Anne: Children sell food on streets to help guardians

SOME children are selling food on the streets in Lami to help their guardians after they were laid off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This, according to the Ministry of Social Welfare, Children and Poverty Alleviation Child Welfare Act national database released during an awareness forum on the worst form of child labour at Qauia settlement in Lami this week.

Speaking at the forum, senior social welfare officer Sarote Anne said cases of child labour recorded in Lami last year were COVID-19 related as children were assisting their guardians in selling food because they were jobless.

She said only three cases of child labour was reported last year.

However, Ms Anne said they suspected that there were many other unreported cases within the area.

Save the Children Fiji CEO Shairana Ali said child labour involved children being exploited through any form of work that deprived children of their rights, and forces them into situations that could take away childhood.

“The COVID-19 health pandemic and the resulting economic and labour market shock is having a huge impact on people’s lives and livelihood in Fiji,” she said.

“Unfortunately, children are often the first to suffer.”

She said in 2011, the employment ministry recorded more than 200 child labour cases through its labour standard service.

She said they were also concerned about the cases of child labour as a result of human trafficking in Fiji.