[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 75 (Thursday, April 18, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19255-19273]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-9515]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Combating Child Trafficking in Togo Through Education

AGENCY: Bureau of International Labor Affairs, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds and solicitation for 
cooperative agreement applications (SGA 02-03).

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    This notice contains all of the necessary information and forms 
needed to apply for cooperative agreement funding.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of International 
Labor Affairs (ILAB), will award up to US$2 million to an organization 
or organizations to develop and implement formal, non-formal and 
vocational education programs as a means to combat the trafficking of 
children in Togo. The education programs will complement existing USDOL 
and other agencies' programs in Togo that combat child trafficking and 
promote education. ILAB is seeking applications from qualified 
organizations for the purpose of implementing a program to promote 
school attendance and provide educational opportunities for victims of 
child trafficking and children at risk of being trafficked. The program 
will include components in raising awareness of trafficking and of the 
importance of education; strengthening transitional centers that 
receive children returned from trafficking; promoting children's 
academic integration into transitional and formal basic and vocational 
education programs; supporting preventive measures to increase school 
retention of children vulnerable to trafficking; strengthening 
institutions and policies to reduce trafficking and promote school 
attendance; and promoting the sustainability of program interventions.

DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications is June 3, 2002. 
Applications must be received by 4:45 p.m. (Eastern Time) at the 
address below. No exceptions to the mailing, delivery, and hand-
delivery conditions set forth in this notice will be granted. 
Applications that do not meet the conditions set forth in this notice 
will not be honored. Telegram, telefacsimile (FAX), and e-mail 
applications will not be honored.

ADDRESSES: Application forms will not be mailed. They are published in 
this Federal Register Notice, and in the Federal Register which may be 
obtained from your nearest U.S. Government office or public library or 
online at

[[Page 19256]]

http://www.nara.gov/fedreg/nfpubs.html.
    Applications must be delivered to: U.S. Department of Labor, 
Procurement Services Center, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-5416, 
Attention: Lisa Harvey, Reference: SGA 02-03, Washington, DC 20210. 
Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not be 
accepted. Applications sent by other delivery services, such as Federal 
Express, UPS, etc., will be accepted; however, the applicant bears the 
responsibility for timely submission.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Harvey. E-mail address: [email protected]. All applicants are advised that U.S. mail delivery in the 
Washington, DC area has been slow and erratic due to the recent 
concerns involving anthrax contamination. All applicants must take this 
into consideration when preparing to meet the application deadline. It 
is recommended that you confirm receipt of your application by 
contacting Lisa Harvey, U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services 
Center, telephone (202) 693-4570 (this is not a toll-free number), 
prior to the closing deadline. All inquiries should reference SGA 02-
03.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau 
of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), announces the availability of 
funds to be granted by cooperative agreement to one or more qualifying 
organizations for the purpose of promoting school attendance and 
combating child trafficking in Togo. The cooperative agreement will be 
actively managed by ILAB's International Child Labor Program (ICLP), to 
assure achievement of the stated goals. Applicants are encouraged to be 
creative in proposing cost-effective interventions that will have a 
demonstrable impact in promoting school attendance by Togolese children 
who have been victims of trafficking or at risk of being trafficked.

