International Labour Organization (ILO) through the Acceleration Action in the Elimination of Child Labor (ACCEL Africa) project has donated 28 bicycles and 70 reflector jackets to community child labour committees in Ntchisi.

National Project Coordinator for ACCEL Africa Project, Misheck Chirwa said the organization has donated the items in order to ease mobility challenges the community child labor committee members were facing when conducting their job.

Chirwa said the project in Ntchisi was inspired by the increasing number of children involved in child labour in coffee and tobacco farms and hopes for reduction of child labour cases through the donation made.

“We have donated a total of 100 bicycles and 300 reflector jackets to Mulanje, Thyolo, Mzimba, Chitipa and Ntchisi and we hope that the donated items will act as a motivation to the community child labour committee members” said Chirwa.

In his remarks, Regional Labour Officer for Central Region in the Ministry of Labour, Lovemore Theu said government with support from different organizations is committed to ending child labour in the country and asked community child labour committee members to be on the forefront in ending the malpractices in their communities.

Theu commended ILO for the gesture and asked community child labour committee members to take good care of the donated items, before asking other organizations to emulate the same.

“I would like to encourage these community child labour committee members, all parents and guardians to encourage their children to go to school and not let them work in coffee and tobacco farms, if we are to have a better Malawi,” explained Theu.

Chairperson for Chafumbi Community Child Labour Committee, Izikiya Kalengeza said the donation is timely and hopes to withdraw more children from coffee and tobacco farms in the district.  

The donated bicycles and reflector jackets in all the five districts are worth MK67 million.