Download PDF - Violence Against Children - East Asia and the ...

Cambodia
This drawing by a child scrap collector shows details of life and work on a
garbage dump. While the artist used bright colours and the picture is not
entirely gloomy, note (left) two children dreaming of leaving the dump and
going to school, and (right) two children sniffing glue from bags.
Photo: World Vision Cambodia
of life that lead to maturity in adulthood.
Moreover, in order to achieve effective and
sustainable income generation, it is crucial
that the children learn of the personal and
financial costs involved in running their
own business. Consequently, we require
them to share in the costs by providing
part of the capital, buying their own
supplies and materials, providing their own
lunches, etc. They are also accountable
(along with their parents) for the care and
maintenance of any equipment they use,
and paying for their repair or replacement
if necessary.
Overall, the children are given
responsibility for developing their own
skills and businesses and, ultimately,
earning their own profits. In addition to
contributing to character development and
value formation, this helps keep the
children focused and serious about the
tasks at hand. Another important benefit is
the sense of accomplishment and pride
that results when the children successfully
meet their obligations and reap the
rewards of hard-earned income, skills and
praise from parents and staff.
3. An emphasis on poverty alleviation
through income generation
Emergence of social problems where there
was a lack of employment opportunity for
parents was a finding of World Vision’s
study on child abuse and neglect. 7
Increased attention to improving economic
opportunity of families at risk was a
recommendation. Because of the role
poverty plays in child labour, and its effect
on the family as a whole, we decided that
the goal of our income-generating activities
for children should have the concrete
result of a net increase in income.
This is in line with World Vision
Cambodia’s overall strategy of poverty
alleviation, which includes income
generation for the children’s parents, so
that the whole family is targeted and
involved in increasing their household
income. This approach is supported by the
experience of other groups working with
scrap collectors such as the Association for
the Protection of the Environment in
Cairo, Egypt, which found that
“...making money had proved, in many other
similar development projects, to be the most
efficient way of creating change. It was faster
and more appealing than health awareness or
literacy. The very dire context of poverty and
deprivation signified that any programme had to
have an immediate effect on peoples’ lives.
Economic empowerment was the result.” 8
The bottom line is that if livelihood and
income issues are not addressed, poverty
will continue to be a threat to the wellbeing
of the child and his/her family.
The situation is summed up well by Assefa
Bequele in Child Labour and Minimum Social
Standards: The challenge for Asia:
“Last but not least is the question of what is
being done to deal with poverty, with the
situation of the poorest of the poor?
7
8
Dorning, K, Crying Out: Children and communities speak on abuse and neglect, World Vision International, 2002 (http://www.wvi.org/imagine/can.htm)
Education to Fight Exclusion, No. 3, UNESCO, 1999, p. 17
26