Hope Amidst Hardship and Child Labour: Diale’s Story

Diale*, a 15-year-old boy, lives in a rural village in Teso North, Busia, Kenya. He resides with his mother, as his father is absent from their lives and unknown to Diale. His mother struggles to support the family with casual jobs like planting and weeding farms, earning just about 1.07 euros per day. This small amount barely covers their basic needs, leaving little for any other expenses.  Adding to their struggles, Diale’s sister had to stop going to school when she was in Class 7 due to financial problems. She now lives in Nairobi, doing casual work, and can only visit them once a year. Sadly, it’s hard for her to send financial support home, given the harsh reality of city life.

Life at home

In 2013, when Diale was 4 years old, the family had to move from their original home because of conflicts caused by their father’s polygamous family. Their relatives sold their land and they had to start over in a new village.

Currently, Diale’s family has two houses. His mother lives in the main house, which is a simple mud-walled structure with grass roofing. Diale sleeps in another house nearby. They cook their meals outside using stones as stoves, but Diale plans to build a temporary kitchen to make their meal preparation easier. They have a simple outdoor toilet. There’s no playground nearby, but Diale and his friends play football at a nearby school. They get their water from a stream for cooking and drinking. They have solar lights for electricity, but sometimes it goes off if they can’t pay for it. They also have a small farm where they grow cassava and bananas. Fortunately, the security situation in their area is favourable.

Daily Struggles

Growing up, Diale often had very little to eat each day, sometimes only managing to have one meal, if any food is available at all. His diet mainly includes cassava, ugali, or greens, but these foods don’t provide all the nutrients he needs to grow and stay healthy. There are times when he endures prolonged hunger, going days without eating food. When things get really tough, he sometimes drinks hot water to ease his hunger pains. Sadly, due to his mother’s financial constraints, she can’t afford basic medical care when he’s sick.

Education Against Odds

Diale, currently in Form 2, faced numerous obstacles to reach this point in his education journey. Despite scoring 223 marks (unsatisfactory performance) in his KCPE exams, completing primary school was not without its challenges. He would be sent home due to lack of school fees. He managed to successfully transition to high school, which is located approximately 2 km from his home. Unfortunately, the financial burden of school fees continued to affect him. There have been occasions when he has been forced to remain home for weeks at a time. The constant fear of being unable to afford school fees weighs heavily on Diale´s mind, making it difficult for him to focus and concentrate on his studies while in school. In an effort to reduce the financial strain on his mother, Diale assisted her with farm work, mostly weeding. They would be paid an average of 1.43 euros per day, which was used to buy food and, when possible, pay for school fees. 

A Child Labourer

In Teso North, It´s common for young boys like Diale often find themselves caught in the cycle of cheap labour to support their families. Diale began harvesting sand at just 7 years old, earning meagre wages of 0.35 euros for a 20-litre jerrican, which he would use to buy essentials such as maize flour and soup. He would harvest sand alongside other young boys, next to the river that separates Kenya from Uganda. He endured heavy workload that took a toll on his health physically. The payment for his labour was inconsistent, and sometimes he would be left empty-handed after putting in hard work. 

¨Harvesting and carrying sand is hard and heavy. I have done this work for long. My body and muscle feel so much pain and it’s hard to do anything else afterwards. At home, Mum is struggling and is very sad. When I see her, I become sad too.” He recalled. 

Engaging in child labour exposed Diale to risks. Men from Uganda would often come to smoke drugs by the river, posing a danger to anyone they encountered. One day, (the child does not remember the exact date due to intoxication exhausted from work), Diale was forced to smoke bhang by these men, fearing for his safety if he refused to do what they said.

Intervention and Support

Diale’s life took a positive turn when he met the ICS mentor, who was part of the AACL project, while he was engaged in harvesting sand in June 2023. Accompanied by the assistant chief, the mentor approached Diale and initiated a conversation about the importance of prioritising education over hazardous child labour.

