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Vocational Training
Economic underdevelopment holds many regions, such as Central Asia, in the bondage of poverty. Located between Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, the nation of Tajikistan is one of the most impoverished countries in the region.
According to UNICEF, child labor in Tajikistan has pushed many school-aged children out of the classroom, pulling them into the unskilled labor force. Approximately 20 percent of Tajiki boys and 17 percent of Tajiki girls are employed as child laborers. Often, these children enter the workforce to contribute to their family’s income. In the daily struggle to survive, higher aspirations seem unattainable.
The International Labour Organization (ILO)
According to estimates of the ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (ILO-IPEC), there are almost 200,000 working children in Tajikistan, and 10 per cent of them have never attended school. What’s more, working children are becoming younger. Even today it is no longer a surprise to see working children aged five or six.
When the cotton harvest season opens each year in Central Asia, human rights activists fear that a long-existing climate of coercion will continue to lead to the further exploitation of children. The practice is likely to continue as farmers and parents face great pressures under threat of loss of leases or employment to bring in the harvest each year. Teachers in many rural areas are forced to reduce their teaching hours and go to work on the harvest, leaving students unattended.
Without additional vocational training, there is little hope for laborers to improve their quality of life. Unfortunately, the low earning potential of unskilled laborers may predestine the next generation to the same fate. Until the cycle of underemployment is broken, children will be drawn out of school and into the labor force prematurely. Accessible educational opportunities are vital and must be created to promote sustainable economic growth in Central Asia. Omega International is dedicated to a creating a sustainable presence in Central Asia starting with The Launch training center in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
The Launch
The Launch is our response to the need for educational opportunity in Tajikistan. At our training center, individuals gain skills that prepare them to “launch” into entrepreneurial ventures. Through specialized vocational training programs, the people of Tajikistan will gain the tools and confidence to succeed as entrepreneurs. The Launch will offer skills training in Tourism and Hospitality, Business Entrepreneurship, English and other business Languages along with Soccer Coaching and Management.
Most importantly, educational opportunities bring hope for a better future. Through improved economic conditions, the people of Tajikistan can give their children the opportunity to reach for higher aspirations. Together, we can replace the legacy of poverty with the joy of a new hope.
We need your help!
For only 33¢ a day you can change the world! $10.00 per month provides struggling youth with hope for a better future. Please join with us in Ten4TheLaunch to change lives. DONATE NOW
Remember, Omega International is USA 501(c)(3) non-profit organization so you donations are tax deductible for our supporters filing in the U.S.
If you would like to partner with us to bring hope to Central Asia by supporting The Launch training center, please contact us.