Child Labou Elimination Porgram,
Pokhara Valley Kaski
Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Pokhara sub-metropolis Ward no 4, Gairapatan
Kaski Nepal
Fax: 061-521084
Email: cleppkr@pinet.com.np
Website: www.pokharachamber.org.np

1 Background:
Child labour is a stain on the image of modern society. Unfortunately, the problem of child labor is increasing in Nepal. This is mainly due to abject poverty. Poverty coupled with political and social problems has forced to children to migrate form village to the cities in search of better life. This has made the problem of child labour more complex and complicated in cities.

According to National Child Labour Survey report, there are 11550,000 children below the age of 18. Of these 2600000 children are working. It is estimated that at least 3000000 children are working in the worst form of child labour, which puts the children at risk for their survival, health and development.

It is difficult to estimate the exact number of child labourers in Pokhara vally, howver in 2001 UNICF estimated 9,000 child labourers in Pokhara vally.

Since its establishment in 1954 AV, Pokhara chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), made of representatives from business and industry, has ben playing vital role in the development of Pokhara. This role has spread beyond the commercial and economic field ti other aspects such as tourism, health care, and social depeoplement.

Since 1999 PCCI has organized programes against child labour exploitation and promoted the rights of children. PCCI has worked in joint coordination with Pokhara sub-metropolitan city, Lekhnath Municipality, Lekhnath Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and UNICF to implement and manage this programme.

With support from international Labour Organisation/International programme for the Elimnation of Child labour(ILO/IPEC) and initiation of the federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI). The program has worked towards a child labor free area in pokhara valley since 7 years providing service to 2700 working children. 250 have been provide with vocational and apprenticeship training. 40 women groups have been formed with a view to discouraging poverty and therefore reducing incidence of child labor.
Since October 2006, the consortium for the working children Kaski was estabilished with the support of Child Welfare Scheme (and funding from Comic Relief) to provide service and interventions for street and working children in Pokhara valley. The consortium is madeup of Shakti Samuha, SATHI Nepal, Child Welfare Scheme Nepal and PCCI.

The Child Labor Elimination Program Continues to work with the invaluable support of the community police, social activists, social clubs and mother’s groups, businessperson and others.
  
 2. Objectives :
To minimize/eliminate the child labour in Pokhara valley

3.Activities:

3.1 Basic Services to Contact Centre

To provide the services to working children, 5 contact centers have been established. In these centres, Non-formal education, Psychosocial counseling, various training, health facility, reunification, legal support and other services are provided to working children. Along with the formation of child club in each centre, five management committees has been established to well manage the centres with the vital support of the community police, social activist, employers, parents, teachers etc.

1.  Pokhara Sub metropolis, ward no 1, Simpani Manichowk (in front of District Forest Office).
2. Pokhara Sub metropolis, ward no 6, Baidam (Eastern part of Talbarahi school).
3.  Pokhara Sub metropolis, ward no 8, Jalparoad.
4. Pokhara Submetropolis, ward no 9, Darbarthok marga (Western part of Sagarmatha Campus).
5.  Pokhara Sub metropolis, Ward no 11, Matepani (ward office).

3.2 Formal Education Program

School admission retention is one of the most important factors for prevention of child labor. This project has supported school admission for those children who are prevented becauses of economic problems. The program has helped in uniforms, educational materials, school fees and social support. In total 916 children have been supported in Kaski district. 

The Parent Teacher Association of 25 schools from Kaski district has been trained on quality education and income generation techniques. In addition a total of Rs 15000.00 matching fund has been provided to each school. A network has been established among those schools and regular meeting are conducted each term.

3.3 Non formal Education Program

Non-Formal Education has been provided for working children both as a bridge to joining formal school or a means to develop basic literacy, even while children are forced by their situation to continue to work. To data, 125 classes have been run in Pokhara, Lekhnath and adjoining VDCs, A total of 2760 students have benefited from this Non-Formal education.

3.4 Vocational and Apprenticeship training

As part of the rehabilitation process of young people from child labour, vocational and apprenticeship traning has been provided to enable young people to support themelves in work with dignity. To date, 250 young people over the age of 14 years have undertaken traning on sewing, hndicrafts, knitting, hair-cutting, candle-making, and watch-repairing. Support is then provided for these young people to search employment or establish their own businesses.

3.5 Family Rennification

Of those children involved in the worst forms of child labour, 87 children have been reunified with their families. After reunification, these children are monitored and supported from different organization.

3.6 Women Group Formation and Saving Credit Scheme

There are many reasons for the children becoming involved in child labour including family conflict, abuse, but often the driving factor is poverty. For this reason, this program has established and supported the formation of women’s groups and saving/credit scheme. 40 women groups have been formed involving 912 women. The members are benfited from business loans and have also worked to generate awareness on child rights in their community.

3.7 Technical Support to PCCI Village Program

This Program also plays a vital role in supporting the PCCI Chamber village, Armala, by providing various services like agro-forestry, library construction, women’s group formation, and PTA Traning.

4. National and international partner Organisations
This program has been working with different local, national and international Organisation a follows.
1. Federation of Nepalese Chamber of commerce and Industry
2. Inernation Labour Organization
3. World Education
4. Unicef
5. Child Welfare Scheme (Comic relief)
6. Bread and Water (Singapore)