EU funded “Project for Eradicating the Worst Forms of Child Labour” provides approximately 3000 children and their families with education, rehabilitation and support services.

Candidate countries are required to comply with the EU Acquis Communautaire and various Community policies. With various instruments of pre-accession assistance, the EU aims to help candidate and potential candidate countries to cope with problems they are facing and to contribute to the reforms which take place during the harmonization process. Within the framework Pre-Accession Financial Assistance, EU provides funding for various projects in Turkey. “Project for Eradicating the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Turkey”, implemented by the International Labour Office (ILO) Turkey Office, is one of them. 

Project for Eradicating the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Turkey

ILO Convention 182 requires urgent and effective action aiming at the prohibition and eradication of the worst forms of child labour for all children under the age of 18. Since 2001, Turkey is a party to the Convention. Accordingly, the “Time-Bound Policy and Programme Framework” has been developed by the Child Labour Unit of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The strategic goal of the “Time-Bound Policy and Programme Framework” is to eliminate the worst forms of child labour completely in ten-years-time.

In line with the Time-Bound Policy and Programme Framework, the EU funded “Project for Eradicating the Worst Forms of Child Labour” is being implemented in 7 pilot provinces, namely Sinop, Ordu, Kastamonu, Çankırı, Van, Erzurum and Elazığ. There is one “Provincial Project Coordination Office” (PPCO) established and operating in every project province. A total of 99.356 households have been surveyed in the seven provinces with their 94 districts, 103 towns and 330 villages. Consequently, 3083 children have been reached. Currently 2704 children are provided with a variety of services including education, rehabilitation and support. 2153 children are registered to schools and part of their educational costs is covered from the project budget. Moreover, children’s participation in activities which will contribute to their social and cultural development is also facilitated as part of the project.
Among the seven provinces Çankırı stands out with its high level success concerning the implementation of the project. The child identification, monitoring and guidance activities in Çankırı began on 17 April 2006 when the PPCO became operational. In order to identify child labour and integrate working children into education, neighbourhood visits where child labour is common and family meetings were held. Consequently, 159 children have been reached. The allocation of children according to gender, age and sector is as follows:

Special attention is paid to ensure that not only the working children, but also the children who are in the risk group are benefiting from the project. Education constitutes one of the focal points of the project. Within this context, 18 children are integrated into education; 99 children are provided with educational equipment and 75 children with school uniforms. In order to help the children do better in school, supplementary classes are organized in PPCO. In August 2006, a summer education programme was also organized in PPCO with the attendance of 45 children. Children who attended the programme were given chess, drama and sports lessons as well as lessons about balanced nutrition. Children are also provided with rehabilitation services.

Currently, there are 90 children who are attending the PPCO. The Turkish Folk Music Choir of 17 children, the Drama Team of 11 children and the Girls Volleyball Team of 20 children are keeping up with their practices.

Besides activities for working children and children who are in the risk group, PPCO has also some activities regarding the families. PPCO arranges first and second level literacy courses for illiterate parents. Furthermore, health examinations of the children and their families are carried out in cooperation with Ankara University Çankırı Vocational College of Health and a health status file for each child is created.

In order to prevent previously working children integrated into education from going back to work, two effective child labour monitoring systems have been established in Çankırı. “The School Based Monitoring System” aims to follow the attendance and absence situation of the children on a regular basis while “The Street Based Monitoring System” aims to determine the children who start working again.

According to Zeynep Çakır, a sociologist who is among the project staff working on the field, the school based monitoring system enables them to keep a close watch on the children and check whether they are attending their classes or not. If it is determined that a child is not attending the school regularly or at all anymore, PPCO immediately contacts his/her parents and it is ensured that the child goes back to school. Yet, Çakır states that the street based monitoring systems yield more valuable data. That particular monitoring system operates with the collaboration of the Children Unit of Çankırı Police Office. Policemen in plain clothes patrol various neighbourhoods and streets to determine child labour. Based on their observation, PPCO staff starts family meetings. Çakır underlines that the project is being very successful with respect to preventing children from becoming part of child labour.

Zülfü is 12 years old. Since 1,5 years he’s been coming to the PPCO regularly. Before being identified by PPCO, he used to help his family who is trying to make a living in various ways. But now he is going to the 7th grade. When we ask what he will going to do when he is over with is basic education, “I do not know,” says Zülfü, “But I do want to continue studying.” Zülfü sings in the choir. When we talk to him in the eve of their performance at Çankırı Atatürk Culture Center, he cannot hide how excited he is: “I like singing and I want yo keep up with it. This is going to be my first gig, I am really excited!”

As opposed to Zülfü, Çilem is quite calm since this is going to be her second gig. Çilem is 13 and is the eldest daughter of her family, her siblings being 9 and 10. They are also attending PPCO with Çilem. “I like the school so much. I also want to go to the high school if they let me.” says Çilem, who is going to the 7th grade now. Besides the choir, she is also practicing with the Girls Volleyball Team. She didn’t make it to the team yet, but she is very determined: “I’m not that tall but I’m practicing hard. I will make it to the team, too!”

Durmuş is 15 years old. He joined the choir very recently but he’s not a stranger to PPCO. He attended the summer education programme as well as the supplementary classes. Durmuş completed his basic education of 8 years this year. “I’ll start going to the vocational high school” he says his eyes shining, “At first, everything was so difficult for me, especially mathematics and science. But they helped me a lot here. I’ll work hard at the high school and I’ll be successful.”

Haydar, who is 13, sings at the choir since 5 months. He also attended the swimming and football courses. When we ask him whether he wants to continue studying or not, “I don’t know, do you think they will let me? If they do, I continue. I also continue playing football” answers Haydar. “There is yaren here. We are a crowded group, we are having a good time” he says and adds “If you don’t know what yaren is, it means friendship, companion and chitchat…”