In Zambia, school holidays last about a month, long enough for children to refresh and reset for the next term which lasts around three months. Pupils look forward to vacations as being an enjoyable time when they can be with their loved ones, creating happy memories and recuperating.
Unfortunately, this is not the reality for all. For some schoolchildren the holidays are not what the common perception deems them to be. Unfortunately, many children are impelled to join the labour force.
Economic necessity
The socio-economic inequalities that persist in many African countries mean that child labour is often essential to the survival of a family. In underprivileged families facing economic hardship the parents’ income may not be enough to maintain the home. In this situation the rights of children are neglected and children are required to go out to work.
Some customs that may fairly be described as child labour are embedded in culture and tradition. This is often the case in rural areas which are reliant on subsistence farming. Families function as a unit with each member being given work to do – including the children.
The same arrangements can be seen in peri-urban areas where migrants from the countryside utilise the same system in order to survive. For example, a family involved in trading may allocate specific duties among its members – preparing, cooking and selling food, and accounting for income and expenditure.
Vending
In Zambia, primary and secondary schools close for the holidays during the months of April, August and December. It is then common to see children vending in the streets. Unfortunately, many of these children have themselves chosen to take on the responsibility of ‘deputy parent’ because their parents’ income cannot support the household. In some extreme cases this is due to parental negligence.
Other children vend so they can acquire the things they see more privileged children enjoying, or to meet their requirements for the next school term. Many choose to work simply because they want to better themselves.
So in the holidays, when there are no academic pressures, children may spend the whole day working in the markets or elsewhere. And they may decide to work even longer hours in order to exploit the movements of the 9-5 workforce.
Some of these children become content with street life, believing that it is as much as life has to offer them. They are earning an income and they see no reason to return to school. Their educational journey is thus cut short. This reduces the literacy rate in Zambia as a whole.
The dangers involved
Street children are exposed to many of the dangers which are common in society. Such children often become involved in drug abuse, violence and theft. According to the Ubumi Prisons initiative, there are almost 500 juveniles serving sentences for various criminal offences in Zambia.
More alarmingly, by going on the streets they become vulnerable to violations such as defilement – which has long been a problem in Zambia. Children working in people’s houses are also exposed to this danger. Furthermore, street children may suffer violence and themselves become the victims of theft.
A study by the Road Transport and Safety Agency in 2012 showed that children are especially vulnerable to injury in road accidents due to their poor judgement and impulsive behaviour.
In 2012 road trauma was the leading cause of death, and the most frequent cause of hospitalisation, of children under the age of 14. Children accounted for about 50% of road fatalities – whether they were passengers, cyclists or pedestrians.
Street life also exposes children to many diseases. Children are very vulnerable to communicable diseases such as flu and cholera, and street children come into contact with a lot of people. In these cases they suffer a high death rate due to their weak immune systems.
The kidnapping of children is a growing phenomenon in Zambia, and children are especially vulnerable during periods in which ritual killings are prominent. Being weak, children are unable to defend themselves against physical violence.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, we must work towards solving the problem of child labour by tackling it from the roots. Traditional culture and economic hardship are both leading causes of this social problem and hence we must address these issues. Doing so will help curb the vice of child labour.
By Mwelwa John Yezi