FSASH/SPASH Activities on the Occasion of World Day Against Child Labour

Extended meeting of National Steering Committee on Elimination of Child Labour "Give Girls a Chance, End Child Labour"

(Wide publicity in Albania about WDACL)

It is the second year that WDACL is being celebrated in Albania, thanks to FSASH and SPASH engagement, their collaboration with Ministry of Labour and financial support of ILO-IPEC office in Tirana and Education International, EI.

The main characteristic of this year celebrations was wide publicity in Albanian TV channels and press about the activities of this Day, the importance of education for all children and especially for girls, which was the Theme of this year WDACL.
Some 12 TV channels, broadcast important news about this Day, the problem world wide and in Albania, the engagement of Albanian education and other branch trade unions, state institutions and NGO-s to deal with the problem, to keep pupils in school and eliminate child labour. In naddition the only Newspaper in English in Albania, “Albanian Daily News” and other newspapers have also published articles on the occasion.

After two important meetings in Durres and Bathore, suburb of Tirana, both Albanian education trade unions, FSASH and SPASH, in collaboration with Ministry of Labour and ILO-IPEC Office in Tirana, organised in Tirana International Hotel, on the 11th of June, a high level meeting under the theme: ""Give Girls a Chance, End Child Labour"", with participation of members of National Steering Committee on Elimination of Child Labour, representatives from the presidencies of FSASH and SPASH, teachers involved in concrete activities with individual pupils and
pupils, mainly from Tirana, Kamza area, but also from some other districts where the FSASH/SPASH concrete work is focused, like Elbasani, Fieri, Durresi etc.

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Deputy Minister of Labour, Marjeta Zaçe, both presidents of education trade unions, Xhafer Dobrushi and Bajram Kruja, the National Manager of ILO-IPEC in Tirana, Etleva Vertopi, the representative of employers organisations, Vladimir Koka, present in the meeting, expressed their personal engagement and the obligations of their respective institutions, to deal with the problems related to the education of children and elimination of child labour.

During the meeting were mentioned the facts that more than 1 600 teachers, out of whom 570 in 20 pilot schools have been and are engaged in concrete individual work with more than 2 400 pupils, out of whom 1 250 in 20 pilot schools where FSASH/SPASH have been engaged in FNV/AOb projects implementation.
Around 650 pupils is estimated to be moved from working and turned back in school only in 6 districts where we have been focused during these last two years of project implementation, as a result of concrete work that teachers, pupils, school administrations have done in the schools, in the community and in pupils’ families.

Teachers like Shaban Duka, Derall Tota, Mersin Terpo, Bjeshke Alia, Bashkim Shyle, Bukuroshe Shabani etc, told their experiences in dealing with the problem in the respective schools, their results and problems which need more and more engagement in the future.

Pupils like Ervina Hasanaj, Esmeralda Cala, Malvina Sava, expressed their opinions, about the importance of their engagement together with their teachers and examples of good results in dealing with their classmates, especially girls, who are at risk to drop out from school, because of the poor conditions in their families and also because of mentality of their parents.

By the end of the activity all participants in unanimity, on behalf of all Albanian children, addressed a call to the Albanian Government to spend more and more money from the budget for education of children, for helping families in need and for making possible that all children are enrolled and complete at least full course of primary education and to end child labour in Albania.

Meeting with participation of teachers and pupils in Bathore (Tirana)

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Another meeting was organised, on Wednesday the 10th of June, on the occasion of WDACL, in Bathore, a Tirana suburb, populated mainly by families came from North Albania,

Around 45 participants, teachers, pupils, mainly girls, from 2 schools of Bathore and other 4 pilot schools, where both education trade unions, FSASH and SPASH, are working concretely with individual pupils in the framework of FNV/AOb projects, were gathered in that meeting organised by both Albanian education trade unions, FSASH and SPASH

Both chairmen of FSASH and SPASH sections of Tirana district, Shaban Duka and Mersin Terpo, and the chairman of SPASH, Bajram Kruja, attended also the meeting.

