By Jainaba Sonko
Child Protection Alliance (CPA) has condemned child labour in the strongest possible terms.
In a recent interview with Lamin K Saidy an official at CPA, he said child labour refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially and morally dangerous to children and interferes in their education and development. He said child labor has different forms such as involving children in petty trading, street begging among others.
“Once people are poor they use their children to make ends meet” Mr Saidy said.
According to him poverty is the main cause of child labor but was quick to add that over population and parental negligence are also contributing factors to child labour. The CPA official called on parents to educate their children in order to break the cycle of poverty and prevent child labor.
Mr. Saidy stressed that there are laws in place to punish people who subject children to child labour. He stated that many a time some people try to connect child labour to religious beliefs. Mr saidy called on the security of The Gambia to enforce the child labour laws.
He said the laws are there and they need to be enforced, “The courts will never arrest anyone,’’ he said. Mr. saidy pointed out that The Gambia is a signatory to the UN convention on the rights of the child which prohibits child labour.
