Students of Timor-Leste’s Aileu Municipality urge the government to take actions against child labour

AILEU, Timor-Leste (ILO News) - "It is very sad to see the reality that many children my aged could not go to school like me and have to sell vegetables in the market or lift goods to sell on the roadside,” said Ferdicson Bere Moi Mota, a student from the Catholic Secondary School of São Pedro São Paulo (Cospepal), in Aileu Municipality.

Ferdicson was one of the students who participated at this year’s commemoration of the World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL) which was organized in Aileu Municipality on 12 June. The commemoration was organized by the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs (MECAE) through the General Inspection of Works Timor-Leste (IGT), with support from the ILO.

Under the theme Let’s Act on Our Commitment: Stop Child Labour, the commemoration of WDCAL was attended by around 100 participants representing various stakeholders and also marked the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Form of Child Labour, which, in 2020, was the first ILO Convention to be universally ratified.

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A similar concern was also expressed by Izidoro Anderson Napoleão, Fátima Fernandes and Selvia Augusta Barros, another participating students. “The main root of child labour is poverty. They have to work because of the necessity of life to help their parents. But this can hinder their health especially if they have to deal with heavy works that are not appropriate for children. They also lose the chance to play freely.”

During the commemoration, the participating students voiced their aspiration through a declaration. They jointly read the declaration that says: “We, representing all children in Timor-Leste, especially in the municipality of Aileu, declare that we are the future of the nation. Therefore, children play an important role in the development of the country. Children should not go to work that can hinder their well-being and their right to go to school and get an education.”

The students’ declaration, thus, urged the government, especially the local government, to take actions to stop child labour. The proposed actions included steps to identify children were considered child labour, recognize main reasons they become child labourers, provide solutions to help the children and their families and give sanction to parents who force their children into child labour.

The students also recommended the local authorities at all levels from municipality and administrative posts to villages and sub-villages to promote learning and reading. “At home, most children do not have conditions that allow them to read or learn. One book, one pen, one child can make a change in a community, a sub-village and a village for a better future,” the students said.

“We, children of Aileu Municipality, have a dream to make Timor-Leste as one of the most developed countries in the world. Thus, if we only declare that we are going to stop child labour with no positive actions or interventions, the number of child labour would continue increased and can never be eliminated,” stated Izidoro, Fátima and Selvia.

Responding to the students’ aspiration and declaration, Jose Vicente Vilanova, representative of the Authority of Aileu Municipality, stated that everyone is key to disseminate information about child labour to his or her community, especially in rural areas.

“I know it is not easy to change the behaviour. But everyone can play a role in disseminating the importance of education for children and they should not work. On behalf of the Authority of the Aileu Municipality, I would like to appeal that all of us, including government institutions, local authorities, workplaces, schools and parents to give the priority to children attending schools to reach a better future for all of us,” he said.