Increased Child Labor Sparks Gender Ministry Immediate Intervention

Monrovia, Liberia: The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MGCSP) has initiated an emergency intervention in the Rock Crusher Community, located in Duazon along the Robertsfield Highway, following the circulation of a distressing video showing children engaged in dangerous rock-crushing labor to support their families.

Acting under its mandate to shield children from abuse, exploitation, and child labor, the ministry swiftly dispatched a field team under the ongoing Street Child Project.

The team conducted an on-site assessment and held vital discussions with parents and community leaders, resulting in an immediate halt to children's involvement in the hazardous activity.

As part of the intervention, MGCSP has begun a comprehensive documentation process, capturing detailed information about the affected children, including their identities, living situations, and family backgrounds.

At the same time, caregivers and parents are being interviewed to understand the root economic hardships driving children into labor.

The ministry has announced a multi-pronged support strategy aimed at both immediate relief and long-term child protection. Key components of the response include emergency grants to families to ease financial burdens and reduce reliance on child labor, free academic enrollment for the children in the upcoming school year to reintroduce them to formal education and create sustainable alternatives to street life, and continuous family engagement and monitoring to ensure children's safety and retention in school.

This action is part of the second phase of the Street Children Project, officially launched in April 2025 and originally commissioned by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai in August 2024.

The five-year initiative focuses on delivering lasting solutions for children in street-connected conditions and currently operates its pilot phase in Montserrado County.

The project was informed by a 2022 joint national survey that identified over 366,000 children living in street-like situations, with more than 150,000 residing in Montserrado alone. It aims to address the systemic issues fueling child vulnerability, including extreme poverty, broken family structures, neglect, violence, drug abuse, human trafficking, and child labor.

The project’s core goals are to rescue at least 7,000 children from street life over five years; facilitate access to quality education and vocational skills; provide healthcare and psychosocial services; promote family reunification and sustainable reintegration into communities; and engage partners from both the public and private sectors for collective action.

So far, the ministry has identified and removed 5,479 children from high-risk environments. Through extensive family tracing efforts, these children are being reintegrated into safe and caring homes.

Of his number, 1,405 children have already been enrolled in school—703 through the Ministry and 702 through Street Child Liberia, now attending 47 schools, including both public and private institutions.

Understanding that household economic hardship is a primary driver of child labor, the ministry has also rolled out an Economic Empowerment Program targeting caregivers.

A total of 846 caregivers have received small business grants to start or expand income-generating activities. 451 are supported by the Government of Liberia, 234 by Street Child of Liberia, and 161 by GiveDirectly.

This swift and coordinated response highlights the ministry’s commitment to eliminating child labor and ensuring all Liberian children grow up in environments that nurture their rights, safety, and potential.

The MGCSP is calling on the public, community leaders, and development partners to join forces in supporting its mission to protect children and ensure their access to education, health care, and safe living conditions across Liberia.