Child Labour Free Zone Pilot Action Program in Levani Fier

Based on the experience gained, results achieved and the possibilities they have, FSASH and SPASH, supported by FNV Mondiaal, Holland, are implementing an Action Program for a ChL free zone in Levani, Fieri District.

There is a primary school there, with 464 pupils. There are still 20 of them, (out of whom 13 girls), dropped out of school, not attending it for days and weeks, also working. Other 94, (out of whom 58 girls), are at risk to drop out from school, not attending it for some hours a day or for some days a week and work for hours or days, during school hours or in the afternoon.

We have already created a basis of our concrete work with them, also with some results and our colleagues are ready to continue working with those pupils, aiming to withdraw them from work and return in the school.

We plan to use the methods we have already used in our individual work with pupils there, but this time we are combining this work with some help for their families, (at least for some 30 of them, prevailing girls families), providing a package of some food, (distributing to them monthly).

Special child labour monitoring  groups are set up and functioning during the action program implementation, coordinating all activities to be organised with selected pupils, in collaboration with school administrations, pupils themselves and their families, as well as with community and local NGO-s.

The action programme will also increase awareness and improve the cooperation among trade unions, local government authorities, school administration, local NGO-s, employers and so on, in tackling child labour and promoting education

Preparative meeting on Action Program implelemnation

A preparative meeting on project implementation was organised in January, with participation of  teachers, members of the working groups, pupils, parents, school administration representatives, took part in the meeting.

Both chairmen of our trade unions, FSASH and SPASH, Xhafer Dobrushi and Bajram Kruja, as well as the representative of Educational Directorate of Fieri Region, Mihal Krimce, the Major of Levani Commune, Agim Qejvani, the President of Roma Association of Fieri District, Refit Dulaj, the Headmaster of the school, Gazmira Bircaj, took part in the meeting.

Really important was the fact that the work had already started in the school and in the zone. The headmaster and the teachers had identified the pupils who will be the subject of the work, had contacted most of the parents and had discussed the intention to bring back in school those pupils who have already dropped out of school and keep regularly in school those pupils who don’t attend regularly and are at risk to drop out.
After presentation of the objectives of the pilot project, the activities, the working program and the approach which will be used during the 6 months in the school and in the community, Dobrushi, Kruja, Qejvani and Dulaj expressed their opinions and took their personal and institutional responsibilities for the successful implementation of the project.

Discussions and suggestions from participants, who also appreciated the contribution of FNV Mondiaal for this concrete support, were followed by organisation of working groups, including pupils and parents they will work with, the commission for organisation of food packages distribution and the monitoring results.

Meeting with Working (monitoring) Group members

An important meeting with Working (monitoring) Group members in Levani school.
Both chairmen of FSASH and SPASH, Dobrushi and Kruja, as well as the headmaster of the school, Gazmira Bizhgaj, took part in the meeting.

A detailed discussion was made about the situation of each pupil subject of the project implementation. Teachers spoke about the work they are doing with pupils namely, in the classroom, in the school, in the community with their parents and local authorities, mentioning also the results they have achieved during these two months of project implementation and the objectives they have for March and the following months.

Actual situation regarding the objectives is optimistic, despite a lot of difficulties they are encountering, especially dealing with some pupils from the upper level of the compulsory education, 8th and 9th classes.

They reported 7 pupils turned back in school, out of 20 who have already dropped out from school, while they are working with other 6, most of them girls, hoping them will be back in school within the next two months. The other 7 are problem, because teachers and pupils working with them and their parents, are encountering a lot of difficulties. Of course, we will continue our work with all of them.

At the same time, out of 94 pupils at risk to drop out from school, they reported 34 pupils, out of risk to drop out from school, after all of this work they are doing, coming every day in school, attending regularly the lessons and making progress in their learning performance. During the discussion they mentioned the direct positive impact of the food packages they are distributing to their families, as a support of they work they are doing.

Teachers of Working (monitoring) Group have all the data about the pupils them are dealing with, including names, parents names, problems they face, progress they are doing, plans how will they continue to deal with them and so on.

Organisation of activities, according to the working plan of project implementation, was also discussed in the meeting. It was agreed that the first round of cultural and sportive activities, to be organised on the 26 of March. A special program is already prepared by the respective teachers and pupils dealing with these activities. At least 4 cultural activities and 4 sportive ones, will be organised, with wide participation of pupils subject of project activities, but also other pupils of the school, organising them in the form of competitions, giving also prizes and awards for the winners.