CHILD RIGHTS & EDUCATION
Area where Pakistan Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights has honor to done remarkable work is Child Rights especially prevention of Child labor, formal and informal education for out of school children. Pakistan Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights was very active on the Human Rights and Minority Rights issues, when United Nation Children Funds (UNICEF) started its preliminary work on the project named “Elimination of Child labor from Soccer ball industry” UNICEF approached to Pakistan Council to seek its support as partner on the said project in 1997. The Project started in 1998. Initially the main objective of this project to eliminate the child labor from Soccer Ball Industries and in 1999 this project was further extended in the name of “Elimination of Child Labor from Hazardous Occupation in September 1999 PCSW&HR also launched another project “Universal Primary Education” (UPE) with the collaboration of UNICEF. The projects initiated by the PCSW&HR to ensure the protection of child rights are being discussed in the following paragraphs.
Elimination of Child Labour from Soccer Ball Industry
In 1997 a project agreement was signed among the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI), ILO and UNICEF as per Atlanta, Georgia, USA agreement. The main purpose of the agreement was to eliminate child labour from soccer ball industry of Sialkot in a period of 18 month up to March 1999. This project remained very hopeful, the President of the United Status of America, in this speech at ILO office New York acknowledged it and quoted the world must learn from Sialkot, who in a very short period of time, has done a very remarkable job. PCSW&HR worked in 119 villages of Sialkot District, under this project and as it was a model project, the Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Carol Bellamy visited four villages of Markaz Uggoki, area covered by Pakistan Council.
OBJECTIVES:
1. To facilitate changes in attitudes and practices among parents, employers, adults in the work places, key members of the civil society and children regarding hazardous child labour, especially “Hazardous occupations” in Sialkot District.
2. Increase awareness about potential harm–mental, physical growth and well being – to a child working in exploitative and hazardous conditions among parents, employers, adults in the work places, key members of the civil society and children.
Elimination of Child Labour from Hazardous Occupations.
Soccer Ball project extended from 1st July 1999, because of the optimistic results of the previous projects, Now the areas from where child labour had to be eliminate extended from a single industry to all industries where hazards were involved, as it is clear from the name of the project. In this project Pakistan Council awarded 272 villages (3 Markaz. 13 Union Councils) and 16 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Sialkot City. This project started 1st of July 1999 and ended on 31st December 31, 2003. The main activities in this project were awareness raising among the stakeholders on child labour; developing plans of actions for the rehabilitations of child laborers and conducted classes for child laborers in Sialkot.
Establishment of Non Formal Schools
PCSW&HR has also honor to establish 15 Non Formal Schools named “Fanoos Taleemi Markaz” (FTM) with the collaboration of UNICEF & Sialkot Chamber of Commerce for those child laborers never attended the schools and in these FTM basic education was provided to these child laborers children
