Young Researchers Tackle Child Labour in Zambia’s Mining Communities

Care for Nature Zambia (CaNZ) has called for an end to child labour in Zambia’s artisanal and small-scale mining sector as young researchers begin a study into the problem in Kitwe and Chingola.

CaNZ Executive Director Nsama Musonda Kearns said Terre des Hommes Netherlands is funding youth researchers through the organisation’s Environmentors Programme and the Children’s Climate Council to investigate child labour in mining communities.

The research will seek to establish the scale and impact of child labour while examining the conditions children are exposed to in mining areas.

It will also look at the effects of climate change and pollution, as well as barriers that prevent affected children from accessing education and social protection.

Kearns said the findings are expected to provide evidence that can guide interventions aimed at ending child labour and supporting children already affected.

These interventions could include increased counselling, helping children return to school and improving access to social protection services.

She said stronger partnerships and evidence-based research were essential to addressing child labour, particularly in communities where children may be exposed to hazardous mining activities.

CaNZ also cited Article 32 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which calls for children to be protected from economic exploitation and hazardous work.

The research places young people at the centre of efforts to understand a problem that continues to affect children in mining communities, with the findings expected to help shape future interventions in Kitwe, Chingola and beyond.