Terms
of Reference
For Participatory Research to determine the Impact of Miraa
Production on Children and Families in Meru North, Kenya
Miraa :- Also known as khat, is a flowering plant native to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Miraa leaves contain cathinone an amphetamine-like stimulant which is said to cause excitement, loss of appetite and euphoria.
I.
Background
Save
the Children has been operational in Kenya since 1984, providing support to
children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered
both directly and through local partners. Current programming focuses on child
protection, child rights governance, education, health, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods,
nutrition and WASH. Save the Children has an operational presence in Dadaab
Refugee Camp, Eldoret, Habaswein, Mandera, Meru and Wajir.
Currently,
we have a staff complement of approximately 230 staff and expenditure of
approximately US$15 million a year.
With
funding from CIDA and in partnership with four national organizations, Save the
Children is currently implementing a five year programme named Children Lead
the Way (CLW). This participatory child-focused programme focuses on working
girls, boys and youth and children affected by HIV and AIDS with a view of
securing the rights of girls and boys and youth to survival, protection,
education, health and participation in Kenya.
The
project takes a stand in favour of working children and realizes that children
above the minimum age of employment (16 years in Kenya) who must work for their
survival are in need of access to decent work in terms of wages, working hours,
and working conditions. At the same time, the project advocates strongly for
the elimination of all Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) in Kenya.
A
2012 Save the Children’s participatory survey to determine baseline indicators
for the CLW project undertaken in Naivasha, Meru North and Thika shows that
children are greatly affected by various forms of work, particularly when their
lives are compounded by the effects of HIV and AIDS and general poverty
estimated at 46 percent In Kenya. A third (27.3%) of the children are forced to
leave school in order to provide for their own or their family’s livelihood
thereby making it difficult for them to develop into productive adults with
relevant skills and knowledge.
Meru
recorded a highest with commercial agriculture being one of the push factors
identified.
Development
indicators in the miraa growing region of Igembe South and Igembe North
Districts of Meru North are particularly dire showing higher than average
school dropout rates, low literacy rates (43.6%2), high absenteeism from
school, lower transition rates, higher juvenile pregnancy, and higher HIV
prevalence amongst young people not to mention higher rates of substance abuse
amongst adults. Authoritative research on its specific effects is nonetheless
missing.
II. Context
II. Context
Economic
Miraa
is a highly lucrative cash crop grown in specific areas of Igembe South and
Igembe North in areas which have fertile red clay soil. Income from miraa is
estimated to be millions of dollars annually, compared to such crops as coffee
that has systematically been uprooted and replaced by miraa plants in Meru,
Embu and Mbeere areas.
Kenya
is known for its premium quality miraa leaves which fetch top market price upon
export to neighboring Somalia, Ethiopia, Middle East and European
countries.
The
lush leaves chewed for their stimulant effect, are picked from short,
weak-branched trees under chilly pre-dawn conditions by nimble fingers of
little boys, packed in moisture proof wrappings, and then driven in fast pickup
trucks to Nairobi airports for same day flights to the final destination within
and outside the country.
Commercial
production expanded significantly the year the Government of Kenya legalized
miraa as an export crop.
Social
The
Children Lead the Way baseline information revealed that young boys as young as
6 years are chosen for the seasonal labour to pick miraa to earn income for
themselves and their families.
Child
labour in commercial agriculture, including miraa, is hidden and largely not
understood.
Kenya’s Children Act 2001 and the 2007 Employment Act outlaw child labour for children below eighteen and sixteen years, respectively.
However,
the minimum age of employment is hardly enforced hence the difficulty of
unearthing and addressing this type of work.
Lack
of data on child labour also does contribute to gaps in understanding specific
types of labour and their ramifications on children.
Prior
to 2005/06 when the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) included a
module of child labour in the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBS),
the 1998/99 ILFS remained the most authoritative information source on child
labour in Kenya.
After
the completion of data collection and analysis on the KIHBS, International
Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) though KNBS supported a
team of consultants to produce a child labour analytical report from the labour
force data sets, a report which has been published (KNBS, 2008).
