Celebrating success in Malawi: A Call for action

LILONGWE, Malawi (ILO NEWS) – Tripartite stakeholders, development partners, and beneficiaries celebrate the successful conclusion of the ACCEL Africa project in Malawi. Over the past 6 years, this initiative aimed to accelerate the elimination of child labour in the tea and coffee supply chains in Malawi. The event, "Celebrating Success in Malawi," highlighted key achievements, shared lessons learned and underscored the ongoing need for support to sustain progress in the fight against child labour.

The ACCEL Africa (Phase1) project focused on eliminating child labour in 6 African countries, including Malawi, where it targeted the tea and coffee supply chains. The project’s approach was comprehensive, involving policy reforms, community empowerment, and collaboration amongst key stakeholders. The event served as a platform to showcase the progress made and to call for further support to expand these efforts.

© ILO Malawi

"We have made significant progress, but our work is far from over," said Minoru Ogasawara, Chief Technical Adviser of the ACCEL Africa project "We need to continue our efforts to ensure that every child in Malawi has the opportunity to thrive." He concluded.

Throughout its implementation, the ACCEL Africa project has achieved several important milestones in Malawi, including:

• The project contributed to the revision and implementation of key national frameworks such as the National Action Plan on Child Labour (2020-2025) and the draft National Child Labour Policy. 
• The project has empowered communities by providing vocational training to youth, promoting self-reliance and wage employment, and supporting beneficiaries in the lower tiers of the coffee and tea supply chains with business skills and start-up capital to foster sustainable livelihoods and combat child labour. 
• To promote education, it created child rights clubs, provided remedial classes for children withdrawn from child labour or at risk of dropping out, enhanced the capacity of school governing bodies, and supported schools with teaching materials and improvement grants.
• It has strengthened the capacity of District Civil Protection Committees, Child Labour Committees, and community-based groups in understanding child labour laws, monitoring, and reporting. 
• Additionally, the project established and trained the Malawi National Employers Taskforce on Child Labour. 

© ILO Malawi

Lucia a young beneficiary from the ACCEL Africa project shared her journey of change with the audience.

Currently, I have completed a foundation certificate as a welder, and I am doing my internship in Blantyre. I am proceeding with my Level 2, and I am expected to start exams very soon. After finishing my Level 2, I will find a place for attachment to continue to sharpen my skills. 

"Knowing the issues in my area, I wish I can one day open my own workshop, where I can train other young people in my community." Lucia said.

Through the event, tripartite constituents emphasized the need for continued efforts to combat child labour in Malawi. Despite progress, challenges remain, including enforcing minimum age protections and addressing child labour in households and small-scale farms. To meet the targets of the Alliance 8.7 by 2025, additional funding is needed. Key priorities include expanding successful interventions, deepening policy efforts, strengthening partnerships, and refining best practices through research. There is a call for better coordination among stakeholders, enhanced data and continuous capacity-building. 

© ILO Malawi

“To the international community, your support is very needed as we call for action to address the current gaps on child labour elimination in Malawi." Representative from the Ministry of Labour.

While the event celebrated these successes, it also served as a reminder that the work is not finished. The project’s call for action highlighted the importance of engaging new partners and attracting donor funding to sustain child labour prevention efforts in the tea and coffee sectors. This would allow for the expansion of successful interventions to new regions and the deepening of community empowerment and policy efforts.

Why focus on Malawi?

Malawi is Africa's second-largest producer of tea, and the tea and coffee sectors are crucial to the country’s economy. However, both industries have faced challenges with child labour, particularly on small-scale farms. The ACCEL Africa project worked closely with local associations and international partners to integrate child labour interventions into broader efforts aimed at creating a sustainable and competitive tea industry.

By addressing child labour in these supply chains, the project aimed to protect vulnerable children while improving the livelihoods of families and communities involved in tea and coffee production.

Looking ahead

As the "Celebrating Success in Malawi" event came to a close, the message from all participants was clear: the fight against child labour must continue. With the right support, Malawi has the potential to become a model for other countries tackling similar challenges. The successes of the ACCEL Africa project demonstrate that targeted interventions can make a real difference, but sustaining this progress will require ongoing commitment and resources.

The call to action now is for development partners to invest in the next phase of this mission—ensuring that every child in Malawi can grow up free from the burden of child labour.