The overall goal of the project is to reduce child labour in Tanzania’s tobacco industry through targeted interventions in Tabora region.

Project in Brief

Background

After coffee, cotton and tobacco are Tanzania’s largest export crops. The major cotton and tobacco-producing areas in Tanzania correlate to areas of low primary school enrolment and high numbers of working children aged 7 to 13.These children work long hours without rest or food, endure extreme weather without appropriate gear, carry heavy loads that can affect their growth, face exposure to harmful agrochemicals, and do not have time to go to school.

• preparing the land;
• planting seeds;
• watering seedbeds;
• weeding;
• applying fertilizers and pesticides;
• harvesting;
• carrying tobacco loads from farms to the barn.  

On average, they work 8 to 12 hours per day. Migrant children are the most likely to be working in tobacco fields, yet obtaining an accurate count of migrant children is challenging as they come from other poor locations in the region and are often on the move.  According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and those affected by HIV/AIDS are particularly susceptible to child labour.

Causes of child labour in Tanzania

Poverty is highly skewed to rural areas, where 87% of the population lives. Causes of child labour include: 

• Adult unemployment, resulting in a greater need for children of unemployed parents to work;
• The HIV/AIDS epidemic,  leaving many children as orphans or heads of households who must work to survive;
• Economic hardships and extreme poverty, leading to child trafficking. Children are transported to other districts or regions to work on farms or plantations, as animal herders, in mines, or as prostitutes and domestic workers;  
• Education not considered a priority, is too difficult to obtain, or is inadequate. The education infrastructure is weak in some areas, especially in rural communities. This results in too few classrooms, a lack of learning and teaching materials, inadequate sanitation facilities, and inadequate housing for teachers. In some communities children must travel long distances on foot without food or water so that by the time they reach school, they are too tired and hungry to learn;
• Weak enforcement of existing labour laws. Although existing laws prohibit the employment of children under 14 or the employment of children under 18 in hazardous or inappropriate work, these laws are not enforced. The capacity to investigate and prosecute child labour cases is limited;
• Limited awareness and understanding of child labour issues.

According to the ILO, the main causes of the worst forms of child labour (WFCL) in tobacco fields in Tanzania are linked to poverty: 84% of the parents of children working on the tobacco plantations/farms come from poor and very poor socio-economic backgrounds.

In rural areas, children involved in WFCL are either school drop-outs, have never been to school, or are combining work and school, with education a lower priority.

• The Prime Minister’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG);
• Labour, Employment and Youth Development (MOLEYD);
• Education and Vocational Training (MOEVT);
• Community Development, Gender and Children (MOCDGC);
• Department of Health and Social Welfare. 

Some of the government’s responses have been:

• The MOCDGC 2008 Child Development Policy, which provides for the elimination of WFCL;  
• The National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP or, as it is known in Tanzania, MKUKUTA). Cluster II of the NSGRP outlines issues regarding the improved quality of life and social well-being of children. The government has made efforts to increase expenditures on pro-poor social services including equitable access to quality primary and secondary education for boys and girls.

The government of Tanzania has ratified:

• UNICEF’s United Nations Child Rights Convention (UNCRC);
• ILO Convention C138 on the Minimum Age for Employment;
• ILO Convention No. 182 on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour.

The government of Tanzania has not ratified:

• ILO Convention 184 concerning safety and health in agriculture.

In terms of domestic legislation:

• Labour Law reforms in 2001 and the subsequent promulgation of the Employment and Labour Relations Act No. 6 of 2004, set a new minimum employment age of 14. It stipulated that children between 14 and 18 years may only undertake light duties that do not interfere with schooling or vocational training. Additionally, it prohibits children under 18 from being employed in mines, factories, or hazardous agriculture work.
• The National Action Plan (NAP) was completed in 2010. The NAP stipulates necessary actions across ministries.
• Progress is also underway on the preparation of the Plan of Action to Combat Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.
• The government’s List of Hazards, included as part of the NAP, describes hazards associated with child labour and the agriculture sector

Project Details

Immediate Objective 1
Initiate participatory and inclusive processes at district and community level that lead directly to the sustainable withdrawal of child labour from tobacco- growing

The project identifies child labourers and children “at risk” in 20 communities and analyses the root causes of child labour. Through a participatory approach, the project encourages communities to develop self-help strategies to resolve their own problems. The project trains volunteer community activists in each village to work with the community to form or strengthen children‘s watch committees and village child labour committees. These committees are involved in monitoring the welfare of vulnerable children, tracking their attendance at school, and raising awareness about child labour in the communities. 

By the end of 2015, the project will have:

• 20 Volunteer Community Activists and 20 Village Child Labour Committees trained and active in the communities.
• Monitored 7,800 children through school enrolment, having fully participated  in other aspects of PROSPER programmes.

Immediate Objective 2
Improve access to quality education and other basic social services at district and community level

Although primary education is free in Tanzania, families have to provide books, uniforms, school supplies and transport for their school-age children. These costs can deter children from the poorest households from enrolling in school.

To address this issue, the project implements a Family Support Scholarship (FSS) scheme for vulnerable households which combines scholarships for the child with conditional credit to the mother/guardian of target children. Families enrolled in the FSS are provided with the equivalent of $180 during year 1 of the programme. Of this, $40 covers the child‘s school-related or academic enrichment activities for year 1 and $140 is a loan/grant to the mother for her business. In return, the mother enters into an agreement with the school to repay‖the loan portion of the $140 (i.e. $80) in project years 2 and 3 by keeping her children in school and covering all school-related or enrichment fees during those years. Mothers who participate in the FSS program are required to enroll two children in school every year.

