Raising awareness crucial in Togo's fight against child labour

In Togo, raising awareness is pivotal in combating child labour. Efforts focus on educating communities about the issue's impact and advocating for children's rights. Campaigns aim to mobilize support for enforcing laws and improving socio-economic conditions to protect vulnerable children from exploitation.

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Boston Brand Media brings you the latest In the central Togo region of Sotouboua, a pilot initiative led by the Federation of National Education Unions (FESEN) is actively reshaping attitudes towards child labour, aiming to eliminate its acceptance within the community. The primary obstacles to children's education in this area are agricultural and domestic work.

Commencing in 2019, the project initially focused on training teachers, school management committees, and local leaders. A crucial aspect of this training is distinguishing between child labor, which is prohibited, and tasks that contribute positively to children's socialization without impeding their schooling, health, or personal development.

These sessions aim to raise awareness among teachers and school administrators about their role in combating child labor within their communities. Panadèma Bayabenze, a teacher at Mèwèdè village school, highlights the proactive approach: "When a student leaves school, we promptly engage with their family. Before this initiative, our responses were not as swift. Parents often underestimate the risks their children face when they drop out. We also seize every school assembly, where all parents gather, to educate them on this issue."

‍Persuading Parents: Crucial in Togo's Child Labor Efforts

Raising awareness within the community about the significance of education is crucial for the success of the FESEN project. A member of the school management committee in Mèwèdè village explains, "Many parents have never had the opportunity to attend school themselves, so they may not fully appreciate the value of education. The workshops conducted by FESEN have equipped us with new perspectives when we communicate with them. For instance, we emphasize that education is not solely about aiming for a government job; it is also about personal growth and becoming a more skilled local farmer."

In the areas where FESEN implements its projects, village committees dedicated to combating child labour have been established. These committees consist of influential community figures such as village chiefs or individuals deeply committed to children's welfare. Their primary role is to assist teachers in raising awareness about the risks associated with dropping out of school.

Sangbalao Pouwèdéo, chief of Toukoudjou village, reflects on the impact of the project: "The project has heightened our awareness of the importance of every child staying in school. Before the project, when a child left school, we would speak to the parents, but it was informal. With our training, our approach has become more systematic: when a child drops out, we actively seek out the parents to educate them. Many children have returned to school as a result."

Boston Brand Media also found that FESEN is providing training to teachers in the project area on national and international standards concerning children's rights, as well as on engaging and inclusive teaching methods. Special emphasis is placed on eliminating corporal punishment. This training is especially beneficial for community teachers who are recruited locally to address the shortage of qualified educators.

As part of the FESEN project, anti-child labor clubs have been established within project schools. These clubs are supervised by teachers trained by FESEN, and their members, students themselves, engage in artistic activities such as street theatre, songs, dances, and poems. These activities aim to raise awareness about children's rights and the importance of education.

Members of these clubs also play a proactive role in their communities. According to Panadèma Bayabenze, "When a club member identifies a child engaged in exploitative labor, they inform teachers or members of the village committee to combat child labor. We then intervene by contacting the child's family." This grassroots approach has proven effective in persuading working children to return to school.

Between 2019 and 2023, the FESEN project facilitated the return of 137 children to school by helping them transition from work. These children received support through remedial classes to catch up with their peers. Over this period, the initiative impacted 9 schools. Looking ahead, FESEN and its international partners plan to expand the project to an additional 9 schools in the same region during 2024-2025.

Promoting School Canteens: A Case for Child Welfare

In the coming two years, FESEN plans to intensify its advocacy efforts for the establishment of school canteens. The first canteen, successfully established at Mèwèdè school through the joint efforts of teachers and the community, currently provides meals for 195 children daily. This initiative plays a crucial role in attracting underprivileged children to school and preventing dropouts.

These projects also serve to strengthen FESEN's social dialogue with local authorities. In the Kazaboua canton, for example, a pilot project initiated by FESEN in four schools has garnered such impressive results that local authorities have expanded it across the entire canton. Lanto Akaba-Abalo, chief of Kazaboua canton, attests to its success: "The pilot project demonstrated significant achievements, including a substantial decrease in school dropouts. Inspired by this, I established village committees, conducted awareness campaigns, and trained the head teachers of six additional schools in the canton to replicate these efforts. Today, no child drops out of any of the ten primary schools in my canton. The collective awareness has also contributed to a reduction in child abuse cases throughout the entire canton."

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Source:About International Education‍