Emily Sandall Memorial Grant Program
The International Initiative to End Child Labor’s and the Emily Sandall Memorial Foundation boards of directors and staff are pleased to come together to offer “Emily Grants” to individuals and organizations worldwide whose objective is to end the worst forms of child labor in their community and/or country.
Emily Grants grew out of a former IIECL Youth Mini-Grant program started by IIECL in 2004. Emily Sandall was the first recipient of IIECL’s Youth Mini-Grant, and subsequently received an additional mini-grant award from IIECL. Emily served as a volunteer with IIECL and was being groomed for a position in one of IIECL’s project when she died from a hiking accident. Ending child labor was an issue of passion for Emily. After her untimely death in 2006, IIECL and the Emily Sandall Memorial Foundation joined forces to continue her passion for ending child labor through the work of young people, like Emily, teachers, students and not-for-profit organizations who want to get involved in advocacy to end child labor in their home community, country and around the world.
To date, grants have been awarded to individuals, teachers and not-for-profit organizations in all regions around the world to work toward raising awareness, promoting social entrepreneurship, and providing education and other interventions with the ultimate objective to end child labor. A total of 48 grants have been awarded since the mini-grant program began in 2004.
IIECL is pleased to serve as the agent for the Emily Sandall Foundation for the identification of applicants and distribution of funds to support the Emily Sandall Memorial Grant program. Below is a listing of prior grants awarded from 2004 to 2011.
We wish to thank all those who have submitted applications. We encourage a close review of the application guidelines, noting the funding limit of $500, prior to submission of your applications for future consideration. The mini-grant application process does not require a preliminary approval of the agency/individual and project concept before submitting an application. We encourage all youth, adults working with youth, and NGOs who work on addressing any form of child labor or its prevention and/or elimination to apply.
Following highlights the grantees and projects awarded by year, region and country:
2011 Awards
North and South America
United States—Aryn Calhoun: Hazardous Work Music Video
Aryn is a professional musician—an independent musician who is a songwriter, performer, demo producer and teacher. Through her gift of music and ability to craft songs, she brings light to ideas and reaches people in a unique and dynamic way. The songs she has written and produced into music videos include “The Harvest” and “Childhood Left Behind,” two music videos featured on IIECL‘s website. Music is a unique way to help rally people around an important social justice issue. When combined with a well-crafted video, it allows people to explore visually the impact of the message of what the impact of child labor can have on children‘s lives—seeing the faces of the children directly affected.
Aryn‘s Emily grant will support the production of a third music video to add visuals to her spring 2010 Emily grant where she‘s written a song that focuses on the hazards of child labor to a child‘s health, safety, morals and education. The music video is called “Hazards.” The video will be posted on IIECL‘s newly created Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts and featured on IIECL‘s website. Aryn will also assist IIECL by establishing IIECL on Wikipedia.
Emily‘s Impression: Emily would love this poignant project that Aryn has chosen—combining the power of music and photos to bring attention to this important issue.
Peru—Teen Association of Domestic Workers (Asociación Mujer Famili): Micro-credit for Domestic Girl Workers
The Teen Association of Domestic Workers in the City of Cajamarca, Peru is proposing to implement a project entitled, ―We want change today and tomorrow!‖ The Teen Association of Domestic Workers will be working under the advice and direction of the Women‘s Family Association, a non-governmental organization operating in Cajamarca, Peru. Due to the current conditions of poverty and limited incomes in peri-urban households, girls and adolescents are forced to work in private households, in order to have money to access education. Often, these girls are forced to work 10 to 12 hours a day—a clear violation of Peru‘s laws that state a maximum of six hours of work per day. The only time these children have to study is at night, where they are exhausted after a long day of labor. This results in their not being able to complete their homework resulting in their having to repeat grades and ultimately dropping out of school.
The objective of the Asociación‘s Emily grant project is to empower child domestic workers through the provision of micro-credit to meet their educational expenses and/or assist them in alternative economic activities, such as handicrafts, toys, jewelry, hand-embroidered linen and other non-hazardous income generating activities. A total of 22 child and adolescent, 18 and under, domestic workers will be assisted.
Emily‘s impression: Emily believed strongly in the idea of empowering young girls with new skills and education to improve their lives.