This
report indicates that the number of working children (children carrying out any
work for pay) dropped from 1.9 million to 1.1 million in 2006 and those in
child labour (work that negatively affects children in their growth and
development including attending school) from 1.3 million in 1998/99 to 773,697
in 2006.
In
2006 working children comprised 535,197 boys and 479,987 representing a
significant drop from 1999 when 1.9 million working children comprised 981,833
boys and 911,930 girls.
The
2008 report goes further to analyse the character, nature, size and other vital
characteristics of child labour in Kenya in order to demystify major causes of
child labour and by extension design new policies to address this egregious
situation in Kenya.
Commercial agriculture, primarily in coffee, maize, tobacco, rice, tea, and miraa showed the continuity of the practice with minimal reduction.
Commercial agriculture, primarily in coffee, maize, tobacco, rice, tea, and miraa showed the continuity of the practice with minimal reduction.
Given
this analytical report is nearly five years old and the current geographic
expansion of commercial miraa production into neighboring districts it behooves
state parties and those concerned with child protection to thoroughly
understand the dynamics of this commerce and address the causes.
III.
Scope of the Research Study
This
research will be carried out in Meru County - Igembe North and South Districts.
IV.
Purpose of the Study
The
purpose of this study is to facilitate an in-depth understanding of the nature
and extent of children’s involvement in miraa Production and Trade and
how this impacts on their growth and development.
In
addition, the study seeks to assess how households and communities perceive
children’s involvement in miraa production and trade and how this involvement
impacts on household and community livelihoods.
V.
Specific objectives
Specifically,
the study should:
- Examine
the scope (percentage of children involved, what jobs they do,
remuneration, access to other benefits) of children’s involvement in miraa
farming and trade as well as community perceptions of children’s
involvement in the targeted areas
- Establish
the socio-cultural and economic factors driving children to work in miraa
production and trade
- Examine
direct and indirect linkages between miraa production and trade and worst
forms of child labour and hazardous work i.e. is there any link between
miraa trade and sexual exploitation of children
- Establish
the potential social impacts (including health, HIV/AIDS, education) of
children’s involvement in miraa production and trade
- Examine
the economic impacts of miraa production on girls, boys, families and
communities
- Establish
the factors that can mitigate continued harmful work in miraa industry by
children
VI.
Methodology and Sampling
Save
the Children is a rights based organization practicing Child Rights
Programming, hence this study will be conducted using community participatory
approaches. It will comprise a desk review, field visits for data collection
and interviews with all stakeholders, including children.
The
consultants will review existing secondary documents to acquire complete
comprehension of the miraa commerce in Kenya, as well as project documents and
studies.
Using
a rights based approach (i.e. ensuring all human rights including child rights
are observed); the researchers will involve and utilize key stakeholders,
especially children and partner project staff in all aspects of the
research.
Participation
of institutions both at government (national and local) and community level is
essential as they are key collaborators. All data will be gender disaggregated
and a gender assessment will be conducted to determine specific impact on girls
and women.
The
field visits will include key informant interviews, focused group discussions
among other participatory methods with individuals and household members,
working boys and girls, employers, community based organizations, relevant
government officers and other community gate keepers.
Both
qualitative and quantitative data will be collected.
The
consultants will be responsible for designing the data collection tools for the
study in consultation with Save the Children staff.
A
presentation of findings to both stakeholders in the community and within Save
the Children and its partners will be done.
The
final report will be printed and widely disseminated.
VII.
Services and deliverables
The
consultants will assume the overall responsibility for designing, coordinating,
analyzing and
reporting on the participatory study within the terms of reference.
reporting on the participatory study within the terms of reference.
The
Consultants shall:
1. Design the study methodology.
Save the Children expects that the study will draw on both quantitative and
qualitative data collection techniques, focusing on adherence to child rights.
