The International Labour Organisation (ILO), in collaboration with the Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM), has launched a K67.6 million distribution of teaching and learning materials in Ntchisi district to help fight child labour.
The project is being implemented though Action for Elimination of Child Labour in Supply Chains in Africa.
Speaking during the handover ceremony held at Chinthembwe Primary School in the district on Tuesday, ILO Country Director for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, Wellington Chibebe, said they had decided to donate to help enhance the quality of education while helping to eliminate child labour.
He said: “The donation of scholastic materials resonates very well with our role as we want to ensure that there is social justice through the provision of education and securing the future of children.”
Chibebe observed that the elimination of child labour within supply chains necessitates coordinated and collaborative action by all stakeholders at all levels.
“The ILO remains committed to continuing collaborating with government workers’ organisations, employers’ organisations and other partners to ensure the realisation of decency work for all Malawi,” he said.
He appealed to the beneficiaries to put the materials to proper use saying this would help in producing good results.
Director of Basic Education in the Ministry of Education, Grace Milda, said the donation had come at the right time when most schools were experiencing inadequate teaching and learning materials.
“The gesture will help us ensure that we have textbooks and exercise books in schools where we did not have enough of them,” she said.
She then appealed to other stakeholders to emulate the gesture set by ILO to improve the quality of education.
Director of Administration in the Ministry of Labour Paul Kalilombe said the materials will help empower children who have been withdrawn from tobacco estates and other forms of child labour through education.
“The fight against child labour is very complicated and expensive and government alone might not be able to do everything therefore we greatly value the support that ILO has given towards Education,” he said.
He then appealed to the Ministry of Education to use the support in the targeted schools to help eliminate child labour and improve the quality of education.
ILO is implementing the project with support from the government of the Netherlands in partnership with TUM. The project is donating textbooks and writing materials worth K67.6 million in Chitipa, Mulanje, Thyolo, Mzimba and Ntchisi.
