Empower Child Domestic Workers Through Education

At 14 years of age, Adengo was trafficked from Soroti to work as a domestic worker in Kampala on promises that she was to be educated by her uncle. ‘However when I reached Kampala they forced me to work as a domestic worker without pay’. I used to be over worked without rest and my daily schedule involved washing plates, cooking food, cleaning the house and taking care of children. It was through a task force member who introduced me to Platform for Labour Action(PLA) who were withdrawing children from domestic work and other exploitative labour. I was registered and later on enrolled at Nile Vocational institution in Jinja where I pursued a course in tailoring. I graduated in 2013.

Adengo is currently employed at cooper complex in Kampala city where she works as a tailor specialized in making bed sheets, design pillows and bed covers. I earn 30,000/= per week and she saves 10,000/= every week. I am able to pay 70,000/= for rent in Nsambya a Kampala suburb, send some money to my mother in Soroti for upkeep, pay for my basic needs such as food, clothing and I live a better life than before when I was a domestic worker. Participating in the financial management training which PLA did for all the former vocational training beneficiaries built my capacity with business and savings skills and I am planning to buy my own tailoring machine to start my personal business. I was also able to meet and interact with my former classmates and we have now become friends and we would like to create awareness in our communities on the dangers of child labour because it caused a lot of suffering for us. We thank PLA and all the donors for enabling us acquire education. 

• Adengo making a bed sheet at her work place at Cop (DOCX)