Promoting and Protecting the Interests of Children Who Work

At the end of the project PPIC-Work helped nearly 7 000 Egyptian children ( 65% boys & 35% girls) either escape from some of the worst forms of child labour in lead smelting and scrap metal sorting or find safe and appropriate work to support themselves and their families. Since the PPIC-Work approach is self-financing Egyptian businesses are sustaining the programs that will benefit thousands more working children over the coming years. To help those working girls and boys who do need to work PPIC-Work developed a series of nine intervention tools that improve children’s working conditions and learning opportunities by working with and through microfinance institutions and their staff. According to project surveys children have reported they are better treated work shorter hours under safer conditions and that the code of conduct developed through PPIC-Work is being respected. Girls as well as boys report that they are able to continue their education and are now planning on future careers that will build on both their academic knowledge and skills acquired through their work. By collaborating with microfinance networks PPIC-Work has been able to extend its methodology to new agencies and areas of Upper and Lower Egypt and has made its training materials available through PPIC-Work’s Web Site. In collaboration with large Egyptian corporations the children were helped to find alternate forms of safe work that provided income and future career skills. Programming costs are now financed under corporate social responsibility programs of these corporations. Over 2 000 working children from Qalubaya have been helped to form their own organizations and network to support working children.