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404 children came back to school in September 2024 in the Gihanga commune of Burundi thanks to a project against child labour implemented by STEB, the Union of Education Workers of Burundi, with support from Education International, the Fair Childhood Foundation of GEW, AOb, and Mondiaal FNV.

Launched in January 2024, the project succeeded in bringing 229 boys and 175 girls out of child labour and into classrooms.

This is the result of a large-scale campaign developed and implemented by STEB with a focus on training and raising awareness. Teachers, school principals, and local authorities were trained on children’s rights, the definition of child labour, and ways to raise awareness about the importance of education. “Many parents are unaware that the work done by children today inhibits their long-term development. In our workshops, we detail strategies to approach them and make them understand that school remains the best guarantee of a better life,” explains Remy Nsengiyumva, President of STEB.

Teachers volunteer to become the focal points of the project in their school, coordinating activities within the school community. They receive a special union training to be able to carry out these tasks, including setting up school clubs to fight child labor. These clubs are at the heart of raising awareness within communities, notably through street theater.

“I decided to become a member of my school’s club against child labour because I want to help others,” explains Donobel, 12, a fifth-year primary student in Gihanga. “In my neighbourhood, I know many children who do not go to school. Some behave badly and have started stealing from houses. It hurts when friends lose their way because they do not have access to education. The STEB project taught us about children’s rights, how to approach children who have dropped out of school and talk to them about the importance of returning to school. I was able to convince 23 children to come back to school this year. For some, it was not too difficult: I talked to them on the street, explaining that the school was always open to them. Others are not convinced school is useful or say their parents are against it. In these cases, I visit them at home with the focal point teacher from my school until we get them to come back.”

Together for students: education unions working in partnership with local authorities

Even when teachers succeed in convincing parents to bring their children back to school, some barriers remain. Parents sometimes hesitate for fear of being refused enrollment by the principal or having to pay a sum of money in exchange for enrollment, which is illegal but not uncommon in Burundi. To overcome this obstacle, STEB involved principals and local authorities from the first training sessions and activities to ensure their full cooperation. Salvator Habunimana, a local elected official in Gihanga, accompanies parents during the enrollment of the former child worker to reassure them that the child will not be rejected by the administration and that no money will be demanded. “At every community meeting, I explain the importance of education, that a child who does not study can become a criminal. I sometimes visit parents’ homes to convince them, and I threaten them with sanctions if they persist in not sending their children to school because they are breaking the law.”

Local education authorities are also involved in the project. Bonaventure Ndayiziga, the communal director of education in Gihanga, stressed that “before this project, the message about compulsory schooling was not getting through! No one was responsible for discussing it with families. The STEB training helped us realise that the message must reach every household, that we cannot limit ourselves to talking about it in a meeting.” Omer Sindayigaya, a teacher and communal representative of STEB in Gihanga, agrees: “Before, the administration gave instructions that children had to be brought back to school, but without a strategy. This project creates synergy between administration, school management, teachers, and parents. This synergy produces much more significant results.”

The involvement of each partner is essential to the success of the project. Séverin Ntunzwenimana, a member of the School Management Committee of Murira 1 school in Gihanga, points out that “when it comes to their children’s education, parents more easily accept visits from people they know in the community. They trust us when we show them the benefits of school, when we tell them we are ready to enroll their child for them if they wish. When they see that the son or daughter of such and such neighbor has been accepted without any problem by the school, it is also easier to convince them.”

Overcoming reluctance

The return of 404 children to school in Gihanga is a success, but it is only the beginning. 1,642 children were identified as out of school during the baseline study conducted by STEB at the end of 2023. In the first few months of the project, 765 children expressed their intentions to return but only 404 came back to school. “Not all those who intended to return to class did so because some parents and students expected to receive material aid. Our work must continue to overcome all reluctance,” explains Remy Nsengiyumva.

The STEB project in Gihanga follows a similar project developed by the union in Rukamaru, a suburb of Bujumbura, since 2021. 663 children were brought back to school in Rukamaru from 2021 to 2023, out of the 926 children identified as workers and out of school during the baseline study conducted at the beginning of the project. The floods that hit part of Rukamaru in 2024 make it difficult to estimate the current number of children engaged in labour, but the teachers and local authorities trained by the project continue their work to raise awareness.

Back for good: Supporting children’s return to school

The return of a former child worker to school is only the first victory. The goal is for them to stay in education long-term. However, children who have not attended school for years often develop behaviours that are not always compatible with school discipline. They have also missed years of schooling compared to their peers. This is why the STEB project offers remedial classes to students reintegrated into school communities after a long absence.

“Children who used to earn a little money are still tempted to be absent from school from time to time to return to work because poverty is very great in this region,” explains Selami Mwajuma, a teacher in Rukamaru. “Many go hungry a good part of the day. In 2023, I was able to convince four girls and boys aged 14 and one boy aged 15 to return to school. The girls worked in the rice fields, the boys in fishing. The boys earned 6 EUR per week. I asked the principal of my school to assign their class to me because I knew it would be difficult. Given their level, these teenagers are re-enrolled in the third grade, with children who are between 8 and 12 years old. I accept their absences, sometimes every other day, as long as they do not drop out. I stay in contact with their parents, so they do not get discouraged if these children are not as diligent as others, if they sometimes have to come without a uniform or pen, because I want to support them until secondary education. I do everything to encourage them, like appointing one of them as class delegate even though he cannot yet read or write. These young people understand that school offers them an unexpected new chance and want to seize it.”

This type of union project helps authorities in their own fight against the exploitation of children through labour. In Gihanga, the communal director of education asked STEB for the results of the baseline study on child labour conducted at the beginning of the project, which will serve as a planning tool for the local authorities. “At the national level, the Ministry responsible for education has just ordered school and community officials to list all children of school age who are not studying. They must mention their names and those of their parents in reports. We do not know if it is thanks to the project or if it is a simple coincidence, but it is a step forward,” notes Remy Nsengiyumva.

A boost to social dialogue

In addition to serving communities and children, this type of project strengthens the education union itself. This has been the experience of all Education International affiliates implementing projects against child labour in various countries around the world. Remy Nsengiyumva, President of STEB, stresses that “thanks to this project, our representatives are in permanent contact with the government officials and are well received.”

The project has also enabled the union to work in tandem with child rights organisations, allowing for better enforcement of compulsory schooling legislation. “We believe that all this will improve our visibility and consequently social dialogue. We already see it during hearings and meetings with Ministry officials,” concludes the President of STEB.