The project was implemented in Shymkent, Mahtaaral, and Saryagash regions of the South Kazakhstan Region from July 10, 2007 to December 31, 2007.

Our project activities included:
• Media campaign to combat the worst forms of child labor through mass media and published 8 newspaper articles about the worst forms of child labor and existing legislation regarding the problem. Articles were also distributed through email and online at www.sanasezim.org.
• Drawing and compositions contest on "We Are Against Child Labor!" was held amongst students at 78 schools in Shymkent. All participants were rewarded with prizes and certificates.
  • 1st place nomination for the "Best drawing" was awarded to B.K (prize: DVD player) from the secondary school Number 30.
  • 2nd place nominations for the "Best drawing" were awarded to A.N from the secondary school Number 33 (prize: tape recorder), and M.G from the secondary school Number 32 (prize: tape recorder).
  • 3rd place nominations for the "Best drawing" were awarded to Beysenbaev Talgat from the secondary school Number 64 (prize: camera), and M.A from the gymnasium school Number 8 (prize: camera).
     All other participants were awarded prizes for participation. Children's problems regarding the worst forms of child labor was reflected in the participants' drawings, which included: violence against children and exploitations all types, humiliation, unacceptable conditions of the labor, cruelty, etc.
  
  • 1st place nomination for the "Best composition" was awarded to girl (prize: DVD player), from the school Number 9.
  • 2nd place nomination for the "Best composition" was awarded to boy from the secondary school Number 6 (prize: tape recorder) and girl from the secondary school Number 36 (prize: tape recorder).
  • 3rd place nomination for the "Best composition" was awarded to S.A from the secondary school Number 49 (prize: camera) and girl from the gymnasium school number 1 (prize: camera).
  
     In essays, the participants demonstrated that, when children are in such situations, they are able to communicate with their peers and adults for help in order to make decisions for this problem. Titles of compositions that showed children's thoughts and ideas included: "Wish to Become Like Everyone Else Instead of Feeling Cheated: Let's Stop Children From Being Used in Labor," "What in the World Are We Waiting For When We Are Ignoring the Children?" and "I Call All People in the World to Stop Child Exploitation!"
  
  
   
• Broad information and advocacy campaigns against the worst forms of child labor in the fields of amongst Akimat staff, state officials, teachers, specialists, employers, and employees, by holding seminars and distributing booklets and posters containing information about scale of the problem of the worst forms of child labor.Through the entire duration, mobile consultants, initiative groups, and volunteers of organizations conducted individual meetings with members of regional and town akimats, Director of the Department of the South Kazakhstan Region, educators, leaders of private enterprises, companies. Informants learned about the scale of the problem of the worst forms of child labor in their regions and were provided with all necessary informational material.
• Initiative groups on eliminating the worst forms of child labor in local communities such as Shymkent, and Mahtaaralskom Saryagashskom areas of South Kazakhstan region.
• Distribution materials were designed and developed and include 1,000 booklets, 300 posters, 6,000 flyers, 50 messenger bags and 50 baseball caps with the inscription, "We Are Against Child Labor!"
• Direct assistance to 700 children and their parents in Mahtaaral and Saryagash Regions in the South Kazakhstan Region, and Shymkent to be informed about the problem of child labor; provided legal education to children and adult; informed about social assistance, basic business education, and micro-crediting for parents and children over 14 years old. Was able to organized two seminars (for the beneficiaries of the program), and meetings in school in the South Kazakhstan Region. NGO "Sana Sezim" offered direct help to 700 children and their parents in Mahtaaral and Saryagash regions in the South Kazakhstan Region and Shymkent and informed about the problem of child labor and legal education. The entire duration of the project included 9034 informants: 7898 children and 1136 adults.
• The total numbers of informed children about the worst forms of child labor is divided into following age categories:
  • Shymkent city
    • 10 - 13 years old: 433
    • 14 - 16 years old: 3077
    • 17 - 18 years old: 1002
  • Mahtaaral region
    • 10 - 13 years old: 887
    • 14 - 16 years old: 1255
    • 17 - 18 years old: 745
  • Saryagash region
    • 10 - 13 years old: 132
    • 14 - 16 years old: 173
    • 17 - 18 years old: 134
  
  Children and adults who were informed about the worst forms of child labor regarding their age, sex, and social category were written in the logbooks of the mobile consultants (below).
  
