Vocational training helps children escape factory work

Girls learning handicraft skills in a vocational training class

A Plan project in south Cairo, Egypt, is working with local Community Development Associations to help child labourers learn vocational skills and escape harsh conditions.

Most families here cannot afford to send all of their children to school and rely on them to work to supplement the household income.

As well as providing nursery placements for working mothers from low-income families, Plan’s project provides numeracy, literacy and vocational training classes for working girls and boys. These children often work long hours in harsh conditions in factories making sweets, plastics or car parts.

The classes, held at the weekend, enable the children to learn reading and writing as well as handicrafts, such as making tablecloths which are sold at local markets. These skills are aimed at helping them to make the shift to less harmful labour.

Better conditions

One of the girls enrolled in the classes, 11-year-old Astra, said: “I used to work in a stainless steel factory making teapots. I used to work from 8 am to 11 pm and not get home before midnight. The owner of the factory also used to treat us very bad.

“I used to earn about E£30 a week. I would take what I needed for my expenses and then give the rest of the money to my family. Nowadays I take part in the project and I sell handicrafts to get an income. I am much happier now.”

Child rights campaign

The project has also established Community Development Associations which take up specific issues amongst target groups - children, their parents and factory owners - to raise awareness of child rights, including their right to an education,  play and safe working conditions.

Increasingly the project has been working with the government to provide services and support for these communities.

Education is key

Neyama, aged 14, said: “This is a good project - I have learnt a lot of good things. I know the importance of education now. I dropped out of school to work, but I made sure that I carried on working at home and sat my exams.”

When asked what she wished for, Neyama said: “I wish to stop working and return to school. And I want to be an engineer.”

Find out more about Plan’s work in Egypt.