Joshua: “I want to finish school and help my parents and siblings. I hope to go far and be successful.¨ 

Childhood Struggles

Joshua*, a 16-year-old boy, resides in a village in Teso-North with his parents, four brothers, and one sister.  Life in their household is challenging; his mother does gardening, while his father, is a cow herder, earning a meagre income of about 7.2 Euros every six months. This amount barely covers the family’s basic needs, including school fees and meals. 

Despite his desire to learn, Joshua often missed school due to unpaid fees. These financial constraints extends to their meals; they usually take only two meals a day, typically comprising tea in the morning and dinner, often consisting of ugali and greens, when available. This daily struggle weighs heavily on Joshua and his family, as they navigate the challenges of poverty in their village.

Life at home

Joshua’s family resides on a quarter-acre plot of land, where two houses stand with dilapidated walls and iron sheet roofs. One of these houses serves as their multipurpose living space, functioning as a sitting room, bedroom, and storage area. Here, Joshua, his mother, father, sister, and her three children sleep, with Joshua sleeping on a small sack as a makeshift bed and using a thin sheet to cover himself due to the absence of a blanket. 

His other brothers sleep in the second house. Their kitchen and toilet are located outside, while a small structure houses their chickens. The limited outdoor space is inadequate for play, so the children often venture to a nearby field across the road to play football. 

The family relies on solar power for electricity and fetches water from a nearby borehole, free of charge, for household use. However, they must pay for drinking water from a well located a short distance from their home. They sustain themselves by growing bananas, sweet potatoes, and maize on a small farm behind their house.

Academics

Joshua’s academic journey has been challenging. Struggling in kindergarten and early grades, he gradually improved his performance, showing improvement from Grade 2 onwards. Despite changing primary schools three times, he completed his Class 8 exams with a respectable score of 335 marks (satisfactory performance) and maintained an average of B in his Form 1 high school exams. Currently, in Form 2, he continues to excel academically despite the hardships at home.

At school, he is doing his best, especially with maths lessons from his father. However, his mother’s occasional alcohol consumption and outbursts disrupt his focus on his studies, affecting him deeply. 

A Life Defined by Labour

In Teso North, child labour is unfortunately common, with many children forced to work to support their families and pay for basic needs like school fees and meals. This practice places immense pressure on them, resulting in missed school days, poor academic performance, and deteriorating health due to the strenuous workload.

From the age of 12, Joshua found himself immersed in this cycle of child labour. He took on tasks like fetching water for neighbours and making bricks. He would work during the weekends, leaving little time for rest or recreational activities. He did this for 4 years on and off.

Joshua was often chased home due to unpaid school fees. The longest he has stayed home is 5 weeks. Fortunately, a compassionate neighbour, a teacher, stepped in to assist him by allowing him to fetch water in exchange for school supplies such as books and ring papers. The neighbour would occassionally support him to pay his school fees.

To support his family, he would plant maize and weed farms, earning a modest income of about 1.43 euros per day, used to buy food for the family. Additionally, he would also fetch firewood, and climb and cut trees in a distant place from home. He has never been harmed. However, at times, some people would steal some of the wood he cuts and even chase him away.

“I am not happy. It bothers my mind. Work is a lot. I get worried.¨He recalled.

At one point, a friend approached Joshua with a tempting proposition—to go to Kisumu for work and earnings. Supposedly, Kisumu offered opportunities for boys to work as herdsmen or watchmen. On the planned day of departure, Joshua found himself delayed while fetching firewood. As a result, his friend departed without him, sparing Joshua from an uncertain exploitative situation.

Identified and Supported

In January 2023, Joshua was identified when an ICS SP mentor and child protection volunteer at the Teso North sub-county children’s office, noticed him being chased from school during his first year of high school. Concerned for Joshua’s well-being, the mentor brought the matter to the attention of the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) for documentation and intervention. During interviews with authorities, Joshua shared the challenges he and his family faced, shedding light on the reasons behind his absence from school despite his desire to learn and succeed like his peers.

The Action Against Child Labour Project implemented by Investing in Children and their Societies in collaboration with Terre des Hommes Netherlands, is actively addressing child labour issues within the service industry in Kenya’s Matayos and Teso North Sub-Counties, Busia County. 

As part of this effort, Joshua’s case was swiftly addressed upon his identification, with documentation submitted to the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) in Teso North. Following case conferencing to assess his needs, Joshua received essential scholastic materials, including 12 exercise books, 5 pens, 5 pencils, and 5 erasers. 

Additionally, the project will cover his school fees for Forms 3 and 4, totalling 86 euros, and intends to link him with bursary schemes to settle any outstanding fee balances. Furthermore, support for school uniforms, shoes, socks, and trousers is planned, along with his participation in a group therapy session scheduled for April this year.

A Brighter Tomorrow

Joshua’s academic performance has seen a significant improvement since receiving scholastic materials, aiding his studies in Form 2. His family is proud that he is performing well in school.  Previously, he was forced to stay home to look for income, but now he can stay in school and catch up with his lessons. His confidence has also improved. He does not get easily discouraged by people who compare him to other children. He is hardworking, resilient, and focused on school work and studies despite the persistent challenges. Amidst his academic pursuits, Joshua has found joy in recreational activities. “I liked to play football with my friends.” He shared.

Daily routine

On school days, Joshua wakes up at 4:00 am to prepare for classes, returning home by 5:00 pm to study, eat, and rest. On non-school days, he begins his day at the same early hour, studying until sunrise before attending to chores at home like sweeping the compound, fetching water, and gathering firewood.

Joshua continues to receive ongoing support and monitoring from the project team when school closes, once in three months. His mentor remains actively involved, regularly checking on his progress through phone calls and in-person visits. Living nearby, the mentor ensures Joshua’s well-being and assists him whenever needed.

Ambitions

Reflecting on his past struggles, Joshua stated “I used to stay at home and not want to leave because I didn’t want my friends to see me. Now I could leave home and be more confident as I go to school.” Expressing his joy and gratitude for the opportunity to attend school Joshua remarked, “I am happy that now my dream of going to school and staying in school is becoming a reality.” 

Looking toward the future, Joshua articulated his ambitions, stating, “I want to finish school and help my parents and siblings. I hope to go far and be successful. “In future, I want to be the best in school and become a flying doctor.”

*Name changed to protect the identity of the project participant.