CHILD LABOUR IN THE TOBACCO SECTOR IN TABORA

A research by International Labour Organization (ILO) has revealed a close connection between primary school girls drop-out with child labour in tobacco sector in Urambo District.

 

The research conducted some years ago was to establish the status of primary school girls drop out in relation with tobacco growing in the district while identifying sources and causes of primary school girls drop out. It was also aimed at coming up with diverse strategies for intervention in order to combat the problem of school girls drop out in relation with tobacco growing in the district. 

 

It was found out that there was an increased number of school drop-outs in Urambo and other areas. This situation threatened the future of those children and accelerates social and economic problems in Tanzania, making children vulnerable to illiteracy, impoverishment, HIV/AIDS and other health hazards that demand for immediate changes in policy and legal orientation in order to eliminate the situation. 

 

Earlier reports noted that many children have been involved in worst forms of child labour, where it is estimated that about 82,850 children are employed in the tobacco sector in Tanzania. 

 

The root causes of school girls drop outs lie in the mixture of social and economic conditions including poverty and traditional cultures involving gender discrimination. 

 

It was also caused by competition for market profits and exploitation of cheap labour of children and deny big revenues to the country.  

School girls drop outs and utilisation of child labourers lead to vulnerability, abuse of rights of the children who could continue with primary and secondary education. Low incomes received by the child labourers ruin their lives and cannot guarantee their growth and social development. 

 

International Labour Organisation (ILO), Interventions by the Government and other Stakeholders have reduced the rate and quantity of school girls drop outs. However, the problem remains not fully solved as indicated by the rising number of children being dropped out of school and pushed into work in the tobacco sector in Urambo and other places like Iringa and Ruvuma regions in Tanzania. 

 

The research was also meant to improve capacity building of the community and agencies in Urambo District to eliminate and prevent school girls drop outs and all forms of hazardous child labour.

 

More specifically the research was aimed at identifying sources and causes of primary school girls drop out and diverse strategies for intervention in order to combat the problem of school girls drop out in relation with tobacco growing in the district. 

 

Asked on their origins, the children who went to Urambo for the tobacco child labour  mentioned districts such as Kasulu in Kigoma, Sikonge in Tabora, Iramba in Singida and Mpanda in Rukwa. 

 

According to the research one of the main reasons for children to involve in child labour in tobacco plantations is  poor household economic status. 

 

Due to inability among families to buy food, clothes, pay school contributions, in some of the households, parents give away their children in search for income to buy such services.

 

During the focus group discussion with the NGO representatives in Urambo District, the study observed that poor household economic status is the major cause of school child dropout rates of girls. According to the experience from the representatives of these Non Governmental Organisations working in Urambo District, families with poor economic status have a big number of children dropping out from school. “From the family of six children parents are able to send two of them to go and work on tobacco farms for the expectations of getting money to rescue the poor economic stand at family level. The four children remain at home waiting for the rescuers from tobacco farms,” the findings say.

 

The study reveals through a focus group discussion that the situation is even worse for girls. Once the tobacco season comes to an end, the young girls who work on tobacco farms fail to go back home and decide to look for another style of living. After working hard in tobacco farms, and get the small amount of money that could not satisfy their needs they decide to become sex workers knowing that the tobacco growers pay a lot of money after having sex with young girls. 

 

So after tobacco season the girls are found wandering in streets of Urambo town searching for tobacco growers who have already sold their tobacco. This situation puts young girls in a great risk of acquiring HIV.  

 

The study reveals that death of bread winners in several households has contributed to school drop out. Children, who head families, decide to move from one place to another in search of income and food for family use. After the death of parents or bread winners children move around to look for survival elsewhere.

 

Pregnancies at lower ages is another reason. This was signified by the fact that some children drop out from school not only because of child labour. Some get pregnancies at early age. The study interviewed 26 children (12 male and 14 Females) who have dropped from school and asked them to give reasons as to why they think they left school. When the answers where summarised, the study realised that 11 (42.3 percent ) mentioned search for income/food/clothes (related to child labour), other 6(23 percent) left school because of pregnancies. 9(34 percent) gave other reasons ranging from death of parents, irresponsible guardians and forces from the peer groups.

 

Several cases are observed during focus group discussion where parents are not responsible to the life of their children.  

 

Family size is also one of the reasons. Large number of children within households was also seen as one of the factors contributing to extreme poverty and hence school drop outs. Out of the 45 children working in tobacco farms interviewed, 26(58 percent) were coming from families with more than 5 siblings, some headed by grandmothers or children themselves, and hence are forced to refrain school and go around to look for employment in order to get little income that would help other household members. 

 

 Force from the peer groups, with its link to poverty, is one of the major reasons for school drop outs. From direct interview and the focus group discussion it is noted that Peer groups also contribute much on influencing children to be involved in different behaviours. 

 

The research findings reveals  that the most critical periods for school drop out and child labour are August to December. Between August and September the farmers prepare tobacco nurseries, where November and December the tobacco seedlings are transplanted into farms. These are the periods with high labour demand. There is much evidence that these months are also having poor school attendance, which signifies that the children are busy with field work. Out of 36 teachers interviewed 28 (78 percent) indicated that from August to December are critical periods for poor school attendance. 

 

 Recommendations 

The research recommends that based on the fact that extreme poverty is one of the major factors facilitating child labour which is now a major cause of increased school drop outs rates of girls, family economic strengthening is essential in the fight against school drop out. 

 

This it says may be addressed in form of establishment of a revolving fund for community based groups, individuals, or households. Livestock support may be one of the best practices that can improve the house hold economic situations. 

 

Awareness creation to tobacco farmers and community members should continuously be emphasised; this will also reduce ignorance among community members on the problem of school dropout. 

 

The agro sector should also be mechanised by empowering tobacco farmers to enable them control and reduce the labour intensity syndrome among tobacco farmers. This is to be done in collaboration with the government and may go together with awareness creation on the availability of soft agricultural machines such as small tractors and also the use of oxen and oxcarts. 

 

 Community based systems that will save as community safety nets, should be strengthened. The government and civil society organisations should come up with plans to incorporate the existing traditional groupings and use the same to handle the issues of the children at village level.  

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN www.ippmedia.com/the guardian