ERUSSI SUB-COUNTY SETS BY- LAW TO END CASES OF CHILD LABOR

BY PATRICK OKABA

NEBBI. The Woman Member of Parliament for Nebbi district Agnes Acibu has backed the by-laws set by the leaderships of Erussi Sub County in Nebbi District to end the alarming cases of child labor.

She said due to economic hardships in the community parents have allowed their children to participate in vending businesses which has fueled child labor.

Acibu says the poor enrollment in schools in Nebbi district has been attributed to the free enabling environment given by parents which allows children to sell local items on streets, picking coffee and cotton during harvest season among others.

“Parents have abandoned their responsibilities as head of the family to provide basic necessities but allow the young children to sell on streets and look for survival on the streets”, Acibu said.

The Sub County LC3 Chairperson Erussi sub county  Collins Jalacida Oromchan says, before the sub county starts the implementation of the by-laws set by the council, the child labor was at 70 percent  because  children were engaged in coffee picking and sorting and after the implementation of the by- laws, the child labor reduced to  30 percent.

Oromchan says in a bid to reduce cases of child labor at the sub-county level, they have engaged the business community and development partners to ensure that children are barred from engaging in activities that fuel child labor like picking coffee and sorting it among others.

He revealed that during coffee season, children are employed locally by both business men and farmers to pick coffee and sort coffee beans which became obstacles to the education sector.

However, the District Community Based Services in the department of Labour Section Paska Kwiocwiny revealed that of child labor are not reported to the relevant authorities because the perpetuators of the vice are their parents and guardians.

“Cases of child labor are not reported because the violators are the parents and guardians and in most cases people can’t identify between child labor and child workers, this calls for sensitization of locals on both child labor and child workers”, Kwiocwiny said.