Empowering Young Voices to Combat Child Labour: Community Hackathon Concludes in Mbale
Posted on: 6th December, 2024 By: NRDO Uganda 7 min read
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MBALE, Uganda - From December 2nd to 5th, 2024, the Elgon region of Uganda witnessed an inspiring showcase of innovation, collaboration, and youth empowerment during a four-day Community Hackathon. Organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO), ITCILO, and Nascent RDO-U, the event brought together young people from Sironko, Bulambuli, and Mbale districts to develop practical solutions to pressing community challenges, chief among them, child labour.
While child labour continues to affect millions globally, with Africa bearing the heaviest burden, the Hackathon provided a platform for youth to address its root causes at a local level. In Uganda, approximately 6.2 million children are involved in child labour, with regions like Elgon particularly affected due to widespread poverty and reliance on subsistence agriculture, especially coffee farming.
The Community Hackathon aimed to shift the narrative from awareness to action. Participants, largely from underprivileged backgrounds, formed diverse teams to identify and tackle the systemic drivers of child labour in their communities. Through brainstorming sessions, mentorship, and peer collaboration, they explored issues like poverty, cultural attitudes toward education, early marriage, and domestic violence, factors that perpetuate child labour in the region.
As one participant shared, “We are nine children in our family… three boys and six girls. We grew up in a poor household and there is so much we did not get as children because of poverty. My father tried his best to take us to school, but the conditions were very bad.” This testimony reflects the lived reality of many youths across the Elgon region.
The final day of the Hackathon culminated in a spirited competition. Each district was represented by two teams, with groups adopting names like Yedana United, Dragon Hearth, and The Young Fighters. Their task, pitch innovative, community-driven solutions to address child labour. Ideas ranged from peer-to-peer education campaigns to income-generating activities that would reduce economic pressure on families.
In a close contest, Team Sironko emerged victorious, impressing judges with their comprehensive and sustainable approach. Their success symbolized more than just winning. It affirmed the power of young voices in designing solutions for their future.
This inaugural Community Hackathon reaffirmed the importance of investing in grassroots initiatives and youth-led innovation. It demonstrated that with the right platforms, resources, and mentorship, young people are not only capable of identifying their challenges but also of crafting meaningful, lasting change.
As Uganda continues its commitment through national strategies like the second National Action Plan (NAP) for the Elimination of Child Labour, events like the Mbale Community Hackathon play a critical role in translating policy into action, one empowered youth at a time.
While child labour continues to affect millions globally, with Africa bearing the heaviest burden, the Hackathon provided a platform for youth to address its root causes at a local level. In Uganda, approximately 6.2 million children are involved in child labour, with regions like Elgon particularly affected due to widespread poverty and reliance on subsistence agriculture, especially coffee farming.
The Community Hackathon aimed to shift the narrative from awareness to action. Participants, largely from underprivileged backgrounds, formed diverse teams to identify and tackle the systemic drivers of child labour in their communities. Through brainstorming sessions, mentorship, and peer collaboration, they explored issues like poverty, cultural attitudes toward education, early marriage, and domestic violence, factors that perpetuate child labour in the region.
As one participant shared, “We are nine children in our family… three boys and six girls. We grew up in a poor household and there is so much we did not get as children because of poverty. My father tried his best to take us to school, but the conditions were very bad.” This testimony reflects the lived reality of many youths across the Elgon region.
The final day of the Hackathon culminated in a spirited competition. Each district was represented by two teams, with groups adopting names like Yedana United, Dragon Hearth, and The Young Fighters. Their task, pitch innovative, community-driven solutions to address child labour. Ideas ranged from peer-to-peer education campaigns to income-generating activities that would reduce economic pressure on families.
In a close contest, Team Sironko emerged victorious, impressing judges with their comprehensive and sustainable approach. Their success symbolized more than just winning. It affirmed the power of young voices in designing solutions for their future.
This inaugural Community Hackathon reaffirmed the importance of investing in grassroots initiatives and youth-led innovation. It demonstrated that with the right platforms, resources, and mentorship, young people are not only capable of identifying their challenges but also of crafting meaningful, lasting change.
As Uganda continues its commitment through national strategies like the second National Action Plan (NAP) for the Elimination of Child Labour, events like the Mbale Community Hackathon play a critical role in translating policy into action, one empowered youth at a time.
Last updated on: 23rd April, 2025
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