I. Background and Program Scope

A. USDOL Support to the Global Elimination of Child Labor/Child 
Trafficking and Expanding Access to Education

    In 2001, press reports from West Africa brought the issue of child 
trafficking to the world's attention by detailing the voyage of the 
ship Etireno, which was reputedly carrying children being trafficked 
between countries for purposes of employment. The International Labor 
Organization (ILO) estimates that there are 250 million working 
children between the ages of 5 and 14 in developing countries, about 
half of whom work full-time. Children who are trafficked are among the 
most exploited, and qualify as victims of the worst forms of child 
labor equivalent to slavery under ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms 
of Child Labor. Trafficked children who work full-time are generally 
unable to attend school. Furthermore, children who are trafficked have 
often dropped out of school early or have never attended school at all.
    The existence of child labor and the trafficking of children for 
exploitative employment have many implications for a country. In source 
communities from which children are trafficked, sending a child to be 
employed far from home influences others to do likewise. The negative 
effects of trafficking include poorly educated children with low skills 
who return to their communities traumatized, in ill health (e.g., HIV/
AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, drug addiction), and susceptible 
to premature death. It is often challenging to reintegrate these 
children into communities that are already resource-poor and 
overburdened with social problems. Contrary to the belief that 
migration of children is a solution to poverty, it often reproduces it 
and leads to other social problems.
    It is important to undertake education initiatives for child 
laborers and their at-risk siblings, and particularly for children who 
are victims of or susceptible to trafficking, because their lack of 
schooling hinders their personal development, as well as that of a 
modern workforce, overall labor market reform, poverty reduction and 
social progress. Education is a key investment that has been linked to 
the acceleration of a nation's productivity and socioeconomic 
development. Poorly educated workers tend to earn less, live in 
poverty, and may in turn send their own children to work at a young 
age. Consequently, it is important to keep children in educational 
settings instead of in workplaces. Further, keeping children in school 
protects them from the abuses of trafficking.
    Since 1995 and as mandated by the U.S. Congress, USDOL has 
supported a worldwide technical assistance program implemented by the 
International Labor Organization's International Program on the 
Elimination of Child Labor (ILO/IPEC). USDOL contributions to date to 
ILO/IPEC have amounted to over $112 million, making the United States 
the program's largest donor and the leader in global efforts to combat 
child labor. USDOL has supported ILO/IPEC projects that target child 
trafficking in various countries, including in West and Central Africa, 
as described in Appendix D.
    In USDOL's FY 2001 appropriations, in addition to US $45 million in 
funds earmarked for ILO/IPEC, the Department received US $37 million 
for a Child Labor Education Initiative that will fund programs that 
increase access to quality, basic education in areas with a high 
incidence of abusive and exploitative child labor. The cooperative 
agreement(s) awarded under this solicitation will be funded by this new 
initiative.
    USDOL's Child Labor Education Initiative nurtures the development, 
health, safety and enhanced future employability of children around the 
world by increasing access to basic education for children removed from 
child labor or at risk of entering it. Child labor elimination will 
depend in part on improving access to, quality of, and relevance of 
education. Without improving educational quality and relevance, 
children withdrawn from child labor may not have viable alternatives 
and could resort to other forms of hazardous work.
    The Child Labor Education Initiative has the following four goals:
    1. Raise awareness of the importance of education for all children 
and mobilize a wide array of actors to improve and expand education 
infrastructures;
    2. Strengthen formal and transitional education systems that 
encourage working children and those at risk of working to attend 
school;
    3. Strengthen national institutions and policies on education and 
child labor; and
    4. Ensure the long-term sustainability of these efforts.

B. Child Labor and Trafficking in Togo

    Child labor and trafficking in Togo can be understood in terms of 
the social, political and economic developments that have taken place 
in Togo in the last decade. In the early 1990s, Togo experienced a 
period of political turmoil and economic contraction. According to the 
World Bank, per capita income is estimated to have fallen by 28% 
between 1990 and 1993. In 1993, government revenues fell to a mere 10% 
of GDP, causing a sharp decline in the provision of social services.
    Further, political instability resulting from the controversial 
1993 presidential elections led to a sharp fall in the flow of foreign 
aid to the country. In response to the crises, Togo launched a 
comprehensive adjustment program in 1994 that contributed to reversing 
the economic deterioration. However, a disputed presidential election 
and an

