News
At the Intersection of Business and Human Rights
December 17, 2018
As we enter the holiday season, more and more consumers look for “kind” gifts, checking that the products are made sustainably and that no forced or child labor was involved in their production. This increased consumer scrutiny reflects an expanded awareness of the damage that some business practices may cause. Whether it is the environmental […]
‘I was one of the lucky ones’
October 9, 2018
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh: More than a million and a half Bangladeshis are thought to be living in modern-day slavery. Winrock’s Bangladesh Counter Trafficking in Persons (BCTIP) project, funded by USAID, has provided services to more than 2,000 trafficking survivors, helping them heal and start a new life. BCTIP has helped more than 18,200 migrants learn […]
Address of Winrock President and CEO Rodney Ferguson to Redlands Forum
September 25, 2018
Well, thank you, Shelly, and thank all of you for coming out tonight. When I heard that I’m coming before Dolores Huerta, it’s pretty daunting. I don’t have 11 kids, either. Also, I’d like to thank the colleagues at Esri, Jack and Laura Dangermond for their support, and the University of Redlands and the Town […]
Clubs That Help Kids Stay in School
August 15, 2018
Leonard Thedison, age 15, was listening closely. As a member of the anti-child labor club at Chiponde Primary School in the Mchemani Education Zone of Lilongwe Rural East, Malawi, he had already taken to heart the importance of education, how it could create a new life for himself and his family. But today’s topic was […]
Winrock Forward
July 17, 2018
Winrock President and CEO Rodney Ferguson outlines his vision for creating maximum impact. Interview by Chris Warren As the President and CEO of a development organization with projects in the U.S. and around the world, Rodney Ferguson often carves out reading time while on airplanes. On a recent trip from his home base in Washington, […]
A Training Program That Makes Dreams a Reality
June 15, 2018
This is the sixth and final story in our series of World Day Against Child Labor articles. Thy La is 17 years old with only a fifth-grade education. He dropped out of school as a child because he faced learning difficulties. Without an education, his options were limited, so he became a monk, a common […]
From Farm to School
June 14, 2018
This is the fifth story in our series of World Day Against Child Labor articles. It was originally published in March 2017. Like many young people in the Lilongwe district of Malawi, 15-year-old Mkasauka Laitani is the child of smallholder farmers. And like many, her education suffered in the wake of economic difficulty. School is […]
Strengthening Child Labor Laws in Liberia
June 13, 2018
This is the fourth story in our series of World Day Against Child Labor articles. The Country-Level Engagement and Assistance to Reduce Child Labor (CLEAR) II project hit the ground running in Liberia late last year with the establishment of the Liberia Legal Reform Committee (LRC), led by the Ministry of Labor. The LRC’s purpose […]
Tailoring a Future Without Child Labor
June 12, 2018
Four years ago, Tausi Rajabu, 16, passed her entrance examinations for secondary school. This might have been the gateway to a new life. But Rajabu’s parents are small tobacco farmers in Mole Village, Tanzania, and they couldn’t afford to pay their daughter’s school fees. Instead, Rajabu began working on her family’s tobacco farm, weeding, taking […]
Ending Child Labor from the Inside Out
June 11, 2018
By Rodney Ferguson Second in a Series In honor of World Day Against Child Labor on June 12, Winrock will be sharing stories that highlight some of our innovative solutions to combat child labor and provide youth with safe economic opportunities. This article, by Winrock President and CEO Rodney Ferguson, was originally published in June […]