The Fi We Children Foundation (FWCF) is calling for urgent national action to address the growing number of children being pushed into labour and away from classrooms in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
Seven months after the devastating Category 5 hurricane tore through Jamaica, FWCF says many vulnerable children are now facing a worsening crisis marked by learning loss, economic hardship and increased exposure to child labour.
The organization expressed concern over what it said are reports of young boys and girls engaging in menial labour including construction work, factory work and street vending as families continue struggling to recover economically from the disaster.
FWCF highlighted that while many may view children helping to support their families as understandable during difficult times, this reality must never become normalised.
The foundation noted Jamaica’s obligations under International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on the Minimum Age of Employment and the Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour both ratified in 2003.
It also noted Jamaica’s role as an ILO Pathfinder Country committed to eliminating child labour under Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7.
Meantime, FWCF further urged policymakers, educational stakeholders and social protection agencies to intensify efforts to identify and reintegrate children who remain outside the formal education system following the hurricane.
It referenced recent reports indicating that hundreds of students remain absent from school months after the disaster, stressing that the issue requires a coordinated national recovery strategy focused on education access, psychosocial support, family assistance and child protection interventions.
The organisation is also encouraging stronger collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations, schools and community leaders to ensure vulnerable children are protected and supported during Jamaica’s ongoing recovery process.
