Parents have gained as adults from the campaign to stop child labour, and their children have thrived as a result. In these two stories, each parent changed their minds about education during implementation of the Stop Child Labour project in Erussi subcounty, Nebbi district, northwest Uganda, by the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) and the NGO Community Empowerment for Rural Development (CEFORD). In addition, a documentary on Child Labour Free Zones is provided by CEFORD.
From child labour to education: Cosmos’s story
During UNATU and CEFORD’s implementation of the Stop Child Labour programme in Erussi subcounty, Nebbi district, one of the beneficiaries has been Cosmos Oucha, a 43-year-old resident of Oleny town.
Before the project, Cosmos had a negative attitude towards education. He made his children work on farms during school hours to earn income for the family. Education was not a priority for him, and his children’s schooling was irregular. However, the coming of the Stop Child Labour project exposed Cosmos to the message that education is the best inheritance you can give your child.
This message resonated with Cosmos, and the project provided exposure visits for Cosmos and others in the community. These visits to other places in Uganda such as Gulu, Kasubi and Masaka exposed them to success stories of other parents who had overcome challenging circumstances and now supported their children’s education.
The experience changed Cosmos’s mindset and motivated him. He decided to prioritise his children’s education and to focus on agriculture to support his family and his children’s schooling. To help pay for his children’s school expenses, Cosmos joined a savings and loan initiative introduced by the project. And he became a change agent in his community, advocating for education and inspiring other parents to prioritise their children’s schooling.
Cosmos now has plantations of cassava, coffee and bananas that provide for his family and support his children’s education. His change in attitude towards education has also led to improvements in the family’s nutrition, access to medical care and overall quality of life. His children are healthy and performing well in school, and Cosmos is optimistic about their future achievements.
Cosmos is grateful to Stop Child Labour and urges UNATU and other partners to continue strengthening the community’s understanding of the importance of education and the dangers of child labour. His story is a testament to the transformative impact of education and the efforts to eliminate child labour in Erussi subcounty.
A mother’s journey to end child labour: Harriet’s story
In a small village in Erussi subcounty, Nebbi district, a single mother named Harriet Atoro struggled to provide for her four children. With their father absent, she resorted to sending them to work on coffee plantations just to put food on the table. Despite the efforts of local leaders to encourage education, Harriet stubbornly defended her decision, believing it was the only way to survive.
Everything changed in 2016 when the Uganda National Teachers’ Union UNATU and the NGO CEFORD initiated a Stop Child Labour project in the subcounty. The project raised awareness about the dangers of child labour and the importance of education. Listening to the community discussions opened Harriet’s eyes to the harm she was causing her children by denying them an education and exposing them to dangerous work.
Determined to make a change, Harriet gathered her children and explained the importance of education. She stopped sending them to work and instead focused on finding alternative ways to support her family. With help from the project, she joined a village savings and loan association, started a small business and encouraged her children to focus on their studies.
Today, Harriet is proud to see her children thriving in school, participating in church activities, and learning both English and their native language. She has repaired relationships with her neighbours and with local leaders, and feels a sense of responsibility for creating a better future for her family.
Through her inspiring journey, Harriet has become an advocate for ending child labour in her community. She urges the subcounty and its partners to continue their efforts, believing that every mother in her situation deserves the same opportunity to change their lives for the better. Her story illustrates the power of education and the impact of community initiatives in breaking the cycle of child labour.
Documentary by CEFORD on Child Labour Free Zones