Africa
Ethiopia—Woliso Youth Development Association (WYDA) Kumsa Deme and Abera Taye: Social Entrepreneurship for OVCs in Woliso Town, Ethiopia through Tree Seedling Project
The Woliso Youth Development Association (WYDA) is a cohesive group of 48 young amateur athletes ranging in age from 14 to 16 years with volunteer support from one coach and two mentors and motivational support from one professional athlete. Woliso is a destination point for most rural-urban and urban-urban migrants, including young people. With its trend of urbanization, there are complex pull and push factors behind migration for employment that add to the problems of Other Vulnerable Children (OCVs) in the town. Although extended family systems establish a social protection mechanism for OVCs, about 230 children are currently estimated to be out of such social support. In response to this, a few institutions have recently provided packages of support for some children, however there are about 130 remaining children estimated to be in critical need. For most of them, carrying (transporting) heavy loads is the common activity, along with street trading and shoe polishing at the expense of schooling. For those attending school, low achievements have been common as they spend little time for reading and home work studies. Although public school is free, expenses for uniform and educational kits are too high for a number of children from poor families but especially orphans with weak social supports. The cumulative problems result in school dropouts. For a boy out of school, there is high probability to be trapped in drug addiction (especially chewing ‘Chat’ leaves) during adolescence. For an orphan girl without support, the primary option is domestic service employment in a private household and the secondary option being street trading; both options offer ingredients of gender-based violence and worst forms of child labor.
WYDA plans to use their Emily Grant to improve the livelihood of 50 children (13 to 17) vulnerable children through sustainable social entrepreneurship based on nursery management of 60,000 tree seedlings for use with environmental protection and post harvest labor saving technology services (rental of an adult operated threshing machine), improve self-esteem of 32 orphan children through lifeskills, emotional support, sports therapy and tutorials to applying varying learning styles, and increase awareness on child development for 3,000 people through art shows, testimonies, demonstrated supports and a sports event to occur during the annual World Day Against Child labor in June 2012.
Emily Impression: Emily would love that this project offers both the environmental protection and sustainability with the tree seedlings project and the added self-esteem gained through sports therapy.
Ghana—HOGFE Foundation (HOGFE): Support Cost of Roof for Technical Skill Center for Street Children in Ghana
The HOGFE Foundation is a German non-profit organization that promotes public health purposes, HIV / AIDS preventive education, teenage pregnancy education, youth / adult and vocational education, and development cooperation. HOGFE has made a commitment to build libraries, schools, hospitals, provide books, wells, medical care and other life necessities. Street children are a significant part of the picture in every Ghanaian city. In Accra, according to UNICEF, there are approximately 30,000 street children. Due to economic hardship about 57% of children in Ghana are forced either to work on their own initiative or by pressure from their parents, for their livelihood. They have to drop out of school or cannot attend school at all. The cost to attend school and/or vocational training is such that poor families who can barely provide basic services cannot send their children to any school either a basic school or vocational school. Poverty pushes children towards the street. Families may not be able to provide the money they need to send the children to school, so the children feel the need to go to the streets and try and earn the money they need. Some children are asked by their families to beg during the day to help supplement the family income. The use of drugs, in particular glue, is rife among the street children in Ghana. It is easy to obtain in the markets and surrounding compounds, and is made out of a mix of petrol and jet fuel, which makes for a very potent mix. When asked why they sniff glue, children point out that it suppresses their hunger and takes away the cold in the evenings. It also takes them out of their own reality, a form of escapism from street life.
The objective of HOGFE is to help the most vulnerable children and to enable them to return and to reintegrate into social life and protect them from violence and exploitation. The Technical Skills Centre will give the street children and youth the opportunity for a restart at life away from the street. Many of the street children have been raped and abused by adults. Mistrust and fear of adults are the result. The Technical Skills Centre is aimed at young people between 10 and 25. HOGFE will be using its Emily Grant to support the construction of the roof for the Technical Skill Center for Street Children in Ghana. The diverse programs that the Technical Skills Center offers will give street children a real chance to live away from the street, a school and vocational education, and a future safe job at an appropriate age. At the Technical Skill Center, young people can learn for themselves and others to take responsibility and to manage their own lives. The help offered by the Technical Skill Center can lead to street children fulfilling their vast potential. Street children may be marginalized but many are also ambitious, tough and resilient. They manage to survive in the toughest of environments and they have dreams of getting out of their situation.
Emily Impression: Emily would be so pleased to provide these street children with a safe haven for education and skills training.
