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Partners of the Americas kicked off its fourth annual What Works Conference on December 4. For four days, 115 change-agents gathered from 27 Chapters and eight countries to strengthen inter-institutional partnerships and power greater connectivity across the Partners network.

This week, Partners of the Americas observes the International Day to Eradicate Poverty. Inspired by an initiative by the PartnersCampus Network, Partners would like to highlight the many ways in which our programs, projects, and members #endpoverty.

Today is World Day Against Child Labor. Learn about how our three projects - Colombia Avanza, EducaFuturo and Paraguay Okakuaa, are working towards eliminating child labor in all its forms.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Paraguay Okakuaa is a project led by Paraguay's Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security (MTESS), which seeks to reduce the worst forms of child labor and improve compliance with labor laws and work conditions. Partners of the Americas implements this program and works in the Department of Guairá specifically in the municipalities of Borja, Iturbe, Troche, Paso Yobai and Villarrica.

“The topic of child labor is a multi-dimensional one that requires a comprehensive approach for its prevention and elimination,” Peña began at a panel discussing best practices in combating child labor at Partners' recent convention.

Not too long ago, Alex, 7, and Josseline, 6, spent their afternoons working in a field, grazing cows and collecting grass to feed pigs and guinea pigs. One of their most common tasks, as it is for other children in Chordeleg, Azuay, Ecuador, was recollecting toquilla straw. The material is used to create Panamanian hats which are very popular among local workers and tourists.

 “I have been making salsa since I was 6 years old, when my task for dinnertime was to peel roasted chilies,” Carmen Pacheco-Borden of Boulder, Colo said. Pacheco-Borden’s family immigrated to the United States from Mexico when she was 12 years old, and she went on to obtain her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering. After teaching university classes and having three children, Pacheco-Borden decided it was time for a new path in life. 

In Latin America and the Caribbean, an estimated 13 million children are involved in child labor. Many of them come from poor, low-educated families, aren’t enrolled in school and endure dangerous working conditions. Often, they work for their families, whose economic survival depends on the additional income their children bring in.

Child labor in Ecuador and Panama is prominent in the most vulnerable and socially excluded sectors: indigenous and Afro-descendant populations. These two populations account for a high incidence of poverty, social exclusion, employment and lack of education, which also explains why they are most at risk of child labor. The numbers are stark.