As a fine mist slowly lifted over the coastal city of Sambava, Madagascar, a small group of women and men gathered to listen, learn and share experiences on preventing the occurrence of child labor in the country’s vanilla sector. These vanilla sector professionals were attending the first of a series of trainings designed to equip them with the knowledge, communication skills, and other tools needed to engage their colleagues and farming communities on child labor.
Berthine，一个充满生机和活力的年轻团队球员作品马达加斯加的香草领先的出口企业之一。她像其他与会者，被选为领导了她在公司的反童工宣传工作。该培训将使Berthine教育耕作对童工的不利影响的社区，帮助他们找出可能导致它的压力，和头脑风暴的可持续性解决方案，以缓解这些压力。
The trainings, initiated by the Sustainable Vanilla Initiative (SVI) and the International Labor Organization (ILO), were designed for vanilla exporters, as these companies have close personal connections with vanilla farming communities. Importantly these individuals have presence among their peers and are able to influence beyond their organizational boundaries.
The Seen and Unseen Costs of Child Labor
了解和减轻可能导致农民家庭转向童工的压力是防止在马达加斯加的香草行业站稳脚跟的做法是至关重要的。该Berthine和她的学员已通过SVI成员公司谁支持农业社区和已经在减少，可能会导致童工的情况下积极致力于将赞美的努力已经展开的工作。
马达加斯加是世界上最大的香草生产国。值得注意的是，它生长在成千上万散落在其主要的香草种植区，萨瓦小农的。收获香草豆从植物或在固化过程中移动绿豆放入太阳，例如：家庭一样全世界农场，马达加斯加的孩子，帮助他们的父母在这个过程中的某些部分学习的插件和农业实践出局。然而，农场和家庭之间的一个重要区别琐事，其教，指导，并laborthat puts a child’s health, well-being and educational opportunities at risk.
儿童的工作，如帮助在家庭，在家族企业协助，或赚取零用钱的参与通常被认为是积极的。这种工作可以提供宝贵的技能和经验，他们可以带着他们到成年的孩子。
Child labor, on the other hand, is work that is harmful to a child’s physical and mental development and deprives them of their childhood, their potential and their dignity. Child laborers are often unable to fully attend school or are forced to combine school with excessively long and heavy workloads. These strains damage a child’s prospects for upward economic and social mobility and ultimately causes slower economic growth and development in emerging economies like Madagascar, according to the ILO and leading NGOs.
Helping Vanilla Communities Build Economic Resilience
As part of its core mission, SVI and its member companies are dedicated to supporting farming communities to build economic resilience. Some member companies offer training in agricultural best practices, crop and income diversification, and financial management. Others offer professional development opportunities for teachers, equip schools, and work with communities to establish youth programs. These measure help farming families develop financial security and a sense of hope for the future – two psychological conditions that are crucial to reducing the pressures that cause vulnerable families to turn to child labor.
“近年来，当地社区，政府和香草部门已积极响应，并愿意公开讨论和寻求解决办法，以减轻和解决童工问题，说：” SVI的扬Gilhuis。“这些努力，一起，将有助于确保童工永远不会成为普遍在马达加斯加香草行业，”他说。
Long-Term Efforts to Secure the “Rights of the Child”
Securing the rights of the child long-term and eliminating child labor in any country or economic sector are goals that require consistent enforcement, deliberate action, and sustained commitment by many actors. For this reason, SVI and its member companies focus their work throughout the value chain and continue to support regional authorities in their efforts to strengthen child labor monitoring and remediation systems, so that if instances of child labor are identified, they are dealt with appropriately.
在努力建设责任，并鼓励长远的进步，SVI合作与一些马达加斯加最大的出口公司 - 的就是那些其工作人员参加了最近的训练 - 起草行为香草运营商代码。这种自愿一套香草行业标准，旨在确保出口采取的是降低整个香草价值链中使用童工的政策和程序 - 从农民（生产者）到买家，到出口商自己。
By committing to the code, exporting companies can now leverage their influence in the sector and set forward a powerful, progressive and positive agenda that fully respects the rights of the child. “The engagement of companies in the development of the Code of Conduct – which is now officially required by governmental regulation – was an important first step,” said Gilhuis. “This initial effort to ensure no child labor is involved in vanilla production needs to continue and be further institutionalized in family homes, in communities, in private sector organizations and with the full support of national and regional governmental levels in the years to come.”
在训练的最后一天，Berthine动情地谈起她计划下一步做什么。为了获得成功，并有最后的成功，Berthine承认，她的热情和良好的愿望是不够的。她说，她计划在整个地区的农业社区接触到基层组织的工作，争取他们的事业帮助。“本地企业带来的最重要的资产，以这方面的努力，”她说。“那是，社会的信任。”