Cooperatives in Uganda trained to tackle child labour in coffee and tea sectors

ENTEBBE (ILO News) – From 7–19 July 2025, 21 cooperative leaders and service providers from seven districts across Uganda took part in an intensive Training of Trainers (ToT) programme organized by the ILO through the ACCEL Africa project funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The training, funded by the Government of the Netherlands, aimed to strengthen local capacities to eliminate child labour in Uganda’s coffee and tea supply chains by leveraging cooperative development tools.

The two-week programme introduced participants to four ILO training packages: Think.COOP, Start.COOP, My.COOP, and the Child Labour Training Package for Agricultural Cooperatives. The tools are designed to help farmer organizations improve governance, strengthen livelihoods, and address child labour risks in a structured and sustainable manner.

The sessions covered two main areas:

• A comprehensive understanding of child labour, including its hazardous and worst forms, the social and economic consequences, and the international and national legal frameworks such as ILO Conventions 138 and 182.
• The role of cooperatives in tackling child labour—through prevention, monitoring, and integration of child labour considerations into cooperative governance, operations, and action plans.

To support these efforts, participants were introduced to ILO cooperative development tools, including the Child Labour Training Package for Agricultural Cooperatives, Think.COOP, Start.COOP, and My.COOP:

• Think.COOP: Designed for individuals exploring the formation of a cooperative, to help the community understand how supportive relationships and collective action can create better livelihood opportunities.
• Start.COOP module walks participants through the essential steps involved in planning and formally establishing a cooperative.
• My.COOP aimed at enhancing the management capacity of agricultural cooperative, as it focuses on strengthening service delivery so that cooperatives can provide high-quality, efficient, and effective support to their members.

The training was enriched by real-life case studies from the tea and coffee sectors, providing participants with practical, hands-on experience. This approach equipped them with the skills needed to assess the developmental stage of cooperatives and to tailor training curricula to the unique needs of each cooperative.

The training emphasized participatory and experiential learning. Participants engaged in group discussions, peer exchanges, and practical exercises, linking lessons to their professional contexts. By the end of the programme, all participants had developed draft action plans tailored to their communities, focusing on raising awareness, supporting children’s education, and creating protective mechanisms within cooperatives.

Participants recommended that child labour awareness be systematically integrated into cooperative meetings and activities, supported by community sensitization campaigns and the creation of child protection committees. They also emphasized the need for partnerships with schools, local leaders, and religious institutions to reinforce prevention efforts.

The training concluded with a call for participants to roll out the acquired skills within their cooperatives and districts, forming a network of trainers committed to advancing child labour-free coffee and tea supply chains in Uganda.