Child Labor in the Rural Setting: the Case of Employed Child Cattle Keepers (the Qenja) in Andabet Woreda, South Gondar Zone

Abstract

    Cattle keeping duties are the most frequent task of children in rural Ethiopia. At worst, there are many children who are trafficked within and outside country borders for forced herding activities. This study explored child labor in a rural setting among employed child cattle keepers (in Amharic it refers to the Qenja) in Andabet Woreda focusing on perspectives of the Qenja towards the work, their tasks, and challenges they experienced. This study employed a qualitative approach and a case study design. Study participants were selected through purposive sampling technique. Ten Qenjas participated in in-depth interview participants, and eleven key informant interviews were undertaken from the Woreda women, children and youth experts, the community elders, the school principals, and adults who have earlier experience on the phenomena. The data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that children are engaged in the work due to economic hardship, divorce, death of their parents and parental pressures. Mainly, the Lack of food, clothing, and the desire to assist their parents were reasons for their engagement as cattle keepers. However, they were judged as their work was not worthy for themself and their parents, and they alleged as they didn’t want to continue as Qenja for the future. The Qenja were busy all the days in a week. Though they contracted for herding, they are also engaged in other parallel activities, such as agricultural and domestic tasks. The Qenja experienced health hazards and risks, nutritional problems, psychological problems, social problems, educational problems, sexual harassment, forced migration, poor payment and wage cut, extreme weather conditions, punishment, work burden, deception, low parental supervision, and debt. So, the child protection mechanisms are needed to be designed to assure the wellbeing of the Qenja.

Key Words: Child labor, Rural setting, Employed child Cattle keeper, Tasks, Perspectives, Challenges, Andabet Woreda