Pakistan

Who we are helping

Many families in Pakistan are unable to provide adequate care and protection for their children. Some are sent to institutions or are abandoned or become victims of trafficking. Many end up living on the street and turn to crime. Others are sent to work in hazardous and exploitative conditions.

With 17 per cent of the population living on less than US$1 a day, poverty forces many children into the labour market before they’ve completed or even started their schooling. More than three million children under the age of 14 are working, and primary school enrolment rates in the country are the lowest in South Asia.

Many children work in conditions of ‘bondage’, because of debts owned or inherited from older relatives. The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 1.7 million people in debt bondage in Pakistan and half of all labourers in debt bondage are children.

Although Pakistan’s constitution states that no child under the age of 14 will work in mines or in any other hazardous environment, the reality is different. Some of the worst forms of child labour are found in the brick kilns of the North Western Frontier Province, where children perform hard manual work in appalling conditions for a pittance. Another example is sharecropping, where a farmer farms someone else’s land and gives the landowner a large proportion of the crop instead of paying rent. Many of these farmers are in debt bondage and their children can’t attend school.

Through this project, we’ll help around 7,000 children and young people across Pakistan.

About the partnership

Barclays has joined forces with UNICEF to help children and young people around the world achieve a brighter future for themselves and their communities. The partnership will undertake projects in more than 10 countries and commit US$10 million in addition to employee volunteering time over three years.

The partnership aims to develop the skills of young people in the communities where Barclays operates by focusing on opportunities for education, employment, entrepreneurship and enterprise. The individual projects will help disadvantaged young people across the globe access education, find employment and start businesses.


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Home About the partnership About UNICEF Downloads Press release Conceptual paper Acrobat PDF reader	Overview Who we are helping What we are doing The result Pakistan Who we are helping Many families in Pakistan are unable to provide adequate care and protection for their children. Some are sent to institutions or are abandoned or become victims of trafficking. Many end up living on the street and turn to crime. Others are sent to work in hazardous and exploitative conditions. With 17 per cent of the population living on less than US$1 a day, poverty forces many children into the labour market before they’ve completed or even started their schooling. More than three million children under the age of 14 are working, and primary school enrolment rates in the country are the lowest in South Asia. Many children work in conditions of ‘bondage’, because of debts owned or inherited from older relatives. The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 1.7 million people in debt bondage in Pakistan and half of all labourers in debt bondage are children. Although Pakistan’s constitution states that no child under the age of 14 will work in mines or in any other hazardous environment, the reality is different. Some of the worst forms of child labour are found in the brick kilns of the North Western Frontier Province, where children perform hard manual work in appalling conditions for a pittance. Another example is sharecropping, where a farmer farms someone else’s land and gives the landowner a large proportion of the crop instead of paying rent. Many of these farmers are in debt bondage and their children can’t attend school. Through this project, we’ll help around 7,000 children and young people across Pakistan. About the partnership Barclays has joined forces with UNICEF to help children and young people around the world achieve a brighter future for themselves and their communities. The partnership will undertake projects in more than 10 countries and commit US$10 million in addition to employee volunteering time over three years. The partnership aims to develop the skills of young people in the communities where Barclays operates by focusing on opportunities for education, employment, entrepreneurship and enterprise. The individual projects will help disadvantaged young people across the globe access education, find employment and start businesses.	Our projects around the world You need to have Flash Player 8 or above to see this page.
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