June 12, International Child Labour Day

Theme for 2004: Stop Child Domestic Work

Activity: Kids for Kids Postcard Campaign

The Campaign targets school chilren, journalists and the public.

Children (in 30 schools) wrote messages about child domestic workers on postcards and sent them to media agencies. The postcards were then pubilshed in newspapers as well as read in radio and TV programmes.

The large media coverage helped raise the visibility of the child domestic workers among the general public, espeically employers - to raise a debate on what employers can/should do.

The Campaign was done together with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affiars and Save the Children Sweden.

Hiwot's story

Hiwot came to Addis Ababa when she was only ten years old, in search of a better life. Her mother had died and she lived with a stepmother who beat her. That drove her to Addis where she found a job as a domestic servant. Her employer agreed to pay her a salary of Birr 30 a month and promised to send her to school.

But the reality is far from what Hiwot expected. She works from 6:00 in the morning until 11:00 at night. If she is unable to complete her assigned tasks, her employer beats her. It is not only her employer who mistreats her, but also the children in the household. They tease, insult and hit her regularly. Hiwot has worked for 18 months but has never received her salary nor was she allowed to go to school for the first year. When she got sick, her employer never provided her with medical treatment. Hiwot’s new life is full of disappointments. She is lonely and angry at the injustice done to her. “I wish my mother was alive,” she says, “It is because my mother is not here that my employer kicks and beats me. I know this wouldn’t happen if I had a mom. My employer never hits her own children, only me.”

One time Hiwot escaped after being beaten with a ladle. She couldn’t take it anymore. But the pressure from her family compelled her to return. Fortunately, the time away gave Hiwot the opportunity to find a school where she could learn for free. Her employer also reluctantly agreed to give her 3 hours off work so that she could go to school, but she has to work more to compensate for the 3 hours. As a result, she often misses class and does not have time to do her homework.

Hiwot’s future is uncertain. Her employer is not only disrespecting her but jeopardizing her future. Without a proper education, Hiwot will remain subservient and poor. Children like Hiwot are not only forced to work at an early age but remain unskilled workers perpetuating the cycle of poverty for them, their families and the entire nation

Child domestic workers in Addis Ababa

Of a sample of 100 child domestic workers in Addis Ababa*:

84% are girls, most are aged 11 to 14

72% come from outside Addis Ababa

50% have lost one parent and 28% are full orphans

39% do not receive a salary but only get in-kind compensation

The children work on average 11.2 hours per day, seven days a week

35% of the children do not go to school

55% of those children who do get to go to school say they have no time to do their homework

89% of the children said they would like to have another kind of job

58% of the children find their work burdensome because of overwork, lack of schooling, exhaustion, low or no pay, and physical and psychological abuse

62% of child domestic workers do not get any help performing household chores even though 66% of the families for whom they work have more than 6 members

89% of child domestic workers are not allowed to go to church or mosque 43% of child domestic workers are subject to physical violence (31% of which results in bleeding/swelling and 42% results in bruising)

Those inflicting the violence on child domestic workers are most often the employers’ children

72% of child domestic workers are constantly criticized by their employers

62% of child domestic workers are sexually harassed in the homes of their employers (most often by the employers’ sons)