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energy crisis in 1998 contributed to another sharp economic decline. 
Since then, the political, social and economic situation has continued 
to deteriorate, and poverty has been on the rise.
    One result of the increase in poverty has been an escalation in the 
incidence of child labor and trafficking. Adding to this issue is the 
inadequacy of Togo's education system, which underwent a sharp 
deterioration in the 1990s.
    Estimates of the magnitude of child labor and trafficking in Togo 
vary significantly (from 140,000 to 200,000 for child labor), and key 
stakeholders agree that there is a need for better data to inform 
policies and programs at both national and regional levels. A non-
governmental organization (NGO) working in Togo on trafficking 
estimates that the majority of trafficked children are between 9 and 13 
years of age, and that 70 percent of them are girls. Although 
trafficked children originate in all parts of Togo, many children come 
from the Central and Maritime regions, where they may initially work 
before going overseas. General consensus among actors is that the 
primary trafficking destinations for Togolese children are Gabon for 
girls (who often work in the markets or as domestic servants) and 
Nigeria for boys (who engage in agricultural work). Although precise 
figures are lacking, anecdotal accounts indicate that girls are often 
sexually exploited while they are abroad, and that some girls return 
pregnant or with sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. The 
Sokode regional office of the Ministry of Social Affairs also estimates 
that approximately 30 percent of boys become addicted to drugs while 
working abroad, and that some may become intermediaries for dealers in 
order to continue their habit after they return to Togo. If verified to 
exist, this work would be a worst form of child labor under ILO 
Convention 182.
    In addition to being sent overseas to work, many Togolese children 
are also trafficked within Togo. Children migrate from rural to urban 
areas, primarily to Lome or the Maritime region, to work in houses, in 
the market, or in the cotton industry. Girls are more visible in the 
streets and markets, while boys often work in unpaid apprenticeships; 
all work long hours without adequate rest. In some parts of the 
country, bonded labor occurs in the traditional practice known as 
trokosi, whereby young girls are given to voodoo priests as 
compensation for offenses allegedly committed, or debts incurred, by a 
member of the girl's family. The U.S. Embassy is currently financing a 
study on this practice because little is known about what takes place 
in trokosi, although it is reported that these girls are not allowed to 
attend school.
    Although the causes of child labor and trafficking in specific 
areas of Togo are not yet systematically documented, a number of 
contributing factors have been identified by NGOs and government 
organizations. Among these are: poverty; large numbers of children 
under 15 in a family; cultural practices (including polygamy); parental 
illiteracy; belonging to certain ethnic groups; and lack of knowledge 
of child rights. Girls are sometimes sent to work to earn money for 
their dowry or for fear that they may become pregnant if sent to 
school. Alternatively, a girl may seek out opportunities to go abroad 
to work in order to escape an early or forced marriage.
    In some regions, land tenure also appears to have contributed to an 
increasing incidence of child labor and trafficking. In Vogan, for 
example, the state phosphate company appropriated land, leaving 
families landless. It is reported that the number of children sent to 
work has increased in order to compensate for lost income. It is also 
reported that children and their parents often view education as 
unimportant. Since the labor market is not well developed, uneducated 
people often enter into petty commerce as a lifetime occupation.
    A number of organizations are working on programs to combat child 
trafficking in Togo. These programs address some of the causes of child 
labor/trafficking and barriers to education, but are insufficient due 
to their small scale. Summaries of these programs are presented in 
Appendix E of this solicitation.

