KIGALI - A US$ 5m project by Rwanda Education Alternatives for Children (REACH) to reduce cases of exploitive child labour in the districts of Nyarugenge, Nyaruguru, Gicumbi, Nyamasheke, Nyagatare, Rubavu and Kayonza has been launched.

"REACH has come to operate in a controversial sector and at a time it’s needed most. It therefore, needs much commitment to realize big outcome in the shortest time possible,” said Anastase Murekezi, the Minister of Labour and Public Service during the launch of the project at La Palisse Hotel, Nyandungu.

By 2002 about 352,550 children were estimated to be working on smallholder coffee, tea, sugar and rice farms. A big number were also working in stone quarries and as herders.

The four-year project that is funded by the US Department of Labour (USADOL) through Winrock International (WI), Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) and Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), will seek to withdraw 83,000 children from exploitive labour in the seven districts and put them in schools.

The project will also help establish 42 model farm schools, provide youth with agriculture vocational education and improved employment opportunities and provide 50 parents with small business enterprise development training.

Murekezi called on big enterprises to intervene in curbing the increasing rate of unemployment by equipping the youth with skills for development.

He urged everyone, especially local government officials, to put more emphasis in fighting child labour.

The launch that attracted officials of the ministries of Local Government, Education, FAWE and SNV among others, was also attended by the US Deputy Chief of Mission in Rwanda, Anne Casper and vice president of WI, Carol Michaels O’Laughlin.

O’Laughlin congratulated Rwanda for taking a lead in addressing the problem of child labour.

WI is a US-based organization that operates in about 50 countries globally, 30 of them in Africa, to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources.

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