Other Initiatives Against Child Labour in Sri Lanka
The building of institutional capacity and direct intervention
programmes have been pursued through numerous IPEC projects. These
have been complemented and supplemented by the efforts of UNICEF
and Save the Children. While UNICEF has primarily moved in the area
of child soldiers, some strong interventions were seen against child
domestic labour as well. Police training in child rights amongst
the members of the Police Department was also undertaken by them.
Other organizations, NGOs in particular such as Marga and the Centre
for Policy Alternatives have undertaken studies on trafficking with
support from UNIFEM. Some value has been added to these efforts
due to the reciprocal relationship between the ILO and UNIFEM vis-à-vis
sharing of information, as the issue of child trafficking in particular
and related issues of the worst forms of child labour, are now being
highlighted within the UNIFEM agenda in Sri Lanka. In fact, the
ILO is often called upon to complement their programmes by providing
technical guidance, acting as resource persons, with regard to child
labour issues.
Currently, a great number of organizations are implementing projects
for reconstruction of the North- Eastern Province. Some of them
are of immediate relevance to the IPEC Project on Vocational Training
and Skills Development for Children Affected by War in the North-East.
This is the case with the following projects financed by GTZ:
- The Jaffna Rehabilitation Project, which extends into the eastern
districts;
- The Basic Education Sector Programme, which offers activities
for children affected by war in the Vanni region;
- The Vocational Training for Women and Youth Project (in Central
Province), which has developed its own training material in a
number of technical skills.
Some international NGOs with a focus on vocational skills training
as well as social mobilization and community development also play
an active role in the district, among them FORUT, WUSC, and Swiss
Contact. They facilitate technical and financial support through
local partner organizations, national NGOs such as Sarvodaya, and
also Government organizations such as the Technical Colleges, the
Vocational Training Authority, and the Department of Industries.
FORUT, in particular, has been active in the North for the past
15 years, focusing on social mobilization and community development.
It has established the two training institutes, Kilitech and Computech,
in the Vanni and has started to provide technical training through
mobile units. Since 1989, WUSC has facilitated vocational training
courses through its PRET project, mainly in the East, but also in
the northern districts. Since 2003, WUSC is also a cooperating partner
of the NECORD project (North East Community Restoration and Development
project jointly funded by ADB, Germany, OPEC, Netherlands, and the
Government of Sri Lanka) and facilitates training in Kilinochchi
and Mullaitivu districts.
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