The Partnership Protocol Agreement was signed between the Zambian Government, the International Labour Organisation and the European Commission (EC) on 25 August 2008. The TACKLE Project was then officially launched in Lusaka in October 2008, and a stakeholder consultation held thereafter. The stakeholders outlined key priority actions from the project result areas, and subsequently developed a work plan.

Output 1: Improved country level child labour and education legal framework

• Outcomes on child labour elimination and equitable access to quality education have been included in national documents through engagement in on-going processes dealing with national policy and legislation.
• Elaboration of the study “Towards ending child labour in Zambia: An assessment of resource requirements” (forthcoming) conducted through the inter-agency programme "Understanding Children's Work" (UCW). The study builds on existing information on the child labour situation in the country. The findings and recommendations will be a source of information for policy and programme considerations in taking further steps as a country towards meeting the child labour elimination targets.

Output 2: Strengthened institutional capacity to formulate and implement child labour strategies

• A group of Government employees and representatives from the teachers’ union and from the Employers’ organisations were trained in the ILO's International Training Centre (ILO-ITC) in Turin on: analysing child labour data; tackling worst forms of child labour in agriculture; EFA and child labour elimination; trafficking; and labour inspection and child labour.
• At country level, capacities have been strengthened through: Training on mainstreaming child labour in education; training on Child labour data collection, analysis and reporting; child labour data collection through baseline surveys and rapid assessments; and child labour and youth employment data collection and analysis; training for media on child labour reporting using the "Child Labour Information Kit for the Media in Zambia"; sensitisation of a targeted group of employers, local councillors and school heads on child labour.

Output 3: Targeted actions to combat child labour

TACKLE pays specific attention to the needs of educationally excluded children living in vulnerable communities who are at risk of engaging into child labour, or children involved in child labour. Direct support Action Programmes (APs) have been an instrumental vehicle for such support. Four action programmes were implemented:

• “Prevention and withdrawal of children affected and at risk of entering into worst forms of child Labour through education, recreation and household social protection” implemented by the African Network for Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN) in Lusaka Province, sopecifically in Lusaka, Chibombo, Kafue and Rufunsa.
• “Prevention and withdrawal of HIV/AIDS affected boys and girls from child labour in Luanshya and Masaiti districts through education and meaningful engagement in social protection measures by affected families” implemented by the Community Integrated Health Education Programme (COIHEP) in Copperbelt Province.
• “Combating child labour through education and social protection schemes in Livingstone” implemented by the Livingstone Anglican Children’s Project (LACP) in Southern Province. This action programme also aims at contributing to the elimination of HIV/AIDS induced child labour in Zambia through education.
• “Elimination of child labour through education, capacity building of rural communities in prevention, withdrawal and awareness raising approaches” implemented by Mpika District Children at Risk (MDCR) in Northern Province.

Output 4: Enhanced knowledge base and networks on child labour and education

The project continues to work with the already existing national networks and coordination structures on education and child labour. Under this context, the project have produced and disseminated the following resources and policy documents:

• "Be the Change Community Mobilization Pack" on child labour and human trafficking. Through partnership with the ILO’s Forced Labour Project, materials were printed for employers’ training conducted by that Project.
• "Child Labour Information Kit for the Media"
• Child labour radio spots (forthcoming)
• Increased mobilization and participation of stakeholders in organizing and commemorating the World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL) 2011 including engagement of new partners.
• In collaboration with the Zambia Federation of Employers, local councillors and school heads were sensitisated on child labour in Livingstone, Lusaka and Luanshya.
• Enhanced recognition and encouragement of children’s potential through such activities as the National Junior Star Awards and Children’s Empowerment Fair.