The Project “Protect Girls and Boys from Child Labour”

In and around the goldmines of Geita, in the southwest area of Tanzania, many children labour in small-scale mines. They cannot go to school and face a particularly high risk of violence and abuse. Plan keeps the mine operators aware of children's rights, ensures the observance of the legal ban on child labour, and supports families so that their children can attend school and get an education. This contributes to breaking the recurring cycle of poverty.

We support Plan in the “Protect Girls and Boys from Child Labour” project, by taking on the separate project component "Create career prospects and income". This project component for example gives 182 girls and boys the chance to get vocational training in their community. In a locally based company, they also acquire skills and knowledge in order to become self-sufficient and increase their chances on the job market.

At the same time, the project also improves the financial situation of about 5,000 community members by, amongst others, establishing saving groups. Additionally, women and men are trained in income-generating measures. In these training courses, they learn skills such as thinking and acting entrepreneurially, vegetable gardening, cattle raising and handicrafts. As a saving group member, families are able to save money or receive small loans for investments.

With the additional income, the parents can provide better for their families and finance their children's schooling. This reduces the number of children who have to contribute to the family income.

Project Overview

Project region: Geita

Duration: April 2015-October 2018

Goal: Protect girls and boys from exploitive child labour

Measures: