As Özne Çocuk Project, we persistently strive to raise awareness about the adverse effects of child labour in Türkiye. Accordingly, we held the second children gathering event of our project on 23 June 2023 in Polatlı/Ankara. During the event held with the participation of children from the Sarıoba Seasonal Agricultural Worker Settlement, agricultural workers, and representatives from public institutions and organizations, we made sure that both children and attendees had a delightful day filled with theatre performances, children’s workshops, as well as informative sessions and engaging activities for adults.
Child Labour in Türkiye
The prevention and eradication of child labour in all sectors have been a longstanding national goal in Türkiye. According to TURKSTAT 2019 data, 45.5% of economically active children in the 5-17 age group work in the service sector, 30.8% in agriculture and 23.7% in industry. Based on TURKSTAT’s 2019 data, the service sector stands as the industry with the highest incidence of child labour. Children working in the industrial sector make up 24% of economically active children.
Consequently, as part of our project’s awareness-raising activities, we are hosting gatherings for children. We held the first of our events last year in Çanakkale with the participation of over 1300 children. Click for detailed information on our first event.
In the Playgrounds, Not in the Fields!
This year, following the path set by our motto “Children Belong in Playgrounds, Not in the Fields”, our primary focus remained on creating a joyous day for the children. We prepared an enjoyable program by cooperating with Pikolo Association, which has long been focusing on seasonal agricultural worker children.
Opening Speech
Our event started with the speech of Hayriye Özkaldı, Head of Department at the General Directorate of Labour, on behalf of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the beneficiary institution of the project. Ms. Özkaldı emphasized the significance of preventing child labour and highlighted the initiatives undertaken in this domain.
Children Embarked on an Adventure with Elsa and the Bear!
After the speech, the children took their seats for the theatre show. They had a delightful time with Elsa and the Bear, enjoying an hour of entertainment.
After the show, the children had a delightful day in the festival area, where various activities like painting workshops, hygiene workshops, face painting, balloon shows, and Karagöz-Hacivat performances took place.
Let’s take a look at some snapshots from our workshops together!
We Discussed the Adverse Effects of Child Labour in our Stakeholder and Family Sessions.
As the children were having fun in the festival area, we also had the opportunity to meet with representatives of public institutions and families of seasonal agricultural workers. In the informative sessions we held, we talked about child labour, its negative effects on children’s health and the needs of children.
Our Gifts Brought Joy to the Children
We provided the children who participated in the event with cloth drawstring backpacks filled with t-shirts, hats, school notebooks, and colouring pencils. When selecting our promotional materials, we made sure to choose durable items that children can use in their everyday lives.
We look forward to our next meeting with the children!
