Factors Contributing To The Increase Of Child Labour In Tanzania: A Case Of Dodoma Municipality

ABSTRACT

This study, on factors contributing to the increase of child labour in Tanzania, was

conducted in order to fulfill three objectives. These were; to identify factors that led

to the growth of child labour in Dodoma urban, to establish the activities performed

by children engaged in child labour and to establish challenges facing children to

engage in child labour. The study was conducted in Dodoma Municipality, by

considering it as a proxy of other cities/towns in the country, which faced this

problem. Due to that, the study employed a descriptive survey design. Data for the

study were collected from children who were engaged in a child labour, their

parents/guardians and from some government officials. Interviewer, administered

questionnaire for children and face to face interviews for parents/guardians and

officials, who were employed in the course of data collection. The study has found

out that, the main factors which made children to engage in child labour in Dodoma

municipality were poverty, death of parents, divorce of parents, poor understanding

of child rights and poor implementation of child laws. On the other hand, the main

activities which the children found to be engaged in, were working in the market

place, collecting and selling scrap, engaging in domestic work and toiling in small

factories. The study recommended that, the Government needs to compose, subscribe

to and educate the society about the body of ethical principles against child labour. It

was also, recommended that, the Government of Tanzania, should sensitize the

general public from the grassroots level, about the laws and policies on child labour.

Finally, the current move by some NGOs and a few individuals of establishing and

managing centers for orphans and other vulnerable children was commended and

encouraged for scaling up in order to expand the capacity to help those in poor

conditions.