Scope, Practices and Impact of Child Cattle Herding in Chadiza District, Eastern Province

Background:
Plan Norway is working supporting Plan Zambia broad program on Child Survival. The program is broadly addressing issues related to survival of children especially during the early years of their life and development. However, it must be noted that there is interrelatedness of the children’s right to life, survival and development to realization and the fulfillment of rights of other groups who are directly connected to the children during these early stages of life, for example girls and women. The program therefore also covers issues affecting adolescent girls, young boys and women in reproductive age, especially with respect to their sexual and reproductive health rights as well as their right to adequate standard of living e.g. increased access to water, sanitation and improved hygiene practices and access to financial services.

The cattle herding evaluation was undertaken within the broad context of understanding how poverty and other social cultural factors perpetuate denial of children’s right to development. In this case, in the Plan program area of Chadiza in the eastern province of Zambia where this study was conducted is one example of some of the harsh conditions that children from rural poor households, are exposed to even from an age as early as 6/8. According to this study, the conditions experienced by the child cattle herders are hazardous and detrimental to the children’s right to growth and development and multiple vulnerabilities to protection from e.g. exploitation and disease. The relevant project objective in this Child Survival intervention that concerns this study relates to the promoting opportunities for growth and development of children in early stages of life, through good child care and development practices. This evaluation, therefore, looks at the economic and social cultural environment within which the cattle herding practice is perpetuated. It also looks at the level of awareness and application of relevant laws to protect children from exploitative effects of this practice to ensure realization of children’s right to development.

Key findings:
1. The evaluation found a strong correlation between family size and majority of children involved in the cattle herding practice. I.e. larger and poorest households are more likely to send their children into cattle herding jobs as early as possible as a survival strategy for supplementing household income and as a step towards future ownership of cattle.
2. Contrary to the Republic of Zambia employment legislation, children in this study start cattle herding at a very early age. The study reports that over 74% started working as cattle herders before they are 13 and over 25% could not recall when they started doing this job, showing that they were involved in the practice at a very young age.
3. It was observed in this study that children who ever do cattle herding started school at a latter age than is normal. This is because culturally where the child cattle herding is practiced, there is an understanding that it is good for the child to do a few years of cattle herding before they start school. It is also observed that 50 % of all the child cattle herders in this study have ever attended school.
4. While as poverty is the driving force for forcing children into cattle herding, the study observed that the deeply entrenched cultural values where cattle is considered a useful status symbol in communities also contribute significantly to perpetuation of this practice. Cattle are used for compensation in case of disputes and it is also used as a settlement means for acquiring a bride. The study notes that no consent was sought in the majority of the children employed as cattle herders as in almost all of the cases, parents / guardians decided for their children without any consultation of the child to get his/her views.
5. In 30% of child cattle herder cases, children were employed without any contracts. Fifty percent of those children who indicated that they had some form of contract mentioned the contracts were verbal. Work hours are often long (10-12 hours) and no leave (holiday) is given consistently over long period of time e.g. 3-4 years causing total isolation and occupational health risk for children during critical years of their development. In most cases wages are exploitative i.e. made in kind, in form of cattle at end of contract or paid meagre wages of about USD3-5 per month. Thus the child cattle herders face not only harsh physical conditions but they are also economically exploited and yet the effects of this practice remain invisible. Thus the child cattle herders face not only harsh physical conditions but they are also economically exploited.

Recommendations:
1. There is need for sustained awareness-raising on the negative impact of child cattle herding and mobilisation of the community on the value and need for a school education for the children of both sexes in order to prevent and eliminate child labour. The sensitization programmes must be conducted within a multi-partner strategy and should be targeted at all stakeholders in the community including employers, parents (especially fathers), and village headmen; the chiefs, religious leaders as well as civil society. 
2. Government and other developmental agencies should embark on programmes that focus on the empowerment of households through income generating activities and social support systems such as cash transfer schemes. This is because household poverty is a major root cause of child labour.
3. Owing to the hazardous nature of the conditions under which children herding cattle work, there is urgent need for programmes that will help in withdrawing, rehabilitating and integrating child cattle herders into society. These programmes must be combined with a deliberate programme of enrolling these children in schools coupled with sponsorship. 
4. There is a need to create Child Labour Committees (these were approved earlier in 2008 by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security) at District and community level to mitigate, prevent and control child labour. The committees should consist of all the stakeholders including government law enforcement agencies, line ministries, relevant NGOs, community leaders, the church, etc.
5. There is need to amend both the Employment of Children and Young Persons Act and the Employment Act to criminalize the use of child labour in subsistence agriculture in general and cattle herding in particular. Currently, these pieces of legislation only cover child labour in commercial agriculture.
6. There is need to develop an advocacy programme to promote child rights, fight cattle herding and education targeting children, parents, guardians, traditional elders, traditional leaders and the community at large. 

Methodology:

The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods for collection of data. Semi Structured interviews, focus group discussions, observation as well as interviewing of adults and key informants and children 18 years and below were particularly targeted. The evaluation team points out that it was not easy to engage the children involved in cattle herding during their errands as they often run away from the interview teams. The research was conducted in the eastern province district of Chadiza in the Naviruli, Chilenga and Mangwe wards. 

Comments from the organisation, if any:
1. The reported youngest start age for cattle age is very low i.e. 3 years. It could be a combination of factors that might have led to this conclusion e.g. not able to recall age or perhaps such young boys may accompany older boys if there is no other person to take care of them at home e.g. if parents go for other chores etc. However, it is understood from this study that it is not uncommon to see very young boys herding cattle even though 3 years can indeed be surprising age.
2. While the report reports on the statutory marriage age as 21, it has been observed that traditionally (especially at village level) such laws are either unknown and are rarely observed leading to many young girls married off upon reaching puberty. Thus customary law usually takes precedence over the written statute in this case.
3. The findings in the cattle herding practice is a clear demonstration of violation of Article 32 (i) of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) which states that State Parties should recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.