Summer educational activities for children of seasonal agricultural worker families conclude for this year
Children going “To Schools, Not To Fields” had a productive summer. They participated in many educational and social activities, and learned swimming through courses.
31 August 2022
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ANKARA – Under the "Elimination of Child Labour in Seasonal Agriculture (ECLSA)" project financed by the European Union (EU) implemented jointly by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and General Directorate of Labour (GDL) of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS) with Pikolo Association and Genç Hayat Foundation as implementing partners, summer activities for the children of seasonal agricultural worker families concluded with highly colourful closing events. Children exhibited their shows and had great fun during the closing activities.
Arriving at the project provinces in the summer of 2022, the children of seasonal agricultural worker families participated in the educational programmes with the slogan “To Schools, Not To Fields” instead of going the fields with their families and had a productive summer. The activities included various programmes of academic, educational, social and cultural nature for children aged 6 to 18 in 12 provinces of migration destination between 01 June and 31st August 2022. Children also attended swimming courses organized and delivered in cooperation by ILO, Ministry of Youth and Sports (GSB) and Turkish Water Polo Federation, and acquired swimming as a life skill. Such cooperation aims to ensure that in the provinces where seasonal agricultural worker families live temporarily, children can learn swimming by courses, are encouraged to water sports at early age, talented children are identified and supported for becoming sportspersons of high-awareness.
The project “Let Everyone Learn Swimming” implemented by GSB aims that children already in child labour or under the risk of child labour learn how to swim, new athletes are recruited into water polo training in project provinces, and contributions are made to the protection and development of children. Thereby, support is provided through sports to achieving the prevention of employing the children of seasonal agricultural worker families in agricultural work in the projects being implemented under the “Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour in Türkiye” jointly implemented by ILO and MoLSS.
The closing events of the project were highly colourful with an overall participation of 4,200 students and 228 teachers. The closing events were attended by ILO and MoLSS officials, civil administrators in the project provinces, teachers working in the project, students and parents.
Under the project that aimed to eliminated child labour in agriculture, children went to schools instead of fields; participated in educational and social activities in the schools with other students for one month; and were taken to tours of historical and cultural places in the region. Children learned swimming in the courses. Municipal teams supported the project by such cultural activities as theatres, child events etc.
Implemented in Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Adana, Mersin, Hatay, Izmir, Manisa, Ankara, Eskişehir, Konya, Malatya, Ordu, Bursa and Düzce as top provinces of migration origin and destination for seasonal agricultural work, the project aims to provide 12,000 children with on-site education, counselling and rehabilitation services; educational and stationary materials, hygiene kits, clothing and food assistance; improve the living conditions of seasonal agricultural worker families in settlement areas; refer the family members of the working/at-risk children in seasonal agriculture to vocational and generic training programmes in order to improve life and occupational skills; provide training courses on the negative aspects of child labour in seasonal agriculture and related legislation to 200 agriculture intermediaries, 500 employers and 200 mukhtars (village masters).
The project is being implemented under ILO’s Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour in Türkiye.
Arriving at the project provinces in the summer of 2022, the children of seasonal agricultural worker families participated in the educational programmes with the slogan “To Schools, Not To Fields” instead of going the fields with their families and had a productive summer. The activities included various programmes of academic, educational, social and cultural nature for children aged 6 to 18 in 12 provinces of migration destination between 01 June and 31st August 2022. Children also attended swimming courses organized and delivered in cooperation by ILO, Ministry of Youth and Sports (GSB) and Turkish Water Polo Federation, and acquired swimming as a life skill. Such cooperation aims to ensure that in the provinces where seasonal agricultural worker families live temporarily, children can learn swimming by courses, are encouraged to water sports at early age, talented children are identified and supported for becoming sportspersons of high-awareness.
The project “Let Everyone Learn Swimming” implemented by GSB aims that children already in child labour or under the risk of child labour learn how to swim, new athletes are recruited into water polo training in project provinces, and contributions are made to the protection and development of children. Thereby, support is provided through sports to achieving the prevention of employing the children of seasonal agricultural worker families in agricultural work in the projects being implemented under the “Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour in Türkiye” jointly implemented by ILO and MoLSS.
The closing events of the project were highly colourful with an overall participation of 4,200 students and 228 teachers. The closing events were attended by ILO and MoLSS officials, civil administrators in the project provinces, teachers working in the project, students and parents.
Under the project that aimed to eliminated child labour in agriculture, children went to schools instead of fields; participated in educational and social activities in the schools with other students for one month; and were taken to tours of historical and cultural places in the region. Children learned swimming in the courses. Municipal teams supported the project by such cultural activities as theatres, child events etc.
About the Project
Shortly known as “Children for All Seasons”, the project is funded by the European Union and is the largest of its kind in Türkiye. With a budget of 29.7 million EUR for 40 months, the project aims to undertake various activities for many children who travel with their families for seasonal agricultural work and are already in child labour or under the risk of child labour. In this framework, children, families, employers, school administrators and teachers, mukhtars (village masters) and agriculture intermediaries are reached out, and children are referred to education, while on the other hand, work is undertaken to strengthen national and local institutional capacities.Implemented in Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Adana, Mersin, Hatay, Izmir, Manisa, Ankara, Eskişehir, Konya, Malatya, Ordu, Bursa and Düzce as top provinces of migration origin and destination for seasonal agricultural work, the project aims to provide 12,000 children with on-site education, counselling and rehabilitation services; educational and stationary materials, hygiene kits, clothing and food assistance; improve the living conditions of seasonal agricultural worker families in settlement areas; refer the family members of the working/at-risk children in seasonal agriculture to vocational and generic training programmes in order to improve life and occupational skills; provide training courses on the negative aspects of child labour in seasonal agriculture and related legislation to 200 agriculture intermediaries, 500 employers and 200 mukhtars (village masters).
The project is being implemented under ILO’s Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour in Türkiye.