Government and organisations working to rescue children from labour exploitation are discovering that freeing them from risky employment in gold and copper-mines is only half of the problem solved; ensuring they permanently stay away from the mines is another matter.
“All the efforts to end labour exploitation involving children within the gold/copper mines will not work unless attention is also paid to sustaining livelihood incomes of the children after pushing them out of the mines,” says Mr Collins Onyango, a programme officer with a non-govermental organisation fighting child labour in Migori.
According to Mr Onyango, an officer working with World Vision Kenya, not enough programs have been put in place to help the child victims overcome desire to eke a living to provide their basic needs when they are completely locked out from working in the popular mines domiciled in Nyatike, Rongo and Kuria areas of Migori County
This is why the government and organisations fighting this vice are facing a big challenge banning minors from working in the mines within the area as the boys and girls continue streaming in large numbers in the pits to earn a leaving.
Although the local children’s officers within the region re-affirm the government’s commitment to battling labour abuses involving the minors, grassroots organizations fighting the vice doubt that the state has given the matter anymore than mere lip service.
Mr Peter Owegi, another senior official in an organisation charged with children’s protection, Child Welfare Protection Association (CWPA), regretted the ever-rising cases of deaths and injuries involving children working in gold and copper mines in the area.
Owegi says that it is worrying that many of these abuses happen with the blessings of the children’s parents or guardians who allow them to work in the risky man-holes for long hours at the expense of their education.
“Although the government, through the Children’s Department and other law enforcement agencies, plus a number of non-governmental organizations is doing everything possible to end this form of abuse, little is being done to allow the minors live a decent life after being stopped from working in those mines,” said Owegi.
It must be known to all that these children are sent to work in the mines to earn money to enable them take care of their poor parents back at home, he says, explaining that,“In the absence of any form of income to these children after they are hounded out of these mines, life then becomes very hard for them and their parents to survive the harsh economic deprivation sweeping this county”.
For this reason, there must be a well-organized program put in place by the state and partners to help take care of the well-being of these children and their poor parents back at home.
Many organisations such as CARE and World Vision are a successful testimony in assisting the victims overcome the trauma associated with the abuse, preventing disease and unwanted pregnancies among many others, but are doing little on the part of helping child labour victims sustain their livelihoods after saving them from the risky casual jobs.
Owegi attests to the fact that many of the abused children are left to suffer after they are forced out of the mine pits and without work to do and out of school because of lack of school fees.
He adds that in view of this, a lot of resources are therefore needed to cater for the welfare of the abused children yet very little support is coming from the government.
Owegi however notes that the bulk of the responsibility always falls on non-governmental organizations, but there is so much they cannot do without adequate resources.
Children are the wealth of a nation and governments need to work hard for the development of the young ones. Not one, but all government Ministries must show some adequate commitment by participating in efforts towards improving the lives of children like concentrating on the preventive measures such as advising and educating parents on why minors should not perform work that is beyond their abilities.
