World Day Against Child Labour 2020
World Day Against Child Labour is observed on June 12th.
World Day Against Child Labour is observed on June 12th.
World Day Against Child Labour is intended to highlight the plight of working children and to support the worldwide movement against child labour.
Did you know that 2021 is the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour? I am ashamed to say that I didn't!
Source: International Labour Organization
Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in light of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 8.7 that seeks to eliminate all forms of child labour by 2025.
I had no idea that there are approximately 152 million boys and girls trapped in child labour worldwide, and 71% or 108 million of them are working in agriculture.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization Of The United Nations the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic on agri-food systems is exacerbating rural poverty and leading to an increase in child poverty, school dropout and food insecurity.
Children are being increasingly involved in working activities to compensate labour gaps and income losses in food and agricultural production.
This situation is likely to reverse progress and undermine efforts to eradicate rural poverty (SDG 1), achieve zero hunger (SDG 2), and eliminate child labour (SDG 8.7).
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization Of The United Nations
To support the call to eliminate child labour, I attended a webinar On World Day Against Child Labour, 8 June 2021.
The webinar was titled, 'Stacey Fru dialogue on Child Labour in Africa,' and was hosted by Molly Namirembe.
Molly Namirembe, anchor of the World Against Child Labour 2021 webinar
The following guest speakers passionately talked about eliminating child labour.
The first guest speaker to talk about Child Labour was Faith Manyala.
Faith talked about how we can identify child labour and to take action and take individual pledges to eliminate child labour.
Faith Manyala, guest speaker - World Day Against Child Labour 2021 webinar
The second guest speaker was James Ahamdu.
James Ahamdu, guest speaker and activist
James talked about being a child labourer and an orphan.
James was exposed to exploitation and physical and mental abuse by employers at a very tender age.
James child labouring days came to an end when a stranger asked why he was not in school.
This stranger heard his story and James was referred to a child trafficking organisation where he received support and rehabilitation.
Many thanks to James for sharing a very personal and painful account of his childhood.
I'd like to take this opportunity to wish him a happy, bright and prosperous future, thank you for being a strong and powerful child labour advocate.
The third speaker was Stacey Fru, a celebrated author and activist.
Stacey talked about her book 'Where is Tammy?' and the Stacey Fru Foundation.
Many thanks to the Administration team, Aimee and Molly Namirembe for graciously hosting and supporting the guest speakers.
The webinar was informative, educational and powerful.
As a social entrepreneur, fairtrade campaigner and educator, I am pleased to say that the World Fair Trade Organization supports No Child Labour.
Fair Trade Principle 5 specifically states No Child Labour, No Forced Labour.
The Ten Principles of Fair Trade
Principle 5 - No Child Labour, No Forced Labour
During 2011 I was awarded with the BoldTalks Open Mind Award and met renowned producer and film maker Miki Mistrati who was a guest speaker at BoldTalks Dubai, UAE.
photo here
His film 'The Dark Side of Chocolate' had a deep and powerful impact on me and my late mother.
It was horrifying to see young children sold into slavery, forced and beaten to work in cocoa plantations.
The effect of the film made me question my chocolate purchases and raise awareness for fairtrade chocolate, The Ten Principles of Fair Trade and fairtrade cocoa farmers.
I would highly recommend everyone purchases a copy of The Dark Side of Chocolate and support fair trade companies who are ethically accredited with the fairtrade certified, slavery free and organic.
The Dark Side of Chocolate Trailer courtesy of Miki Mistrati and U Roberto Romano
As a passionate fairtrade chocoholic I visited Bruce Crowther MBE in Garstang during November 2016, for a special Chocolate Masterclass
We produced a delicious batch of bean to bar fairly traded chocolate using cocoa beans grown by Fredrick the Farmer in Ghana.
The cocoa grown by Fredrick in Ghana.
Fredrick is a member of the Kuapa Kukoo Farmers Cooperative Ghana, and it was wonderful feeling knowing he had grown the cocoa for our chocolate.
Interview with Bruce Crowther MBE
Fredrick's fair trade cocoa beans roasted shells intact
Grinding the cocoa beans into a thick chocolate liquor
Refining the cocoa until it was smooth and flowed easily
Measuring the temperature
Fine sugar
Bruce adding and mixing sugar to the chocolate liquor
Bruce measuring cocoa butter
Final produce fair trade chocolate read to eat
Delicious fair trade Fig Tree chocolate
The Fig Tree Chocolate
The Fig Tree Chocolate
Bruce Crowther MBE and me!
Bruce Crowther MBE writing in The Little Fair Trade Shop Guest Book, Garstang, UK - November 2017
Bruce's words of support
''So good to have you back in Garstang Sabeena and have the joy
of making bean to bar chocolate with you.
Now 5 years on we are struggling to continue with The FIG Tree but we are STILL HERE and the chocolate smells good.
Let's continue the struggle together acrosse the globe that sees
1853 Fair Trade Towns in 29 countries.''
Bruce Crowther
Guest book comments
I presented Nadiya Hussain with the chocolate I had produced
with Bruce Crowther MBE
I also presented Jo Malone with fair trade chocolate produced
by Bruce Crowther MBE and me!
It was a tiring morning but well worth it!
I purchased lots of Fig Tree chocolate and shared it with like minded individuals in Dubai.
This year Namaste (a lovely fair trade wholesaler) based in the UK have asked fair trade retailers and campaigners to share a video about Muskaan a former child labourer.
This inspirational, three-minute video highlights the story of Muskaan, a 13-year-old girl and former child laborer, discovered by GoodWeave inspectors while working in a home-based, outsourced apparel supply chain in India.
It was filmed and produced by Will Jack Robinson of The Studio_M.
Source: GoodWeave International and Will Jack Robinson of The Studio_M.
I hope to share photographs of my GoodWeave rug soon.
World Day Against Child Labour 2021 was an opportunity to give visibility to eliminate Child Labour.
Do your part to end child labour.
Share a picture of yourself as a kid with this caption:
“As a kid, I wanted to become __. I’m sharing this photo to support the United Nations Year for the Elimination of Child Labour, because I believe kids should dream now and work later. I challenge @(tag Name 1), @(Name 2), @(Name 3) to do the same. #EndChildLabour2021″
Sabeena with friends at the Old Moat Junior School, Manchester, UK
World Day Against Child Labour
End Child Labour - International Year For The Elimination of Child Labour 2021
The World Fair Trade Organization
This month my right shoulder is still very painful and I have struggled to record this vlog and type this blog.
This month I supported fairtrade fortnight 2024 and celebrated Fairtrade's 30th Anniversary.
Here is my Easy Fairtrade Cocoa and Fairtrade Bananas Recipe which I baked for Fairtrade Fortnight 2024.
I have tried my best to translate this recipe in Urdu.
یہ ہے میری ایزی فیئرٹریڈ کوکو اور فیئر ٹریڈ کیلے کی ترکیب جسے میں نے فیئر ٹریڈ فورٹ نائٹ 2024 کے لیے پکایا تھا۔
میں نے اس ترکیب کا اردو میں ترجمہ کرنے کی پوری کوشش کی ہے۔
This month I supported fairtrade fortnight 2024 and celebrated Fairtrade's 30th Anniversary.
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I'm Sabeena Ahmed owner and creator of The Little Fair Trade Shop. I've been an individual associate member of the World Fair Trade Organization since 2011 and together with my artisans I bring you a bespoke collection of ethically sourced fashion & gifts.
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