  
  
  Trainings and Seminars
  July 19-20, 2007- seminar on "Basic Business Education" was held in Saryagash for workers at farming facilities and businessmen. 20 participants attended the seminar.
  July 26-28, 2007- similar seminar on "Basic Business Education" was held in Mahtaaral region of the South Kazakhstan Region and had 20 participants.
  Target groups of trainings: returned Kazakhstani citizens, unemployed youth above 18 years old, retired businessmen, artisans, handicapped people, and population of rural areas. The purposes of the trainings were to teach the representatives groups of the rural regions about their local situations, how develop the effective decision regarding the local problems, and how successfully accomplish the designed projects. During the educational process, much time was spent on writing and developing business plans, and learning about the conditions for lending and fundraising. As a result, the Mahtaaral and Saryagash Regions had 40 trainees, who were businessmen and farmers, were presented with projects and business plans. The following notes the business plans and projects: Public Fund for Assistance for Farmer and Businessmen of the South-Kazakhstan Region created a budget and were given micro-crediting funding for the development of the businesses and several farming facilities.
• Consultations for 500 children and adults through the confidential hotline for the problem of child labor. The telephone hotline received a total of 543 calls from clients (381 adults and 162 children).
  Meetings with employers, children, and parents, which were in Shymkent and Mahtaaral and Saryagash Regions. A total of 86 victims were revealed to be in child labor situations in the following spheres:
  • Agricultural sphere:
    23 children (14 girls, 9 boys between 11-14 years old).
    In daylight-savings time, agriculture attracts seasonal work, where children are often forced to do tasks such as weeding, processing, collection of cotton. Wages for children and adult varied; however, it was obvious that children received less than adults. Minors are victimized because they are seen as supplements labor contracts are not made between employer and laborers. Minors were also forced to work in other parts of production where conditions are especially poor, dangerous, and considered to be illegal for any worker, not only for those below 18 years old. Their work places include: sugar cane plantations, opium, tobacco, and cotton fields, which are forbidden for persons below 18 years old.
  • Trade sphere:
    15 children (8 girls, 7 boy between 12 -15 years).
    All children were citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan and were working to assist with the household business (such as at the counter at markets, boutiques, and grocery shops). In the trade sphere, minors were revealed to work in day and night shifts at selling tobacco and alcohol products, which is stated as illegal under the legislation of the Republic Kazakhstan. Minors are forbidden to handle alcohol and tobacco products.
  • Transportation sphere:
    15 children (10 boys, 7 girls between 11-14 years old).
    All children were citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Moreover, 9 of the minors were working with one of their relatives. In the local transportation sphere, minors work abnormal hours, and without registration or labor agreements. Wages received for long hours were far less for minors than adults. Such employers had broken the Labor Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and according to part 1, pg. 134, salaries must be paid in national currency of Kazakhstan no less than for one month, and no later than the first ten days of the following month. Along with the absence of the labor agreements, employers do not offer pension deductions, social security, etc.
  • Construction sphere:
    16 minor (7 boys between 14-15 years, and 9 boys between 16-17 years old).
    13 minors were citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan; 3 minors were citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan, one of which was illegally working with one of his parents. A joint raid with government inspector on labor and building standards was organized in 2007 in the South Kazakhstan Region. Accounted breaches of rights were all related attracting minor laborers. In addition, employers' demands for physical workloads exceeded legal standards. According to the legal acts regarding minor laborers, the physical load should not exceed 4, 1 kg. Employers who hire minor laborers who are under 18 years old, build, construct, and repair buildings are breaching labor legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
  
  Continuing awareness on the problem of the worst forms of child labor is essential for the sustainability of our priority direction on children's rights. This project was made possible thanks to ILO/IPEC and partnerships with key state structures including the Department of Education, Center for Children and Youth of Shymkent, Town Division of Affairs, Department of Affairs and Social Programs, Department of the Internal Affairs, Department of Labor and Social Protection, radio, television, teachers, specialists, and employers, who all actively participated in the realization of the project and provided support.