General Secretary of FSASH and Coordinator for both organisations regarding child labour prevention and elimination activities, Stavri Liko, spoke on behalf of both organisations, about 12 June, WDACL, based on the materials sent by EI and ILO-IPEC, as well as on FSASH/SPASH engagement in child labour prevention and elimination, especially in Bathore and Kamza schools.

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Teachers and pupils participating in the meeting, appreciated the initiative of trade unions and expressed their gratitude to EI for the support.

The Head of teachers working group of Bathore schools Derall Tota, spoke about the engagement of teachers and pupils of Bathore and Kamza to reduce the number of pupils dropped out from school and start working, while are in school age. He mentioned namely the teachers and pupils engaged in these activities and pupils who are turned back in school, after concrete work organised in the school and outside with parents and relatives of those pupils.

Teachers Marie Frroku, Bjeshke Aliaj, Albina Kalthi, Mersin Terpo, Ilir Tafa etc, told about their experience and their problems in the respective schools, as well as about their good results working in the framework of FNV/AOb project implementation.

Girls, pupils from Bathore and Kamza schools: Fatjona Terzia, Doris Pasha, Alma Hasa, Doriana Rama etc, spoke about their engagement in the respective classes with their classmates who are at risk to drop out from school.
They mentioned several cases when pupils of these schools, especially girls drop out from school because of the mentality of their parents and insisted on the important role of teachers and pupils themselves, especially in relation with their parents.

Materials on WDACl, prepared by FSASH/SPASH, as well as posters sent by EI and by ILO-IPEC, pencils and other FSASH/SPASH publications were distributed to the participants.

Again, as in Durres, by the end of the meeting it was agreed with all participants that each of them will organise at least one short meeting with different classes or groups in the next days, talking about WDACL and the importance of keeping pupils and especially girls in school.

Meeting with participation of teachers and pupils in Durres

An important meeting was organised, on the occasion of WDACL, in Durres, the second biggest city in Albania, on Tuesday the 9th of June.

50 participants, 22 teachers and 28 pupils, all of them girls, from 5 pilot schools, where both education trade unions, FSASH and SPASH, are working concretely with individual pupils to keep them in school and eliminate child labour, took part in the meeting.
Both chairmen of FSASH and SPASH sections in Durres, representatives from Educational Directorate of the district, (local government authority), chairman of SPASH, Bajram Kruja, attended also the meeting.

Teachers and pupils participating in the meeting expressed their opinions about the importance of this Day activities and spoke about their engagement to keep pupils in school and eliminate child labour.
Teacher Majlinda Spahiu from “Qemal Mici” school spoke about the work that working Group members and other teachers have done, especially during these last two years, also in the framework of FNV/AOb project implementation, the results achieved and their commitment to continue working with children in the school and outside the school in the community and with children’s parents in their families.
Other teachers like Lindita Kiri, Idajete Isallari, Vasil Bici etc, spoke about their experience and their problems in the respective schools, appreciating the engagement of FSASH and SPASh and the support from EI and Dutch trade unions FNV/AOb.

Girls, pupils from different schools like Anxhela Karanxha, Guarda Lena, Fitore Krasniqi, Xheraldina Zuma, Klea Doda etc, appreciated very much the fact that this year WDACL is focused to girls and gave examples of effective work of pupils and teachers of their schools turning back in school some pupils, especially girls, who had dropped out from school, mainly because of difficult financial conditions of their families or because of mentality of their parents.
The pupil Celnike Lami spoke about the work of special monitoring groups in school “Demokracia”, with participation of pupils and teachers, working with individual pupils and having good results in keeping children in school.
Bashkim Shyle, the Head of FSASH trade union section in Durres told that only in these 5 schools more than 200 pupils dropped out from school are turned back during this school year and more than 150 pupils are now out of risk to drop our, as a result of concrete and effective work of teachers, pupils and school administrations representatives.
Ac material on WDACl, prepared by FSASH/SPASH, as well as posters, pencils and other FSASH/SPASH publications were distributed to the participants.

At the end it was agreed with all participants that each of them will organise at least one short meeting with different classes or groups in the next days, talking about WDACL and the importance of keeping pupils and especially girls in school.

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