Last month, Marloes Philippo, Project Coordinator at the Fund Against Child Labour (FBK), visited GoodWeave’s program areas in Bangladesh and Nepal.

GoodWeave is implementing two projects in these countries, focused on child labor research, identification, remediation and prevention in partnership with Dutch companies and with funds from FBK, as part of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and in commission of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The visit offered an opportunity to better understand local supply chains, meet with project stakeholders, partners and beneficiaries, and see first-hand how remediation and prevention interventions are serving children and worker communities where GoodWeave works.

 

 
In Bangladesh, Ms. Philippo and the GoodWeave team met with local brands and suppliers, partner grassroots organizations, and visited apparel worker communities and factories. Ms. Philippo also participated in a workshop that GoodWeave led with several local organizations, focused on discussing collaborative solutions to address child labor in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector.

 

 
In Nepal, Ms. Philippo and our Senior Director for Strategic Partnership and Advocacy, Silvia Mera met with carpet exporters and subcontractors, as well as with beneficiaries of GoodWeave’s long-term remediation and early childhood education programs.

 

 
Ms. Philippo shared, “GoodWeave’s approach demonstrates that when industry stakeholders, NGOs and civil society join forces, elimination of child labor from the carpet industry in Nepal is within reach. I witnessed this work first-hand during my visit to Hamro Ghar, GoodWeave’s transit home for former child laborers, and the Laboratory School in Nepal, and was impressed by the impact it was having on the children and the carpet-weaving communities.”