Pupils and schoolchildren from the Kibeho, Rusenge and Cyahinda sectors of Nyaruguru district are numerous in the tea plantation work on the hills. Their parents complain about this exploitation of the miners.
Alphonsine is the mother of a 16-year-old teenager. This youngster is studying in the Senior one at the Rasaniro School Group. He goes regularly to his activities on the hills of the Mubuga cell in the Kibeho sector.
The mother Alphonsine says she only sees her son at night. “Since my child started receiving the money (800 to 1000 frw/10 hours of work), he doesn’t listen to me anymore,” she says. “Already at 5am he left and he comes back late at night,” she adds very angry. Alphonsine shares the same worries with many other parents. They complain that their children are being diverted from the normal educational curriculum. They talk about the exploitation of minors.
The general manager of SCON (Services Company Outgrowers Nyaruguru}, which finances this tea plantation project in the hills, Vincent Hategekimana, says he did not have this information about the recruitment of minors.
“Our approach is to negotiate with farmers who own untapped fields (at least one hectare),” he explains. “After an agreement, we give them long-term credit so that they can prepare their fields and sow. They pay back on production,” he says. “If it is true that they are recruiting minors, it is a crime and they must stop,” he says.
We were not able to meet with the owners of the fields, since according to information gathered in the field, most of them, in turn, hire subcontractors.
The Nyaruguru District Vice-Mayor for Economic Affairs and Development, Janvier Gashema, reiterates that no one should recruit a child for unauthorized employment. “No one should recruit a child on the tea plantations. Grassroots authorities must be vigilant. The child’s place is in school,” said Vice Mayor Gashema.
The SCON Nyaruguru project started its activities in 2016. It currently farms an area of 740 hectares belonging to 720 different farmers. Within 20 years, it plans to work on an area of 3,400 hectares on the hills of the Kibeho, Mata, Cyahinda and Munini sectors.
Domice Gasarabwe
