| dc.description.abstract | This is a study about the characteristics of chronically poor households and children
engagement in child labour in Tabaka Sub-Location, Gucha District. Specifically, the
study investigates: the characteristics of chronically poor households; whether
chronically poor households engage their children in child labour; and whether child
labour is a viable escape route from chronic poverty in the rural areas which are mostly
affected by this scourge.
The study utilized the asset-based approach as a conceptual framework to analyze its
findings. Assets such as vehicles, bicycles, posho mill, land, chairs, cupboards and tables
among others are used so as to determine the asset ownership levels in the chronically
poor households. Ownership of productive assets implies high productivity while
inability to own such assets implies low assets productivity. The analysis of assets
determines a household's status in terms of the poor and chronically poor households.
Due to lack of productive assets ownership in the chronically poor households, the
household heads opt for other social assets to augment the meagre family incomes.
Quantitative pnmary data collection was obtained through household surveys
administered through face to face interviews to the household heads through structured
questionnaires. However, qualitative data collection was done through in-depth
interviews of the selected key informants and focussed group discussion. Observation
was also used to collect data mainly during the visits to the households when conducting
the household data survey. This was to augment the general household characteristics
given by the respondents. Secondary data was obtained from published books and
journals and the internet. Statistical Programme for Social Science was employed to
analyze the quantitative data while content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data.
The chronically poor households are not a homogeneous group but mainly refer to those
who have stayed for significant period of time in poverty, in our case five years. The
study findings reveal that the characteristics of chronically poor households are
numerous. Most of the chronically poor households: were headed by uneducated
household heads; have as their main occupation informal sector employment; have many
children; suffer from an acute scarcity of household productive assets; have meagre
household income; own very small parcels of land; and lack education. All the
characteristics mean that they sink deeper into chronic poverty.
Given that the chronically poor households exhibit an acute scarcity of productive assets
and an abundance of children, they are left with limited choice but to encourage child
labour in the absence of external interventions on their behalf. They, therefore, encourage
child labour as a means of augmenting the meagre family income. Therefore, chronically
poor households treat their children as assets.
Child labour earnings are meagre. Just like their poor counterparts, child labour income
in chronically poor households only serves to augment meager family income. This is
because child labour income is inadequate to enable chronically poor households
purchase productive assets that increase household income over time. It is, therefore, only
used in the purchase of food items for consumption. It follows therefore that child labour
does not seem to affect the chronically poor households in any specific manner. It is a
tool available to the poor in general, and as such it does not provide a route from poverty.
In line with the study findings, the study makes recommendations to address the issue of
chronic poverty and child labour issues. However, addressing chronic poverty and child
labour is a complex issue requiring multiple responses. The plight of children need to be
addressed through: provision of free and compulsory education at all levels; policies to
increase economic productivity especially in agriculture in order to avoid over-reliance
on rain-fed agriculture; adoption of mechanized agriculture; policies to address
productive assets ownership in the chronically poor households so as to earn income over
time; policies to address economic growth and inclusion of the chronically poor in the
development process. | en |