In response, Diale openly shared the challenges he faced, expressing the financial strain his mother endured and the difficulty of remaining home looking for income exposed to risks and without going to school. Recognising the urgency of Diale’s situation, in August 2023, the mentor facilitated the necessary documentation at the Directorate of Children’s Services, ensuring that Diale’s circumstances were officially recorded and addressed. His rescue was made possible through a coordinated effort involving the Directorate of Children Services. Thereafter, a comprehensive case conference was conducted in September 2023 to thoroughly evaluate his needs and identify areas where support is required.

Aspirations and Dreams

As a result of the Action Against Child Labour project intervention, a project implemented by Terre des Hommes Netherlands and Investing in Children and their Societies (ICS SP), Diale has been reintegrated into secondary school. Essential scholastic materials, including 12 exercise books, 5 pens, 5 pencils and 5 erasers, have been supplied to him to enable him to pursue his academic goals.

Plans are underway to support Diale with necessary school essentials such as shoes, uniforms, and a bag, scheduled to be provided in May 2024. Additionally, Diale will benefit from participating in group therapy sessions, scheduled for this month, to offer him emotional support and guidance. 

Positive change

Diale’s progress is evident as he actively engages in his studies, utilising the scholastic materials provided by the project to help with his learning. His focus on school is increasing.

During the weekdays, Diale starts his day at 4 or 5 am by bathing, and cleaning the compound before walking two kilometres to school. After studying and playing with classmates in school, he returns home around 5 or 6 pm. In the evening, he spends an hour reading, has dinner cooked by his mother, washes the dishes, and goes to bed around 8 pm. In his free time, he likes to play football with his friends and enjoys making paper decorations and building things. 

Diale heeds his mentor and mother´s advice to prioritise his education and stop harvesting sand. He distances himself from friends who may lead him astray. 

However, the persistent challenge of paying school fees remains a concern for Diale and his mother. They fear that this will expose him to the risk of returning to harmful child labour work like sand harvesting.

Ongoing Monitoring

Diale continues to receive ongoing support and monitoring from the Directorate of Children Services, ensuring his well-being and progress are consistently monitored. Every two months, representatives from the office visit Diale at home to assess his academic and personal development.

Additionally, the mentor assigned to Diale’s case regularly reports to the DCS office on a monthly basis, sharing updates on Diale’s progress and any challenges he may be facing.  Diale’s school, which admitted him following his rescue from sand harvesting, is actively involved in monitoring his behaviour and academic performance. 

Hope for the Future

I am happy I’m back in school and the materials given to me have helped me keep learning,” Diale stated. “I feel that now I can work harder. Life will be easier.”

Expressing gratitude for the assistance he received, Diale explained, “I am grateful for the support given to me. I can now focus and concentrate in school. Finishing school will be the best solution for my family. I would like to see change and help my mother.” 

Looking ahead to the future, he concluded, “In the future, I want to be a police officer and promote peace within my family and community.”

Moment of…. Story

¨I have loved making paper decorations ever since I was 10 years old. I want to make our house look beautiful, said Diale*, a 15-year-old boy, living in a rural village in Teso North, Busia, Kenya.

¨I have created nice paper decorations for my neighbours. It’s one of my hobbies that I enjoy the most. It helps me improve on my talents. I know it will help me in future.¨ 

¨I also made a small semi-permanent hut for myself. I live there now. It’s made of mud walls and a thatched grass roof. It took me three weeks to finish it on my own. And that is not all. I started building a small kitchen for my mother. It is made of nails and big wood. I wanted to make it easy for her to cook. She no longer has to worry about cooking outside on the stones. I plan to finish the small kitchen soon. I am sure she will be happy to see it.¨

¨I always feel happy to create and build my own things and improve on my talent.¨

Diale is talented in craftsmanship. This skill helps him cope with the challenges he experiences at home. He can focus on creating things and he gets extremely excited when he sees his brilliant ideas come to life. 

Through the Action Against Child Labour Project, a project implemented by Terre des Hommes Netherlands and Investing in Children and their Societies (ICS SP), Diale was identified, taken back to school, and received essential school supplies, which enabled him to continue learning. 

*Name changed to protect the identity of the project participant