STORY: Zambia calls for collaborative efforts to fight child labor
DATELINE: June 15, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:43
LOCATION: Lusaka
CATEGORY: POLITICS/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various shots of the World Day Against Child Labor commemoration
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): COLLINS NZOVU, Zambia's acting minister of labor and social services
3. various of the poem performance by the pupils
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): COLLINS NZOVU, Zambia's acting minister of labor and social services
5. various of Kennedy Njamba
6. various of children
7. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): KENNEDY NJAMBA, Vice president of Zambia Federation of Employers
8. various of children in attendance

STORYLINE:

Zambia on Monday joined the rest of the world in commemorating this year's World Day Against Child Labor with the government calling for collaborative efforts with all stakeholders to tackle the scourge.

Collins Nzovu, the acting minister of labor and social services, called on stakeholders to work with the government to eliminate the scourge and allow children to grow in an environment and conditions that will support their growth and development.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): COLLINS NZOVU, Zambia's acting minister of labor and social services
"I wish to assure my fellow parents and our children that their caring government will continue to take a wide range of actions in order to contain and mitigate all vices related to child protection."

This year's commemoration was themed "Social Justice for All. End Child Labor."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): COLLINS NZOVU, Zambia's acting minister of labor and social services
"For the children, the theme stresses the need for them to enjoy their right to education and the other social amenities that otherwise would not be available to them if they continued working as child laborers."

In Zambia, the 2020 child labor report estimated that 430,075 children were engaged in child labor, 6.9 percent of the population aged 5-17.

Nzovu, however, said that the government has put in place various measures to fight child labor.

Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) Vice President Kennedy Njamba said children were forced into child labor because of the inequitable economy Zambia was passing through.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): KENNEDY NJAMBA, Vice president of Zambia Federation of Employers
"We proceed by supporting the full implementation of the Children Code Act to safeguard the welfare of our children and keep them out of hazardous and exploitative work and reduce the risk of abuse both economically and within the family, security and all is the key for the opportunity to thrive."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lusaka.
(XHTV)