C. Gaps in the Prevention of Trafficking and Reintegration of Children 
Into Education Settings in Togo

    In spite of the number of programs already being undertaken in Togo 
to combat trafficking, analysis by USDOL has identified a number of 
gaps that hamper efforts to prevent trafficking and provide access to 
education for child victims of trafficking. These gaps form the core of 
the problem that the scope of work of this solicitation aims to 
address.
1. Lack of Data and of Information Sharing
    Institutions working on child trafficking in Togo lack adequate 
capacity to gather and share data, and analyze the correlation between 
data on education and child labor/trafficking. For example, as noted 
above in Section I.B, there are varied estimates on how many children 
are being trafficked or involved in child labor in Togo. The 
identification of the numbers of children entering or vulnerable to 
trafficking and child labor is linked to the number of children in an 
age cohort, and the number of children not in school. School dropout is 
linked to a number of risk factors that can be identified and then 
quantified. But getting precise figures on all of these elements is 
difficult due to the lack of universal birth registry of children, the 
lack of figures on drop out rates, and still embryonic attempts to 
categorize the causes of trafficking and drop out (risk factors) at 
particular locations. There is also limited knowledge of the barriers 
to education in specific locations, and of the educational attainment 
and needs of trafficked children.
2. Limited Coordination and Weak Partnerships Among Institutional 
Actors
    As reported by many actors in Togo, there is inadequate national 
coordination to address child trafficking and reintegrate children into 
their communities of origin. Despite strong commitment to combating 
child trafficking, there is little broad-based collaborative action 
around trafficking and education, and there is competition for 
leadership among different actors in both the public sector and civil 
society, and between the public sector and civil society.
    Through IPEC and World Bank-funded projects with the Ministries of 
Labor and Social Affairs, there have been attempts to begin 
coordinating direct action programs at the regional and prefecture 
levels. Preliminary national and regional action plans have been 
developed in consultation with different partners and can serve as a 
base for building partnerships to improve and expand the education 
infrastructure for children who are returned victims of trafficking or 
at risk of being trafficked. It is important that USDOL's Child Labor 
Education Initiative enhance collaboration between both of these 
ministries, and strengthen their relationship with the Ministry of 
Education and other ministries to address the education and supporting 
needs of the target children.
3. Challenges to raising awareness
    Although several organizations have already conducted awareness 
raising campaigns on the realities and consequences of trafficking 
among some audiences, for example traditional and political leaders, it 
is not certain that the message has been passed onto other stakeholders 
including parents and

[[Page 19258]]

