Country Programme (Phase II)
| Time-frame |
Donor(s) |
Duration: 2 years
Starting date: Jan. 2002 (DANIDA)
/ Jan. 2003 (Government of Italy) |
DANIDA
Government of Italy |
The Country Programme started in Sri Lanka in 1997. The main objectives
of the Programme are:
- To create awareness on child labour;
- To strengthen the law enforcement authorities, and sensitize
the Ministry of Justice and lawyers for better enforcement of
legislation;
- To conduct research on child labour in specific sectors such
as dry zone agriculture, seasonal employment of children in paddy
cultivation, and slash and burn agricultural activities;
- To improve access to education and prevent school dropouts;
- To increase the available income of identified families by income
generating activities;
- To create awareness on better management of income.
The Danida funded elements of the Country Programme during Phase
I included the following components:
- Policy and programme development;
- Capacity building by providing alternatives to children at risk
and to those who have been rescued. IPEC has conducted vocational
training and skills development programmes and has worked with
the Employers' Federation of Ceylon to create a job placement
system for vulnerable boys and girls over 15 years of age;
- Direct action with children and their families through a micro
credit component aimed at poverty reduction by economically empowering
parents;
- Awareness raising and social mobilization, such as placing the
issue of child labour on the agenda of trade unions, increasing
the knowledge base by conducting four rapid assessments in the
plantation sector, in-depth research studies, and strengthening
relationships with local NGOs and trade unions.
The first phase of the Country Programme took place between 1997
and 2001. During this period, some 15 action programmes were approved
under the core IPEC programme. Of these action programmes, one was
on situation analysis, three on advocacy, four on awareness raising
and institutional development, and seven provided direct services
to the target population. A total of 15 implementing agencies were
appointed — eight were government institutions, six were NGOs,
and one was a trade union. In addition, ten mini programmes have
also been completed. Of the mini programmes, five were implemented
by government agencies. All action programmes under Danida funding,
except four, have been completed.
The National Steering Committee subsequently approved six small
project interventions to test out areas that have not been addressed
hitherto under Danida funding, with leftover funds from Phase I.
Three small projects targeted the fisher community and their vulnerable
children in the three geographic areas of Dehiwela, Negombo, and
Chilaw. Additionally, Anuradhapura was targeted under another action
programme to strengthen both the Government's and community network's
capacity to provide a security net to the children of 25,000 migrant
workers from within that specific geographic area. This pilot test
is expected to be mainstreamed to other areas that record high rates
of migrant workers within the country. Two other action programmes
replicated a holistic prevention intervention - one focused on the
plantations and the other on broadening assistance in a poor district
called Moneragala.
The six small project interventions were conducted during a six-month
period, with the following results:
- Capacity building of 420 teachers, 10 of whom also underwent
training in psychosocial care-giving. In addition, 360 school
principals from the North Central Province of the country were
sensitized on issues related to child labour. A particular focus
was to monitor vulnerable girls and boys at risk due to labour
migration within their families. Around 35 women from a partner
NGO, receiving support through the Country Programme were also
trained to carry out child labour interventions. A further 35
community workers, working with children at risk, were given training
on career counselling. Finally, 100 government officials were
sensitized on child labour issues, through training based on the
contents of the ILO Convention No. 182;
- Direct interventions consisting of a range of services, including
counselling, legal aid, peer counselling, and recreational services,
were made available to a group of girls (114) and boys (82) working
on a beach. These services were provided through a Drop-in-Centre.
Many of the beneficiaries, through their association with the
centre, went on to follow vocational training courses. Vocational
training was provided to 97 girls and 138 boys, 40 of whom were
from the conflict-ridden Northern and Eastern parts of the country.
Remedial classes were provided to 300 children who were likely
to drop out of school due to low performance. Non-formal education
classes were provided to 37 of these children, who were unable
to return to formal education. A total of 106 children, out of
which at least 50 per cent were girls (located in highly marginalised
areas), were provided with pre-school facilities to ensure that
a culture of school-going was incorporated into their lifestyle;
- Awareness raising programmes conducted during this short space
of time were attended by 2,819
participants, comprising parents, community leaders, community
workers, and children at risk of
exploitative employment. Indirect beneficiaries, particularly
children of the migrant labour force, who
have been identified as particularly susceptible to exploitative
employment and hazardous work,
numbered about 25,000. The adult community covered under this
particular action programme located
in the North Central Province approximated 150,000. Posters/art
competitions, videos, and a street
drama produced during this period facilitated the dissemination
of the programme.
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