Give child labourers an education in Bangladesh

The Government of Bangladesh are signatories to the ILO Convention No.182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour and passed legislation forbidding Hazardous Child Labour in 2006. The Government has also set national targets to end all hazardous labour by 2021. Nevertheless, 1.2 million children in Bangladesh continue to be employed in hazardous work. Poverty drives families to send their children to work denying them access to school and education. Exposure to long hours of physical work, poor food, low or no wages and vulnerability seriously damage these children’s physical and mental health. UKBET focuses on improving the lives of working children through involving employers, family members, government agencies and local influencers in holistic programmes of education and awareness-building. During 2019 there were two main programmes targeting working children: - Children (all boys) working in hazardous jobs who attended Centres for Working – - Children (mostly girls) undertaking domestic work in their employer’s homes through the Doorstep Learning programme. Employers are persuaded to release children to attend sessions at UKBET Centres, or in employer’s homes through the Doorstep Learning programme, where they are taught basic education and survival skills, given nutritious food, medical care and rare opportunities to relish their childhood. Employers are also encouraged to end the recruitment of children and help to improve health and safety in their workplaces. Families are supported out of joblessness through the provision of small employment related grants. Lobbying, campaigns and demonstrations against the use of child labour involve a wide range of other agencies and key individuals. Key activities and results of work with children in hazardous labour 514 children attended one of four UKBET Centre for Working Children near their place of work: - Tuker Bazar 90 children - Kodomtoli 80 children - Chondipul 48 children - Beanibazar 80 children 121 children left hazardous work, as compared to 81 in 2018; 106 moved away from the project area. 26 children left hazardous work and progressed to formal education. Whilst this number may appear low it is a significant achievement given the reluctance of schools to enroll working children who have missed years of education. It also represents a significant shift in families’ circumstances and/or perspectives on the value of formal education. 18 siblings of working children who would have been expected to follow their brothers into child labour were instead enrolled in schools. 4 children engaged in hazardous labour passed the Primary School Certificate Exam. 8 children were enrolled in vocational training. All the children UKBET supports suffer from malnutrition. Following the signing of a MOU between UKBET and Euglena GG Ltd the company now provides free biscuits containing 100% of the daily requirement of Vitamin A, Iron, Iodine and Zinc (the most required nutrients for Bangladeshi children). Visible improvements in the health and appearance of the children have subsequently been observed. All children attending UKBET Centres enjoy: - acknowledgement of their educational progress after year-end assessments of progress. - being given new clothes and food packs for their families for Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr religious festivals. - occasional sporting, and entertainment events.