Ethics:Best practice

Gisovu Tea Factory in Tumbwa sector, Karongi District has joined the fight against child farm labour by taking the children were working on the estate back to school.A total of 29 children, aged between10 to 18, have been enrolled in primary schools and vocational training centres by the factory.Speaking on Monday during an event to distribute scholastic materials and tailoring machines to former child labourers, Surender Jhijaria, the Manager of Gisovu Tea Factory, said his company does not support the use of children in tea plantations."We have withdrawn all the children from our tea factory and taken them back to school. These young ones are supposed to be in school, why should we employ them?” he asked.Jhijaria mentioned that child labour is detrimental to a child’s physical, mental, moral, social and emotional development."We are committed to support these children until they grow up and reach a stage where they can sustain themselves. We have given tailoring machines to 10 of them who are in a vocational training centre so that they can make enough money to sustain themselves,” he said.He also revealed that his company is set to bring eye doctors from the United Kingdom and India to treat about 110 patients in the communities surrounding the tea estate."We did a survey in the surrounding area and we found out s many people have eye infections. As part of social corporate responsibility we are going to treat them within the next few months,” he said.Francoise Tuyisenge 17, a former child farm labourer told The New Times that she was happy for leaving the tea factory and going back to school."I am now in a vocational school. I have started learning how to sew school and factory uniforms. Through this, I hope I will earn enough for me and my family,” she said."Our parents had failed to support us and they have been telling us to remain in the tea farms so that we can get money for basic necessities,” said Esdras Hakizimana,12, who attends Rutyazo primary school."I am in primary five now but I want to be an engineer in future after completing my studies”.Bernard Kayumba, the Mayor of Karongi, hailed Gisovu for returning all the children who used to work in the tea factory to school."Child labour is found in several sectors, including large commercial farms, smallholdings, domestic work, micro industries and the informal sectors but we are committed to eliminate this form of slavery,” he underscored.Kayumba called upon everyone to fight child labour and instead support their rehabilitation and reintegration. Gisovu tea factory started in 1983 with a capacity to produce 13 tonnes of tea. Last year, over 200 tonnes were produced.