Rwanda Education Alternatives for Children (Reach) Project Child Labor in the Tea Sector Case Study of Nyamasheke, Nyaruguru
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RWANDA EDUCATION ALTERNATIVES FOR CHILDREN (REACH) PROJECT CHILD LABOR IN THE TEA SECTOR CASE STUDY OF NYAMASHEKE, NYARUGURU AND GICUMBI WINROCK INTERNATIONAL 2012 Funded by the United States Department of Labor /Bureau of International Labor Affairs/Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking The REACH Project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor under Cooperative Agreement IL-19515-09-75-K. This publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the United States Department of Labor, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the United States Government. Page 1 of 76 Dedication To all children whose futures are affected by exploitative work; And to all who tirelessly work to combat child labor. Acknowledgement There are many people and institutions without whom this research would not have been successful. Special recognition goes to the United States Department of Labor who funded this research, and for Winrock International who sponsored, coordinated, and supervised the research project. Recognition also goes to FERWACOTHE whose special partnership with the REACH Project made the research process smooth especially in the field during data collection. Further appreciation is extended to commercial tea growers and other institutions including Rwanda Mountain Tea and SORWATHÉ, Rwanda Rainforest Alliance, and the U.S. Embassy Rwanda who provided valuable input in this study during the tea stakeholders’ meetings. Much appreciation goes to the COOPTHE groups and all the respondents in this research. The valuable data they provided is what constitutes this study. Special appreciation goes to the REACH team for technical and administrative support, coordinating, and the valuable input in this research study. Ndekezi Maarifa V. Research Consultant Page 2 of 76 Preface This research is a compilation of findings from three districts in Rwanda where tea is grown: Nyamasheke, Nyaruguru, and Gicumbi. These are three of the seven districts where the REACH project is implementing direct intervention programs against child labor. This study contains findings on the current situation and the perception of tea growers and children, as well as their knowledge on child labor laws. Tea from Rwanda has been identified by the U.S. Department of Labor as a product that is produced with involvement of exploitative child labor. While there have been many efforts by the government, local actors, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and others to fight child labor, the presence of Rwandan Tea on USDOL’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor 2010 report encouraged this research and draws attention to the need for more work to be done to eliminate child labor in the Rwandan tea sector. This research intends to demonstrate efforts towards the elimination of child labor in the Rwanda tea sector which will lead to Rwandan tea regaining its reputation in the global market. The REACH Project has been involved in efforts to stop child labor in these districts, and this research was intended to inform REACH and stakeholders on the progress made and further areas of intervention needed. Readers of the research will appreciate the efforts made to take action and eliminate child labor. This research will provide stakeholders with strategies which can be used to further this cause. John Nkurikiyinka REACH Project Director Page 3 of 76 TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 2 Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Preface ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...................................................................................................................................................................... 9 1.0 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………12 1.1 Definitions of Terms ........................................................................................................................................................ 12 1.2 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................ 13 1.3 Organization of the tea sector in Rwanda ................................................................................................................ 13 1.4 Scope of the study, objectives and research questions ....................................................................................... 15 2.0 SURVEY IMPLEMENTATION AND METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 16 2.1 General approach .............................................................................................................................................................. 16 2.2 Ethical considerations and consent procedure ...................................................................................................... 16 2.3 Selection of study areas .................................................................................................................................................. 17 2.4 Sampling ............................................................................................................................................................................... 17 2.5 Data collection .................................................................................................................................................................... 18 2.6 Data analysis and presentation .................................................................................................................................... 19 2.7 Limitations of the study .................................................................................................................................................. 19 2.8 Research team .................................................................................................................................................................... 19 3.0 PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ......................................................................................................... 20 3.1 Characteristics of respondents ....................................................................................................................................... 20 3.1.1 Children demographics ............................................................................................................................................. 20 3.1.2 Age and schooling ......................................................................................................................................................... 21 3.1.3 Cooperative member and parent respondent demographics ...................................................................... 22 3.2 Current situation of child labor in tea sector ............................................................................................................. 23 3.2.1 Awareness on the current situation of child labor ........................................................................................... 24 3.2.2 Children working in tea growing activities ......................................................................................................... 26 3.2.3 Children known by others to be working in tea ................................................................................................ 28 3.2.4 Age of beginning to work for children .................................................................................................................. 29 3.3 Children's involvement in work................................................................................................................................... 30 3.3.1 Children's work in the last one month .................................................................................................................. 31 3.3.2 Seasons and duration of work ................................................................................................................................. 33 3.4 Motivation for children's involvement in work ..................................................................................................... 34 3.4.1 Awareness on factors that promote child labor ................................................................................................ 34 3.4.2 What children do with the money .......................................................................................................................... 36 3.4.3 Employers of children ................................................................................................................................................