View child labour via a more powerful lens

 

In Summary

For many, including those who have not attained the teen-age mark, hard labour for very little pay in the gold mines of Nyang’hwale and Geita districts , was certainly very traumatic.

The liberation of a little over 12,000 young Tanzanians from child labour in Geita Region, thanks to a tripartite Plan International Tanzania, European Union and French government initiative, is delightful.

For many, including those who have not attained the teen-age mark, hard labour for very little pay in the gold mines of Nyang’hwale and Geita districts , was certainly very traumatic.

Their re-enrollment in school is similarly delightful. But beneath the surface lie issues that need to be addressed critically.

Topping the list is the monotonously cited, though ever-relevant slogan centred on the youth being future nation builders.

The relevance would be given expression by most young citizens being engaged in viable economic activities. But it is largely theoretical, since only a few youngsters are engaged in viable activities that yield decent livelihoods, make a substantial input into the national economy, and generate happiness.

The majority form an army of a frustrated lot that have been condemned to idleness, dependence on relatives, drug abuse, petty crime and other anti-social tendencies.

It is a product of a shortage of employment opportunities and openings for meaningful self-reliance initiatives through start-up capital and skills-training. A “ticking time bomb” is an ominous by-product of the army, which needs only a spark, as it were, to detonate and create mayhem.

The temptation for pupils, often with parental blessings, to venture into the hostile labour market, stems from evidence that, many of their predecessors as education seekers count themselves as hopeless and cursed. They feel that, it is better to become exploited labourers at a young age, than join the army, which many of their older compatriots joined after completing school.

Moreover, an unfriendly schooling environment is a de-motivator for many youngsters. This must be addressed, as should a post-school set-up that offers opportunities for decent, pleasant livelihoods.