children. Further, there are powerful counter-forces to awareness-
raising against trafficking in Togo including family poverty; the 
belief that children will be better off when they leave home because 
they will have access to education or will gain a skill; and the notion 
that children leaving the family will earn money for a dowry, a 
business, or the family. Also prevalent in Togo is the belief that 
trafficked children who return with no money, ill, or who have faced 
other unfortunate events have just been unlucky. These misfortunes are 
not seen to be the norm and therefore have little bearing on decisions 
of whether children should leave or stay.
4. High Drop Out Rates For Younger Children, Particularly For Girls, 
Who Are Highly Vulnerable to Trafficking
    Although precise data on dropout rates are not available, the 
Ministry of Education in Togo has observed that rates of school 
retention, particularly for girls, are progressively lower at each 
higher grade, beginning as early as second grade. Work is one of the 
major reasons why children drop out of school. Parents of boys 
sometimes think that the apprenticeships or work abroad offer a better 
chance for acquiring marketable skills, while girls' parents perceive 
that their daughters do not need an education since they will marry, 
and need to collect money for their dowry by working, either in Lome, 
or abroad in Gabon.
5. Lack of Continuity Between Transitional and Permanent Schooling
    Children who return to Togo after being trafficked generally end up 
at a transition center where they receive a number of services, 
including health care and some schooling, prior to being reunited with 
their parents. However, there is often a gap between the temporary 
schooling at the transition centers, and the schooling they receive 
after returning to their place of origin. Without continuity, there is 
a risk of losing the benefits of the education received at the 
transition center. Further, teachers receiving the children at the 
place of origin may be inadequately prepared to support the successful 
reintegration of children into school. To aid in their successful 
reintegration, teachers at both transitional and permanent schools need 
training to deal with the psychosocial and special academic needs of 
children victims of trafficking, and to communicate and coordinate on 
the special needs of specific children.
6. Lack of Schooling Alternatives For Older Children
    Whereas younger children in Togo can be more successfully 
integrated into the formal school system, it is more difficult for 
older children to return to school. A number of trafficked children may 
never have gone to school, and older children are not likely to enroll 
at lower grade levels in formal schools with much younger children. 
Without alternative educational opportunities that address older 
children's special needs, they are likely to remain illiterate, or 
semi-literate, and not be able to access better employment and income 
opportunities.
7. Limited Follow-Up of Reintegrated Children
    Related to the lack of continuity between transitional and formal 
schooling is the limited follow-up of reintegrated children. In Togo, 
because of lack of resources, public and private sector organizations 
that reintegrate the children generally do not follow up on them after 
about one year, and less in some cases. After being returned, some of 
the children may not attend school and may even be trafficked again. 
Although there are now attempts to build community-based monitoring 
systems to address this problem, they are limited in scope and reach.
8. Insufficient Community Capacity To Address Child Trafficking Through 
Education
    Although Togo has a strong tradition of community mobilization and 
using community structures for development in education and other 
sectors, communities have not been heavily involved in addressing the 
problem of child trafficking. Parent and Teacher Associations (PTAs) 
are stronger in Togo than in many other African countries, and the 
government supports community schools. Vis-a-vis education, UNICEF and 
other organizations have been working to develop self-help groups, and 
to use community structures (village committees) to develop village 
action plans which can subsequently be funded. Both Ministry of Social 
Affairs and Ministry of Labor projects funded through the World Bank 
and IPEC are aiming to work with community structures. However, such 
efforts are relatively nascent. Furthermore, only a small number of 
communities can currently be targeted due to the projects' limited 
resources.
9. Gaps in Policy and Enforcement
    There are gaps in education and child labor policies that relate to 
combating child trafficking. Togo has a compulsory school attendance 
policy to age 15, but Togo's Labor Code (Article 114) allows children 
to begin working at age 14. In addition to inconsistencies in domestic 
laws, there are also discrepancies between domestic policies and 
international agreements.
    Another policy gap in Togo is the fact that trafficking of children 
is not currently considered a crime. The Ministry of Social Affairs has 
expressed a desire to develop case law and precedents, and to develop 
the capacity of Togolese lawyers to sue for damages and obtain 
compensation for trafficked children. This money would then be used for 
the child's education, and possibly for a savings account to benefit 
the child. The issue of policy implementation of this idea is complex 
because it involves various facets of domestic and international law, 
and the ability to enforce them.
    In addition to gaps in policy, there is inadequate enforcement of 
existing laws. Even if there were consistency among domestic laws, and 
between domestic policies and international legal commitments, their 
lax enforcement in Togo remains a serious problem.
10. Challenges to Achieving Sustainability
    Sustainability is ultimately linked to project impact and the 
ability of individuals, communities and a nation to ensure that the 
activities or changes implemented by a project endure. A project's 
impacts are manifested at the level of individuals, organizations, and 
systems. For individual children and their families this would mean a 
positive and enduring change in their life conditions as a result of 
project interventions. At the level of organizations and systems, 
sustained impact would involve continued commitment and ability 
(including financial commitment and policy change) to continue the 
actions generated by the project as long as they are still needed, 
including enforcement of existing policies that target trafficking, 
child labor and school attendance.
    In Togo, there are a number of factors that affect the ability of a 
project to achieve sustainable impact at these multiple levels. At the 
level of individual families and children, these include family poverty 
and the choices made vis-a-vis work versus school for children. 
Sustainability will thus be tied to the ability to provide income 
alternatives to the family to replace income from child labor, and a 
change in attitudes that places education rather

[[Page 19259]]

than child labor at the forefront of decision-making.
    Sustainability of organizational commitment to the issue is 
affected by the lack of resources. Inadequate government funding has 
led to lack of means of transport for monitoring, long delays in paying 
teachers and government cadres, and the inability to build schools and 
provide related school infrastructure and maintenance. Low donor 
funding is also a limiting factor.
    At the system level, sustainability will be adversely affected by 
inadequate policies and laws to protect children and to allow them 
access to education, as well as by the lax enforcement of existing 
policies and laws. Insufficiency of resources at the national level to 
promote education and combat trafficking also poses a threat to 
sustainability.

