ILO inaugurates Community Child Labour Monitoring Committees in 10 Cocoa communities in Ondo State
In an initiative-taking effort to combat the prevalent issue of child labor in Ondo State, and in accordance with the State Action Plan for the elimination of child labour, ILO, through the ACLAWA, has taken a significant step. It has inaugurated the Community Child Labour Monitoring Committees (CCLMC) across ten communities in the state. This project, with its focus on protecting children and offering hope for a brighter future, is a crucial initiative in the fight against child labor.
26 March 2024
Akure, Nigeria: In the pursuit of a future free from the scourge of child labour, the ILO’s Action against Child Labour in Agriculture in West Africa (ACLAWA) embarked on a mission to inaugurate the Community Action Plan committees, also known as the Community Child Labour Monitoring Committees (CCLMC) to champion all activities that enhance putting an end to child labour in their community.
Ondo state, the highest producer of cocoa in the country, is also one of the states with a high prevalence of child labour within the agriculture sector. This peculiarity made it a choice focus for the intervention of ACLAWA. The inauguration of the CCLMC is the first step in the implementation of the ACLAWA project, as provided for in the National Child Labour Policy and the Ondo State Action Plan for the elimination of child labour.
In the lead-up to the inauguration, The ACLAWA project supported the Lutheran World Relief in conducting the 3rd ILO SCREAM Module workshop at the University of Ibadan. Some selected participants from Idanre and Ifedore Local Governments Areas participated in the ILO SCREAM workshop from February 26 to March 2, 2024. The workshop, facilitated by esteemed professors and representatives from the University of Ibadan, CETeL, ILO, and Lutheran World Relief, addressed critical child labour issues. Technical sessions focused on using the SCREAM Module to promote the participation of children in the elimination of child labour.
In September last year, in Ondo State, the ACLAWA team, in collaboration with the State Steering Committee on the elimination of child labour, led by the Controller FMLE, Ondo State Cocoa Council, State Ministry of Agriculture, Cocoa Farmers Association, and the tripartite partners, visited over thirteen cocoa producing communities with a prevalence of child labour. This collaborative effort led to the identification and prioritization of communities for intervention, such as Igunshin and Bagbe in Ondo West LGA; Amuren and Asolo, in Owo LGA; Ala and Ilu Daada, in Akure North LGA; Orisunmibare-Bapie/Paranta in Odigbo LGA; Gberiwojo/Tejugbola and Bajare in Idanre LGA; and finally, Ero/Mariwo in Ifedore LGA.
The week-long workshop, which was held from the 4th to the 8th of March in Akure, the Ondo state capital, open conversations with ILO officials and the CCLMC selected participants to educate community members on the fundamentals of child labour and its impact on children's development and wellbeing, as well as the role that community members can play in the elimination of the menace.
During this engagement, feedback from participants had already begun to shed light on the potential impact of the project. A noteworthy piece of feedback involves a participant who, upon returning home, engaged her children in a conversation—a practice encouraged by the project as it emphasizes the rights of children. This simple yet profound interaction not only smoothed familial relations but also highlighted the potential of improved parent-child relationships to reduce the vulnerability of children to child labor.
Looking ahead, the CCLMC is ready to play a pivotal role in identifying, responding, and referring child labor cases to the appropriate authorities. By the end of the project, they anticipate interventions that not only prevent child labour, but contribute to reducing the susceptibility of children to child labour in the first place. These interventions will focus on bolstering education, occupational safety, and health, and social protection, serving as pillars in the quest to eradicate child labour from the nation.
Ondo state, the highest producer of cocoa in the country, is also one of the states with a high prevalence of child labour within the agriculture sector. This peculiarity made it a choice focus for the intervention of ACLAWA. The inauguration of the CCLMC is the first step in the implementation of the ACLAWA project, as provided for in the National Child Labour Policy and the Ondo State Action Plan for the elimination of child labour.
In the lead-up to the inauguration, The ACLAWA project supported the Lutheran World Relief in conducting the 3rd ILO SCREAM Module workshop at the University of Ibadan. Some selected participants from Idanre and Ifedore Local Governments Areas participated in the ILO SCREAM workshop from February 26 to March 2, 2024. The workshop, facilitated by esteemed professors and representatives from the University of Ibadan, CETeL, ILO, and Lutheran World Relief, addressed critical child labour issues. Technical sessions focused on using the SCREAM Module to promote the participation of children in the elimination of child labour.
In September last year, in Ondo State, the ACLAWA team, in collaboration with the State Steering Committee on the elimination of child labour, led by the Controller FMLE, Ondo State Cocoa Council, State Ministry of Agriculture, Cocoa Farmers Association, and the tripartite partners, visited over thirteen cocoa producing communities with a prevalence of child labour. This collaborative effort led to the identification and prioritization of communities for intervention, such as Igunshin and Bagbe in Ondo West LGA; Amuren and Asolo, in Owo LGA; Ala and Ilu Daada, in Akure North LGA; Orisunmibare-Bapie/Paranta in Odigbo LGA; Gberiwojo/Tejugbola and Bajare in Idanre LGA; and finally, Ero/Mariwo in Ifedore LGA.
The week-long workshop, which was held from the 4th to the 8th of March in Akure, the Ondo state capital, open conversations with ILO officials and the CCLMC selected participants to educate community members on the fundamentals of child labour and its impact on children's development and wellbeing, as well as the role that community members can play in the elimination of the menace.
During this engagement, feedback from participants had already begun to shed light on the potential impact of the project. A noteworthy piece of feedback involves a participant who, upon returning home, engaged her children in a conversation—a practice encouraged by the project as it emphasizes the rights of children. This simple yet profound interaction not only smoothed familial relations but also highlighted the potential of improved parent-child relationships to reduce the vulnerability of children to child labor.
Looking ahead, the CCLMC is ready to play a pivotal role in identifying, responding, and referring child labor cases to the appropriate authorities. By the end of the project, they anticipate interventions that not only prevent child labour, but contribute to reducing the susceptibility of children to child labour in the first place. These interventions will focus on bolstering education, occupational safety, and health, and social protection, serving as pillars in the quest to eradicate child labour from the nation.