In areas where commercial activities are rampant, the possibility for under age children and young people to engage in some types of income generation activities is common.
Mainly in families where the yoke of poverty is the highest and families cannot afford to meet the basic necessities of their children including to put bread on the table, cover education and healthcare services and other similar expenditures, it is normal for many families to send their children to be engaged in income generating activities, make earnings and support themselves and their respective families.
As a result, despite governments’ commitment and efforts to ensure the rights of children they are entitled to and avert the practice of child labor, several children are still in child labor; and child labor remains an unclosed chapter.
Ethiopia, as a country ratified regional and international conventions is working committedly to address the challenges of its young people, protect them from any form of abuse and harmful practices, and secure their safety and wellbeing
Mainly, joining hands with nongovernmental organizations and development partners that are working to address the challenges of the youths, mainly reducing the level of unemployment, the country is striving to secure the benefits of young people in every possible way. In return, the country has taken important steps and achieved considerable outcomes.
However, for the reason that success cannot be achieved overnight, there are still unresolved challenges that sought the concerted hands of all, including nongovernmental organizations, development partners and the public at large to fully realize the rights of children.
As part of this effort, within the framework of the set policy and strategy, a number of nongovernmental organizations and development partners are working to address the challenges joining hands with the government – to satisfy their basic needs, enhance their access to education and healthcare services and to help them to live a better life and achieving their dreams.
Recently, Dilla Polytechnic College in collaboration with Care Ethiopia, Reach The Needy- Ethiopia, (RTN), the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, Ministry of Labor and Skills, graduated teenagers who took short term training in food preparation, beauty and hairdressing and Agro-food processing, mainly focusing on fruits and vegetables.
These trainees, as it was learnt, were once out of school for different reasons and selected from their areas by the organizations to enable them take short term training. And throughout the training time, the organizations have been provided accommodations and meals for the trainees.
Tesfaye Bedecha is a Trainer at Dilla Polytechnic College. According to him, the project was designed to support teenagers who completed their schooling but could not further pursue their ambition, for those dropped out of school at any stage as well as for those who are too far behind academically for various reasons to help them acquire knowledge and skills thereby enable them to generate their own income and bring about positive change in their lives. In view of this, the college has exerted efforts to equip trainees with the needed knowledge and skills because such kind of skill development training can close skill gaps and empower trainees to establish their own small businesses.
According to him, graduates after they return to their respective areas are expected to receive financial support in the form of loan, and workspaces to enable them start their own small businesses and turn their vision to life.
Martha Amene is one of the trainees and the resident of Kochere Woreda Gulolcha Kebele of Gedeo Zone. As she stated, in earlier times, she was leading her life by preparing and supplying ‘Kocho’- an Ethiopian indigenous food made from the scraped leaf sheath fiber and pulverized corm of the Enset plant- to the market.
The training is beneficial in terms of helping trainees to acquire new knowledge and skills that are basic to be engaged in income generating activities.
“I had no idea how to make juices and marmalades from fruits and vegetables. However, after I took the training, I can easily prepare different types of juices and jams with local ingredients such as lemon and sugar.”
She also expressed her gratitude for all actors who arranged the training.
Biruktawit Muluneh is a trainer at Dilla Polytechnic agro-food processing department. Students who dropped out of their education and those who are interested to get short term training in the agro processing sector and food preparation receive the training.
“The training has practically demonstrated that young people, if they are provided with the required support, can develop their entrepreneur skills, start their own business, generate income and contribute to their community and the country meaningfully
Not only that, but the training has also brought about behavioral change among the teenagers. It has boosted their self-confidence and motivated them to be engaged in certain income generating activities. Most importantly, it has created ‘I can engage in productive works’ sentiment within them.”
While responding to questions regarding the opportunities available in the Zone and the challenges they encountered, Biruktawit said that Gedeo Zone is blessed with diverse natural resources; and different types of fruits and vegetables are produced in the Zone. Thus, there are sufficient resources and well-equipped trainers. These can be considered as good opportunities.
With regard to the encounters, any kind of training, aside from having skilled trainers, needs significant capital, and materials that can be used as training inputs to support teenagers to realize their full potential and make the training a success.
“In this regard, because the department is at its infant stage, there are limitations in terms of supplying the desired training inputs. For instance, we do not have food packaging materials; trainees do not have hair nets or hats to keep hair from contacting the food during food preparation. There is also scarcity in equipment and utensils,” she said.
She also stressed the need to make training inputs more accessible to achieve the desired effect and make the training a success.
On the occasion, trainees showcased their works to attendees.
BY ELIZABETH MENGISTU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2023
