Fishing contributes to Child Illiteracy in Quinga

 

In Quinga, Liúpo district in Nampula province, a worrying situation has been repeating itself for years and is worsening: children, instead of attending school, rush to the beach early in the morning.

This scenario has become increasingly common, and unfortunately, the guardians of these children play a crucial role in the continuation of this problem. Many parents, instead of encouraging their children to attend school, send them to the beach to fetch caril (fish), believing that this activity is essential to ensure the family’s food supply.

The problem is even more serious: if a child refuses to go to the beach, they risk being reprimanded by their parents and are forced to obey and go to the beach. Over time, this practice becomes an ingrained habit, harming the educational and social development of these children.

Although maritime authorities in the region, such as INAMAR, the Community Police for Border Control (PCLF), the National Directorate of Fisheries (AS Pescas), and the Confederation of Commercial Fishermen (CCP), have been holding lectures and awareness campaigns to minimize the issue, the situation persists. Many boat owners, in order to reduce costs, resort to child labor, using these children to perform tasks at a much lower cost than adults would be paid. This type of child labor is strictly prohibited but continues to occur due to the vulnerability of the situation.

Furthermore, the children are often targeted by local traders, who encourage them to steal fish after buying it from the fishermen, further perpetuating this cycle of exploitation.

As a result of this situation, the number of illiterates in Quinga continues to grow, and the administrative government of the region has still not managed to implement effective measures to resolve the issue.

In response to this, the primary and secondary schools in Quinga have met with the guardians to raise awareness about the importance of sending their children to school and not allowing them to continue going to the beach during school hours.

Despite the efforts of the authorities and the school community, the fight against child illiteracy in Quinga still faces significant challenges and requires the collaboration of everyone to ensure a better future for the children in the region. (BP)