The NGO Solidaridad and its partners, organized, Wednesday June 16, 2021, in the village of Gly, in the sub-prefecture of Dairo-Didzo, department of Guitry, a combined celebration of two days dedicated to the child, in particular the World Day against Child Labor and the Day of the African Child, with an emphasis on the fight against child labor in cocoa cultivation.
This celebration took place in the presence of the sub-prefect of Dairo-Didizo, N’Dri T. Alexis, the Regional Director of the Ministry of Women, Family and Children, Sekongo Mariama, representatives of the National education and literacy and populations of villages and camps in the area.
This double celebration made it possible to sensitize cocoa farmers and all the populations of the target villages on a better knowledge of children’s rights and on child labor in agriculture. It is part of the “Child labor remediation monitoring system” project, funded by Solidaridad’s chocolate partners, namely Mondelèz international and Barry-Callebaut.
According to the representative of Solidaridad, N’Guessan Serges Apollinaire, “the purpose of this project is to increase the protection of children in dangerous work situations in cocoa-producing communities”. To this end, since the start of the project in 2020, 20 Child Protection Committees (CPEs) have been set up in the villages and camps in the area, in order to regularly sensitize planters on these objectives. Which produces positive effects, it was pointed out.
The children of Gly primary school have, through poems, sketches and dances, expressed their desire to see their rights respected by adults. The World Day Against Child Labor takes place on June 12 every year, and the Day of the African Child is celebrated every June 16.
The sub-prefect, N’Dri Alexis, and the Regional Director, Sekongo Mariama, insisted with the planters, so that hazardous work is spared to children, specifying that socializing work is not questioned.
In Côte d’Ivoire, the 2013 national survey on the employment and child labor situation reveals that around 1.4 million children are affected by child labor in all sectors of economic activity. and, of these, 49.1% work in agriculture.
Source: Agence Ivoirienne de Presse