The proposed methodology will include appropriate sampling methodologies and
provide the rationale for the adopted sampling design. The research design
should employ participatory methods, including child appropriate techniques and
consent gathering tools. Data will be disaggregated by gender. Save the
Children will review and approve the study methodology within 10 days of
submission, and prior to the collection of any data collection.
2.
Develop
tools. Develop the necessary documentation and tools for undertaking the study
in consultation with relevant staff and partners; ensuring specific information
on gender impact.
3.
Collect
data. The consultant will be responsible for the entire process of data
collection and analysis. Collected data should be gender disaggregated and
include a gender analysis; and presented in a format that can be readily
utilized to strengthen the CLW project. Quantitative data will be described in
terms of statistical significance and representation of all findings noted.
4. Present findings to Save the Children and key stakeholders identified by Children Lead the Way Project staff. The consultant will present the study findings using PowerPoint or relevant medium to both community and SC stakeholders within one month of finalizing the study. During these dissemination events, the consultant will collect feedback for consideration in revisions to the final report.
4. Present findings to Save the Children and key stakeholders identified by Children Lead the Way Project staff. The consultant will present the study findings using PowerPoint or relevant medium to both community and SC stakeholders within one month of finalizing the study. During these dissemination events, the consultant will collect feedback for consideration in revisions to the final report.
5.
Submit
a final report. Provide a comprehensive, clear, and detailed report in soft
copy (PDF and Microsoft Word) and 6 bound hard copies within two months of the
final data collection. Save the Children will respond with written feedback
within 10 working days and final submission is due 10 working days upon receipt
of the feedback.
VIII.
Responsibility of Save the Children
- Develop
the TOR and draw the contract for consultancy services for the study
- Provide
necessary project background materials
- Comment
on and/or approve the study methodology within 10 working days of
submission
- Provide
technical and logistical support to the consultants during the field
visits and as otherwise required during the study period
- Through
project partners’ support in project area, mobilize and schedule teams and
programming staff to participate in the research study as appropriate
- Cover
the costs of the consultants as per the contractual agreement
- Review
and provide comments to the research’s draft tools and draft and final
reports according to the set time frame
- Assist
to organize validation presentations with communities and other
stakeholders
- Approve
the final documents
IX.
Duration/timeline
The
duration and timeline for this research shall be 21 days and between January
29th 2013 and March 31st 2013 respectively
X.
Consultant’s Skills and Experience
- A
minimum of a Master’s Degree in related field
- Extensive
experience in conducting research, analyzing data and reporting high level
knowledge of participatory data collection and sampling methodologies;
superior writing skills
- Significant
experience in research in the areas of children and gender in Kenya
- Proven
experience using participatory approaches; in the field of working
children and youth a plus
The
Consultant must abide by the Save the Children Child safeguarding protocol,
which is a statement of Save the Children’s commitment to preventing abuse and
protecting children with whom it comes into contact. This extends not only to
children with whom and its partners work directly, but also includes children
whom staff is responsible for.
Save
the Children believes that the situation of children must be improved through
the promotion of their rights as set out in the United Nations Convention on
the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This includes the right to freedom from abuse
and exploitation.
Desirable
- Knowledge
of child rights, child protection and labour issues
XI.
Instruction for submission of proposal:
Interested
qualified consultancy firms are requested to submit the following by electronic
means to the following address: Kenya.jobapplications@savethechildren.org not
later than midnight 23rd January 2013.
Save
the Children reserves the right to refusal all documents received after this
date.
Applications
will include the following:
- A
cover letter expressing interest
- Company
profile including capacity to respond to this task
- Recent
CVs of professional(s) proposed to work on this study
- Three
(3) recent references for comparable published research work
- A
full proposal with a detailed methodology and approach to achieve the
objectives stated in the TOR. The methodology should include a sampling
plan as well as sample of the tools to be used to gather data
- Detailed
work plan of proposed work
- A
financial proposal in Kenya shillings outlining the overall budget
required to achieve the task as outlined in your proposal.
This
should exclude cost of transportation, accommodation and meals during the field
work.