Between 2004 and December 2009 ICI through its local implementing partners had active programmes in 243 cocoa growing communities, reaching a population of 615,000, and had organized 7,076 community mobilization meetings and sensitised 268,949 community members regarding child labour. As a result, and to better protect children in ICI supported cocoa growing communities, concretely:

• Communities themselves have implemented 476 local initiatives to reduce the vulnerability of their children vis-à-vis child labour (bye-laws, school rehabilitation, recruitment of teachers, etc.)
• Local authorities have supported Community Action Plans implementation with 220 initiatives (provision of construction material for new schools, qualified teachers posted, provision of school kits).
• New or rehabilitated school blocks are available in 129communities, representing 329 additional classrooms, benefiting to 16,450 pupils (average of 50 pupils per class). 
• 157 new, qualified teachers have been posted in 66 communities

Discover what has concretely changed in some ICI supported communities!

Dotou (San Pedro district, Cote d’Ivoire)

In Dotou, ICI’s implementing partner CARITAS, has started sensitization and dialogue activities using participatory approach in 2006. Carried out activities include community wide meetings, focus group discussions, leadership meetings, definition and implementation of the Community Action Plan. In this community, to better protect their children, preventing them from being engaged in child labour activities, community members have decided to implement the following initiatives:

• Four volunteer teachers have been recruited are paid by the community.
• The community members have financed teacher accommodation to ensure the regular attendance of teachers, and ensure their well being.
• Three new classrooms, table and benches, blackboards have been financed by ICI.
• The community has mobilized 421 000 FCFA to contribute to the roofing of this new school.
• Another three classrooms block and Director Office have been built by the local authority (Conseil Général).
• The leaders of the community have decided to create a local committee against child labour in cocoa.
• A Bye law to protect children is being implemented in the community (it is forbidden for children to be in the farm during spraying activities, it is forbidden for children enrolled at school to be in the farm during school day).

Sébastien Ouédrago, 14, explains that he used to manipulate pesticides and fertilizers with his dad: “When my dad was tired, he used to give me the spraying machine to fertilize cocoa. But now that he knows how hazardous this could be, he has asked me to stop spraying”.

Sensitisation in Dotou and surrounding communities did not try to stop children from helping their parents on the family farm.  Instead, it focused on reducing their involvement in hazardous tasks.  Today, thanks to this sensitization, the number of children using machetes has dropped by 19%, the number involved directly in spraying activities (pesticides and fertilizers) by 26%, and the number carrying heavy loads by almost 34%. It is now forbidden for younger children to be present while farms are sprayed or to help on the farm during school days.

Sekyere Krobo (Mpohor Wassa East, Western Region, Ghana)

The ICI activities conducted in Sekyere Krobo are part of the Yen Daakye program. In Sekyere Krobo, ICI’s implementing partner SCMPP (Support for Community Mobilization Programme/Project) started sensitization and dialogue activities using participatory approach in 2005. Carried out activities include community wide meetings, focus group discussions, leadership meetings, definition and implementation of the community Action Plan. In this community, the impacts on education and children engaged in child labour activities are the following:

• The district assembly -after receiving the Community Action Plan- implemented some projects in the community. These projects are 16 seater KVIP toilet facilities and a six classroom block with library, office, store, urinal and a toilet. 
• The community used the ICI community grant (950 US$) to extend electricity to the primary and the junior high schools in the community to facilitate prep attendance in the evening by the school children. This project has led to the improvement of the BECE results from 22% in 2005 to 81% in 2007. It has also improved the general academic performance of the pupils in both primary and the junior high schools in the community according to the heads of the two schools.
• A bye law preventing child labour, the worst forms of child labour, children selling at night, wake keeping, video watching at night, etc. has been put in place and the community members are adhering to it.
• Furthermore, the community facilitators and leaders have capitalized on the existence of community radio in the village for sensitization efforts.
• As a result of this children carry loads but according to their age and strength. Also children fetch water a day before spraying is done. So children are not involved in chemical spraying at all.

An independent evaluation conducted in Ghana in May and June 2009 found out that in ICI supported communities, there has been a significant reduction in the numbers of children involved in hazardous activities and many children are better protected and equipped with size appropriate tools for the farm work that they continue to do. In the same time, the evaluation team noted that parents, children and community leaders have a greater understanding of the relevance and importance of a school based education than they did in the past and this is reflected in increased enrolment and attendance rates (particularly at primary level), parents’ almost universal provision of school uniforms (estimated at over 90%) and community contributions to improving school facilities.