Ghana—Lamp for Future Life (LEFL): Community Radio Sensitization on Child Rights and Child Labor
Lamp for Future Life (LEFL) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that began as a vision of a volunteer in August 2009 to advocate for the special needs of marginalized segments of the Ghanaian society, particularly disabled people, women, and children. LEFL serves the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District in the Central Region of Ghana. Their approach is to work with the targeted community enabling them to advocate for themselves and influence policies and laws that affect them. LEFL‘s objective is to enhance their targeted population’s socio-economic development, human rights, and improve their health and educational status to achieve an ability to live independent lives and productively contribute to society. LEFL‘s project will conduct a district-wide sensitizing campaign using community radio to target key social issues, such as child labor and child rights, particularly for disabled children. Community radio personnel will be targeted for capacity building, developing a radio sensitizing program on child labor and child rights, and holding panel-discussions of key experiences on child labor and child rights, including disability rights, with phone in segments.
Emily‘s impression: Emily would strongly support a project where the vulnerable population could advocate for themselves and “have a voice” in their own policies and laws.
Kenya—Deaf Outreach Program (DEAFOP) / Ann Gloria Njoki: Reduce Deaf and Albino Child Exploitation through Promotion of Education
Children with disabilities, such as deafness and albinism, are at high risk of exploitation and abuse. In Kenya, an estimated 200,000 children below age 18 are deaf. These children suffer language barriers, low self-esteem, and lack of access to education. Further, their disability is often associated with witchcraft. Deaf girls become easy targets for rape where often by the time they are of age, many girls will have suffered multiple rapes, STDs and early pregnancies. Like deafness, albinism is not understood and accepted in most African culture. In 2010, cases of albino children disappearances was reported in Kenya and Tanzania, where albinos were trafficked into Tanzania for witchcraft purposes with the belief that their body parts can be used to heal diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, and for other rituals. As a result, fear of being abducted has resulted in albino children dropping out of school and the albino community beginning to organize for protection. The DEAFOP will use their Emily Grant to reduce deal and albino child exploitation through education. The primary objectives of their grant funded project will be to raise awareness among parent and communities on the hazards of child labor (particularly in the domestic sector for girls); educate parents, children and communities on child labor policies/laws in the Kenya; spearhead peer education in schools; and to increase sensitivity and understanding among students, teachers, parents and communities about deafness and albinism. Highlights of the project will be the forming of Human Rights Clubs in schools to promote peer education using a child to child approach, building the capacity of an albinism organization, and education and training with the parents of deaf and albinism children.
Emily Impression: Emily would absolutely want to work for access to education and protection of human rights for these vulnerable children.
Kenya—Hequeendo Compassionate Friends Community: Beehive Income Generation
The Hequeendo Friends is a community-based organization that started in 2006 in Kenya‘s Western Province in the Bungoma East District. Their mission is to transform the lives of needy children, give hope to the hopeless, and support and care for the orphans/vulnerable children and people living with HIV in their community. Since its inception, Hequeendo has undertaken projects providing care and support to 115 orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC). These children attend both high school and other primary school levels. Further, Hequeendo provides home-based care to 158 people living with HIV through their PLWHIV (People Living with HIV) program.
Hequeendo‘s Emily grant will be implementing OVC advocacy promoting children‘s rights and income generation to assist with the care and support for orphans, abandoned, street and other poor children. Hequeendo will be implementing a project of train the OVCs in beekeeping. Honey will be harvested and sold three times per year. The income generated from the beekeeping project will be used to support nutrition, medicine and costs associated with attending school. A total of 12 beehives will be purchased, two smokers, protective clothing. IIECL will provide to Hequeendo a beekeeping literacy curriculum that it can use for training with illiterate adults within the community and support education for the children and youth.
Emily‘s impression: Emily would have wanted to be a part of this sustainable beekeeping project to give these children a brighter future.
Tanzania—Mara Widows Development Group: Combating Child Labor in the Gold Mines of Tanzania through a Micro-loan Project
Mara Widows Development Group is a women-led community-based organization dedicated to work for and with underserved children and women. Most children around the mining areas are between the age of 5 and 12 and are engaged in hazardous work due to the prevalence of poverty in the rural communities. With limited knowledge on child development and survival, most parents and families force their children to engage in worst forms of work to supplement household incomes for survival.
Mara Widows plan is to use their Emily Grant to remove children from worst forms of child labor by creating awareness and providing parents / caregivers of children with small business skills training and revolving loans. The micro-loans for small business development will serve as an alternative support to increase household incomes to sustain care and education for the children. By providing knowledge and financial support to parents and families, children will be able to access education and health care. Parents / caregivers will be provided training on small business development and provided a revolving loan that will be repaid within six months.
