Zambia: 6,000 Children Working On Tobacco Farms - Choma Da

Source from:  The Post (Lusaka) May 9, 2006 05/10/2006

OVER 6,000 children are working on family tobacco farms, Choma district administrative officer Mungoni Simulilika has said. During celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of HODI, a local non-governmental Organisation in Choma, Simulilika said the figure did not include children working in local tobacco commercial farms. He said there was rampant abuse of school children by tobacco farmers. "According to the baseline survey conducted by HODI early this year, Mbabala and Tara areas were found to be the prime tobacco areas with high incidences of children working in tobacco farms," he said. Simulilika said the survey also revealed that the children performed hazardous tasks such as lifting heavy loads, spraying chemicals and working excessively long hours. He said the tasks given to young people were detrimental to their health. "Most of them are also denied an opportunity to be in school as a result of working long hours, while those who manage after working in the fields are unable to concentrate in class as they go to school fatigued," he said. Simulilika cautioned commercial farmers to desist from employing children. He said the fight against child labour required concerted efforts as government and its partners such as HODI could not succeed on their own. Simulilika said it was important to allow children to benefit from government's free education policy. HODI has implemented a number of activities including the formation of child labour prevention committees, withdrawing of children working in tobacco farms, establishment of community schools and offering scholarships to secondary school pupils. Enditem