need	Expensive	Not aware of opportunity	Busy	No training provider
Girl child education
Child rights
Dangers of child labour
Worst forms of child labour

ii) What category of persons received training in the following?

Children Teachers

Local Leaders Household heads

iii) Who are the training providers?

IRC UNICEF

SP C&D

SCiUG

iv) Did you apply for the training?

Yes No

v) If not what is the reason for not applying

Provided for free Time consuming

Not aware

APPENDIX II

QUESTION GUIDES FOR RESPONDENTS

WHAT do you understand by the term child labour?

What are the common forms of child labour in your community?

Which category of people in your community is most affected by child labour?

What do you think are the causes of child labour in your community?

What are the negative impacts of child labour to your community?

What are the coping strategies that members of the community put to avert the impacts of child labour in the community?

Which NGOs do you know that provide services aimed at eradication of child labour in Nadunget community?

According to you, has child labour been eradicated from your community?

What do you think are the major challenges faced by NGOs when implementing their programmes in your community?

What do you think NGOs should do in order to ensure that their activities are a success?