PROSPER also supports after-school programmes and mentoring in collaboration with teachers and community activists. After-school programmes include promoting child labour prevention messages; information on health, hygiene, and nutrition; and information on occupational health and safety (OSH) specific to the tobacco-growing industry. Through ECLT’s partner, TDFT, the project provides health education modules to be incorporated by teachers into their formal school curriculum. The modules will cover health, nutrition, sanitation and sexual and reproductive health issues.

In order to improve the teaching and learning environment, the project ensures that each school has an adequate infrastructure. The project will provide small School Improvement Grants to 20 schools to address some of the needs identified by the communities, such as the provision of desks, improvement of classrooms, and schools’ water and sanitation facilities.  

By the end of 2015:

• 1,800 families will have been awarded scholarship support;
• 4,600 children benefitting from after-school mentoring and enrichment activities;
• 20 schools will have improved facilities through community grants to support construction of wells, latrines, and improvements to educational facilities/materials;
• 1,000 families benefitting from health and wellness screenings and referrals.

Immediate Objective 3
Support advocacy to create political and/or social change and raise awareness to challenge acceptance of child labour in tobacco growing at all levels (national, district, community)

Through PROSPER, ECLT’s partners advocate for the elimination of child labour in tobacco-growing at all levels of government. The project raises awareness through its participation at national committees and events. PROSPER will also advocate for the establishment of a national agenda on the elimination of child labour. This will include national advocacy goals and the identification of polices, strategies, and laws that support the elimination of child labour.

At district and community level, the project coordinates and disseminates awareness messages to increase school enrolment, increase understanding of the hazardous nature of child labour, and to reduce the number of children engaged in hazardous work.

By the end of 2015:

• 20,000 beneficiaries sensitized on the hazards of child labour through awareness-raising activities; 
• A national and district media and advocacy campaign will have promoted education, hazard awareness and the elimination of child labour;
• Members of District and National Ministries will have gained skills to raise awareness about child labour.

Immediate Objective 4
Strengthen capacities at all levels (national, district, community) to combat child labour in tobacco-growing, through the development of appropriate structures, policies, and mechanisms

The project supports strengthening structures at national and district level to effectively address issues of child labour in Tanzania. In collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Youth Development (MLEYD) and ILO, PROSPER will support the implementation of a Child Labour Monitoring System (CLMS). This support will focus on assistance towards the implementation of the CLMS and the national action plan in Sikonge and Urambo districts.

Child labour committees will be formed and trained on child labour monitoring. The project will advocate for mainstreaming of child labour issues into the district development plans and budgets.

By the end of 2015:       

• The national action plan will have been implemented in the targeted districts and the capacity of national committees strengthened;
• District child labour committee will have been trained on CLMS and developed action plans to address child labour over the long-term;
• The capacity of 3,800 farmers will have been strengthened to enable them to advocate for fair working conditions and the withdrawal of children from child labour.

Immediate Objective 5
Strengthen livelihoods/economic improvement at community and household level 

The majority of smallholder tobacco farmers in Sikonge and Urambo spend much of their time on tobacco farming and devote very little time and land to food crop production. This over-emphasis on tobacco production increases vulnerability of farmers to food insecurity and poverty.

The project implements vocational agriculture training sessions to build the skills of young people aged 12-17 years old. Through its model farm programme, at-risk children and young people learn how to improve food crop production, diversify crops for food security, and about income generation. This programme occupies children during non-school hours and provides them with entrepreneurship and life skills.

Reducing poverty and vulnerability is essential to keep children in school and out of work.  The project therefore awards conditional loans to mothers/guardians engaged in small businesses through its Family Support Scholarship scheme. The beneficiary mother/guardian is trained in basic business practices to develop her skills in small-business management, growth investment, civic leadership, and parenting.

By the end of 2015:          

• 1,600 children and young people trained in vocational agriculture
• 1,530 mothers trained in business and entrepreneurship and awarded conditional business loans.

Immediate Objective 6
Promote at all levels (national, district, community) transition from hazardous work or exploitative labour to acceptable work for children of legal working age (15–17 years old)

The project will work with the Government of Tanzania and networking partners to advocate for the ratification and effective implementation of Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) instruments such as UN Convention No. 155 and its 2002 Protocol, Convention No. 187, and Convention No. 184.

At district and community level, in collaboration with workers unions and the private sector, PROSPER develops OSH training to promote a safe and healthy culture for young people working in tobacco. The objective is to ensure that children of legal working age (15–17 years old) have safe and healthy working conditions and that legal mechanisms against engaging children in hazardous or exploitative work are in place. Training and awareness campaigns target tobacco leaf technicians, farmers, district officials and communities.

By the end of 2015:

• 1,600 young people aged between 15–17 years will have been trained in and have increased knowledge of OSH;
• OSH standards and enforcement improved and awareness of OSH among stakeholders at the district and community level will have increased.

Winrock International, 2007, TEACH Project Document

ILO-IPEC, 2001, Investigating the worst forms of child labour in Tanzania: A Rapid Assessment Report on Child labour in Tobacco, Tea and Coffee. This study targeted Tabora and Iringa, the most extensive tobacco-growing areas in the country with both common modes of tobacco production: large-scale, formal plantation agriculture in Iringa, and small- to medium-holder farming in Tabora.