KISUMU — Concerns are escalating over the increasing number of children in Kisumu County abandoning school to work in the fishing sector around Lake Victoria, prompting a strategic response from local and international bodies.

According to Kenya News Agency, vice chairperson of the Dunga Beach Management Unit (BMU), poverty drives many children into the fishing industry, where the lure of quick cash contributes to high absenteeism and dropout rates from local schools. “Many of the victims we encounter say they were sent by their parents to do menial jobs at the beach in order to earn a living,” Misodhi noted during a workshop organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) aimed at tackling child labor issues prevalent in the region.

Misodhi highlighted the exploitation of young boys in night fishing operations and girls in fish hawking at local markets, which is contrary to Kenya’s constitutional provisions on child labor. The workshop, held in Dunga Beach, focused on developing capacities and frameworks for addressing these challenges. Approximately 100 children who had left school to work have been rescued and supported to resume their education through efforts led by the Dunga BMU.

The BMU, along with corporate partners, has also created a scholarship fund to assist bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including orphans and those from impoverished families. This initiative is part of a broader program that also provides sanitary towels to teenage girls to help alleviate poverty and maintain dignity.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) reports that the agriculture sector, including fisheries, is a major contributor to child labor in Africa, accounting for over 80 percent of such cases. In response, the ILO, in partnership with the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) and other stakeholders, has launched a campaign to bolster the Dunga BMU’s capacity to combat child labor in the fisheries industry. This is part of the broader CAPSA project, which aims to eradicate child labor by 2025.

Andrew Odete, the Engagement and Partnership Development specialist at ILO, emphasized the commitment to raising awareness and developing child protection policies at Dunga Beach. “We are working with Dunga BMU to raise awareness about child labor and its effects. We will assist them in developing child protection policies and establishing a committee dedicated to eradicating child labor at Dunga Beach,” said Odete.

This newly formed committee will include labor officers, representatives from local schools, local administration, community leaders, children’s organizations, and children themselves, employing a community-based approach to address this pressing issue.