Emily Impression: Emily would love that this project offers microloans and training to the families as a means of sustainability and that allows them the ability to afford education for their children.
Tanzania—Christian Youth Network: Combating Hazardous Child Labor in Tobacco Farming
The Christian Youth Network (CYN) is a faith-based, youth-led, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization formed in 2004 by young people and registered in 2008. CYN is headquartered in the Tabor Region in western Tanzania. The mission is to be a catalyst of positive change spiritually, physically and economically for youth; bring youth groups together; work with youth committed to fight against poverty, spread of HIV/AIDS and drug abuse; and promote general youth ethics irrespective of race, ethnicity, sex or age. CYN‘s project will focus on children working in tobacco in the Urambo District. Children often work 12 hour days with only 30 to 60 minutes of rest, no protective equipment, clothing or worker safety training. They are exposed to toxic pesticides, carrying heavy loads, exposed to tobacco sickness from the nicotine, and repetitive motion, including bending and kneeling. Of particular risk are HIV/AIDS orphans. The average pay for these children can be as low as $12 per month.
With the support of the Emily grant, the CYN will train 50 Village Child Labor Committees, organize a public campaign and activities in observance of the World Day Against Child Labor in June 2011, provide counseling and alternative vocational skills training for youth, and referral of younger children to regular schools. CYN estimates that 300 children will be withdrawn from hazardous child labor and re-integrated into education. Further, that public awareness regarding child labor will be raised with 50,000 people in the Urambo District of Tanzania.
Emily‘s impression: Emily would smile so broadly that 300 children were given the chance for education and not child labor.
Uganda—Social Enterprise Africa CIC and Chrysalis Limited: Chickens for Change for Quarry Workers
Social Enterprise Africa CIC is a not-for-profit, Community Interest Company (CIC), registered in Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK). It is focused on awareness-raising and proactical implementation of social enterprise and social entrepreneurship in Africa. Operating as a CIC, it allows people to setup businesses specifically for a social purpose (in a community) and trade to achieve that purpose. SEA achieves its aim through 1) agricultural development, 2) consulting with NGOs and capacity-building to support the sustainability of those organizations interested in developing social businesses or youth micro-enterprises, and 3) the implementation of specific projects that support the development of social enterprise in Africa. SEC is closely linked with Chrysalis Limited, a school which it helped to found that works to empower gifted and talented Ugandan youth as young social entrepreneurs to become change makers. SEC partners with the Boy‘s Brigade in the UK. SEA is proposing to work with children working in hazardous work in the stone quarries in Kireka within the Acholi Quarter. The Acholi Quarter is a small hill where Ugandans from the Acholi tribe (roughly 3,500 households) were encouraged to relocate during the war in Northern Uganda. While land was allocated, no other facilities—water, sanitation, housing—was provided. Nearby is Kinawataka, known as the ―dust bowl‖ of Kampala, as the factories and lorries have decimated the vegetation leaving red dust subject to the blowing winds. Despite the end of war, there are very limited, meaningful work opportunities for the families living in the area. Many adults and children are forced to work in the stone quarries. If too injured or unable to work with stone, scavenging through garbage is another area where children can be found in labor. Prostitution is also rife in the area, as teenage girls are sometimes pressed into this work. Other inhuman activities also occur in the Quarter, such as child sacrifices by witchdoctors and the selling of children into slavery abroad. No work offers sufficient funds to pay for the costs of school for the children.
To address these challenges and with the support of the Emily grant, the SEC is proposing to setup two sustainable small business ventures: 1) Chickens for Change – a chick rearing project, which will grow to include incubation, egg sales and broiler sales; and 2) Liquid Soap Production – the production and sale of soap for families, factories and the school. Training will be provided on how to be an effective young entrepreneur at the Chrysalis Center, which works with gifted and talented children from the Acholi Quarter and has some young entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs amongst its members. With the chick rearing project, SEC will be working closed with Katende Harambe, a specialist training facility for small farmers, where best practices are taught. Training will include awareness-raising of children‘s rights and ‗money integrity. ‘The SEA is proposing a long-term sustainable approach, growing over time, starting initially with 4 to 6 members, aged 11 to 14, participating in both businesses. To participate as an entrepreneur, this will require the youth to forego working in the quarry.
Emily‘s impression: Emily would be so excited that these child laborers are given a “second chance” by learning sustainable skills and business opportunities.