The project is part of a Multi-bilateral Programme of Technical Cooperation under the Project titled “Eliminating the Worst Forms of Child Labour in West Africa and Strengthening Sub-Regional Cooperation through ECOWAS. NECPAD is implementing the mining and quarry intervention in Ghana in collaboration with the Minerals Commission, Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs and other CSOs.
NECPADs key intervention strategies are:
Advocacy, direct action and social protection
- Advocacy for improvement in social welfare, education and relevant legal systems
- Direct action to withdraw and rehabilitate children
- Social protection (including family empowerment) towards securing better livelihoods
Awareness raising and community education
- Awareness raising to improve families resolve towards educating children
- Community education to improve knowledge and appreciation on importance of education
Promotion of behavioural and attitudinal change
- Media programmes to change attitudinal and behavioural change
- Sensitisation to influence community perceptions
Institutional strengthening
- Capacity building for relevant institutions (including DAs, CCPCs etc)
- Mainstreaming child labour into local government systems
Key Project Outcomes include the following:
i. Withdrawal of Children from work, Rehabilitation and Provision of satisfactory and sustainable alternatives to work
NECPAD employed participatory and right-based approaches and through community education, sensitisation, advocacy and direct action withdrew a total of 1297 (as against a target of 1138) working children from work (comprising 574 boys and 723 girls), provided psycho-social, moral and educational counselling services and placed them in formal school system and information apprenticeship training in 30 communities within 7 Districts.
ii. Non-formal education for working children
A total of 455 children have been counselled and placed in informal apprenticeship training in the 30 communities.
iii. Family and Skills Empowerment and Livelihood Provision through Social Inclusion Transfer Interventions
A total of 300 parents/guardians/caretakers of withdrawn children have been identified, counselled and provided with empowerment/entrepreneurial skills and management training to empower them assist their children to go and remain in schools and informal apprenticeships.
iv. Strengthening local level institutions
NECPAD strengthened a number of Community Child Protection Committees (CCPCs) through capacity strengthening to enable them contribute to the implementation of the intervention
v. Awareness Raising, Community Education, Social Mobilisation and Advocacy for improvement of social welfare educational system and law enforcement actions
Throughout the implementation of the intervention, NECPAD carried out awareness raising on child labour to inform communities about the dangers of subjecting children to work as against sending them to school or learning a trade. The organisation has also embarked on community education programmes as well as social mobilisation for communities toy fight and resist child labour in all endeavours. Additionally, intensive efforts have been made to push institutions to act towards improving social welfare systems and law enforcement
Client’s Name
International Labour Organisation
Approx. Value of contract sum
US$ 451,925
Address
International Labour Organisation/International Program on Elimination of Child Labour (ILO/IPEC)
Address:
The International Labour Organisation (ILO)
