800 children engaged in hazardous works receive education with Educo support

collected

A student of one of the Bridge schools said, "I work as a leguna helper in the morning and then join the Bridge school in the afternoon. I don’t like working in the leguna, even though I earn 500 taka every day. I want to continue my education and be a businessman when I grow up."

On 13 April 2023, chairman of National Human Rights Commission Bangladesh, Kamal Uddin Ahmed, inaugurated the project "Strengthening the right to education for child labourer in Dhaka city" in a city hotel, said a press release.

The three-year project aims to promote and raise awareness of the rights of working children to realise their full potential.

The project is being implemented by Educo, co-funded by KOICA, ChildFund Korea and Educo itself. Educo believes that education is a crucial tool in breaking the cycle of poverty and child labour, as it empowers children to gain skills and knowledge that can help them secure better employment opportunities in the future.

Abdul Hamid, country director Educo Bangladesh, in his welcome speech has given emphasis that not only poverty rather unawareness pushes the children towards hazardous jobs.

Afzal Kabir Khan, manager – Child Labour Elimination, in his presentation briefly stated that, Educo Bangladesh, with the support of partner organisation Eco Social Development Organization (ESDO) has established eight schools, known as Bridge schools, in slum areas where there is a high concentration of working children who are out of school and engaged in selected hazardous works.

Moreover, he said that hazardous work can have significant adverse effects on the health and wellbeing of children. Therefore, removing children from such environments and providing them with education and other support services can go a long way in protecting their physical and mental health.

Taeyoung Kim, country director, KOICA Bangladesh, emphasised on the importance of education for every child in order to have a bright future. He further mentioned, "Education provides children with the opportunity to break free from the cycle of poverty and gives them a chance to dream and to make that dream a reality. We are proud to be working in collaboration with Educo, ChildFund Korea and the government partners."

Ignacio Siles Fernández-Palacios, deputy head of Mission of Spanish Embassy in Bangladesh, remarked, "Child rights cannot be guaranteed without proper access to education and eradication of child labor. The Spanish Embassy has been working with Educo to ensure the rights of the children and Bangladesh can always count on Spain for any support for this purpose".

The chairman of the National Human Rights Commission said, "It is necessary to bridge the working children with further education and even vocational education to ensure sustainability of the interventions and a good future for them."

Additionally, he emphasised that "We must invest in ensuring the education for children. Today, at the forum, the organisations working to eradicate child labour have gathered and brainstormed to work together. NHRC has also been working for ensuring the rights of children, thus, I am asking everyone to join hands and work together so that it is possible to reach this goal."

Government representatives from ministry of labour, prominent experts on child labour, activist organisations, UNICEF, ILO, INGOs and media personnel also expressed their solidarity #End Child Labour by attending in the event.