Reducing Child Labor through Education
Egypt | Start With Yourself - Alashmonin Shifters | 2024
As-salamu alaykum!
We are the Start with Yourself – Alashmonin Shifters, a passionate group of young changemakers tackling child labor and its impact on education. In 2024, we launched our campaign to raise awareness, engage businesses, and change mindsets about children's rights and education. Our mission? To reduce school dropouts, ensure children receive fair treatment at work, and shift community attitudes towards education and child protection.
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16 to 25 years old
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The Right-Sized Problem
In Alashmonin Village, many children drop out of school to work due to economic hardship. Misconceptions about craftsmanship being more valuable than education contribute to this issue, leaving children vulnerable to exploitation, unsafe work environments, and limited future opportunities. Parents and business owners lack awareness of the importance of balancing education with work.
What did we do?
Over 14 days, we carried out a community-wide campaign, engaging key stakeholders on the ground and online.
Offline Impact
🗣️ Stakeholder Engagement – Partnered with Dr. Rasha Al-Mahdi, a professor and National Council for Women member, to amplify the campaign’s reach.
🏢 Business Owner Dialogues – Visited farms, bakeries, juice shops, and car workshops, discussing:
📌 Legal working age and children’s rights
📌 Safe working environments for young workers
📌 The role of education in securing better jobs
🚗 Car Tour Awareness Campaign – Drove through Alashmonin and nearby villages with banners and posters, sparking public interest and discussions.
👨👩👧 Awareness Sessions for Parents – Held seminars with families, discussing how education and work can coexist without harm.
👦 Workshops for Working Children – Informed children about their rights, dangers of exploitation, and benefits of education. Some even shared their dreams and aspirations, reinforcing the importance of long-term goals over short-term income.
Online & Media Impact
📱 Facebook Campaign – Expanded our page "Start with Yourself", reaching 906 people online and gaining 741 new followers.
📢 Public Figures' Support – Political and social leaders shared campaign content, increasing visibility.
📢 Explore Our Campaign Content:
🔗 Campaign on Facebook
Campaign Impact
A powerful moment came when a farm owner, who previously believed education was useless, changed his perspective after engaging in the campaign. He began advocating for children’s education and even encouraged other parents to support schooling alongside work.
Another inspiring shift came from community transportation workers who remembered last year’s campaign on pollution and voluntarily displayed campaign logos on their vehicles, proving that small movements can lead to lasting community change.
Impact in Numbers
100 people reached in person through awareness sessions & business meetings.
906 people reached online, with 270 online engagements.
Children in the campaign reported a shift in attitudes towards school and work.
Business owners began discussing ways to support children's education while allowing them to work safely.
What’s Next?
We are committed to expanding our child labor awareness efforts by:
📌 Defining Egypt’s child labor laws for all village residents.
📌 Helping business owners integrate education into children's work schedules.
📌 Creating recreational activities for working children, giving them a childhood experience they deserve.
📌 Expanding the campaign to neighboring villages.
We are also proud that Alashmonin Shifters have been included in sponsorship programming for 2025, ensuring that this campaign continues for another year!
Follow our journey:
📍 Facebook: Start with Yourself
