The reigning Miss Tourism Nigeria Culture, Miss Fitami David, on Sunday said she had embarked on an enlightenment campaign against child labour in the country.
David told Journalists in Jalingo that the massive campaign was her pet project for the year.
According to her, the project involves educating women groups at the grassroots and liaising with the relevant authorities to ensure compliance.
“My heart bleeds each time I see children of school age, some less than ten years, hawking in the streets during school hours.
“When people subject these kids to hawking and other forms of manual labour, they are exposing them to danger, either now or later in life.
“My objective is to reduce child labour and ensure that girls of school age are taken off the streets and returned to the classrooms,” she said.
David, a graduate of Sociology from Taraba University, said “education gives women the chance to compete favorably with their male counterpart.”
The Beauty Queen said she was currently sponsoring 15 females at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education.
“If I have the means, I will do more because the condition of these children is worrisome and, you know, I am from this state,” David said.
She said the commencement of the campaign in the Northeast was informed by the prevalence of child labour in the zone.
David said the project would soon be expanded to other parts of the country. (NAN)