II. Authority

    ILAB is authorized to award and administer this program by the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2001, Public Law 106-554, 114 Stat. 
2763A-10 (2000).

III. Application Process

A. Eligible Applicants

    Any commercial, international, or non-profit organization capable 
of successfully developing and implementing education programs for 
child victims of trafficking or children at risk is eligible to apply 
for this cooperative agreement. Partnerships of more than one 
organization are also eligible, and applicants are strongly encouraged 
to work with organizations already undertaking projects in Togo, 
including local NGOs (see Appendix E). The capability of an applicant 
or applicants to perform necessary aspects of this solicitation will be 
determined under Section V.B Rating Criteria and Selection.
    Please note that eligible cooperative agreement applicants must not 
be classified under the Internal Revenue Code as a 501(c)(4) entity. 
See 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4). According to Section 18 of the Lobbying 
Disclosure Act of 1995, an organization, as described in Section 
501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, that engages in 
lobbying activities will not be eligible for the receipt of federal 
funds constituting an award, grant, or loan.

B. Submission of Applications

    One (1) ink-signed original, complete application in English plus 
two (2) copies of the application must be submitted to the U.S. 
Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW, Room N-5416, Washington, DC 20210, not later than 4:45 p.m. 
ET, June 3, 2002. Accompanying documents should also be in English. To 
aid with review of applications, USDOL also encourages applicants to 
submit two additional paper copies of the application (five total). 
Applicants who do not provide additional copies will not be penalized.
    The application must consist of two (2) separate parts. Part I of 
the application must contain the Standard Form (SF) 424, ``Application 
for Federal Assistance'' (Appendix A) (The entry on SF 424 for the 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA) is 17.700) and 
sections A-F of the Budget Information Form SF 424A (Appendix B). Part 
II must contain a technical application that demonstrates capabilities 
in accordance with the Statement of Work and the selection criteria.
    To be considered responsive to this solicitation, the application 
must consist of the above-mentioned separate sections not to exceed 25 
single-sided (8\1/2\" x 11"), double-spaced, 10 to 12 pitch typed 
pages. Any applications that do not conform to these standards may be 
deemed non-responsive to this solicitation and may not be evaluated. 
Standard forms and attachments are not included in the page limit. Each 
application must include a table of contents and an abstract 
summarizing the application in not more than two (2) pages. These pages 
are also not included in the page limits.
    Upon completion of negotiations, the individual signing the SF 424 
on behalf of the applicant must be authorized to bind the applicant.

C. Acceptable Methods of Submission

    The grant application package must be received at the designated 
place by the date and time specified or it will not be considered. Any 
application received at the Office of Procurement Services after 4:45 
pm EST, June 3, 2002 will not be considered unless it is received 
before the award is made and:
    1. it was sent by registered or certified mail not later than the 
fifth calendar day before June 3, 2002;
    2. it is determined by the Government that the late receipt was due 
solely to mishandling by the Government after receipt at the U.S. 
Department of Labor at the address indicated; or
    3. it was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day 
Service-Post Office to Addressee, not later than 5 pm at the place of 
mailing two (2) working days, excluding weekends and Federal holidays, 
prior to June 3, 2002.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by registered or certified mail is the U.S. 
Postal Service postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original 
receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. If the postmark is not legible, 
an application received after the above closing time and date shall be 
processed as if mailed late. ``Postmark'' means a printed, stamped or 
otherwise placed impression (not a postage meter machine impression) 
that is readily identifiable without further action as having been 
applied and affixed by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service on the 
date of mailing. Therefore applicants should request that the postal 
clerk place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's-eye'' postmark on both 
the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day 
Service-Post Office to Addressee is the date entered by the Post Office 
receiving clerk on the ``Express Mail Next Day Service-Post Office to 
Addressee'' label and the postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on 
the original receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. ``Postmark'' has the 
same meaning as defined above. Therefore, applicants should request 
that the postal clerk place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's-eye'' 
postmark on both the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at 
the U.S. Department of Labor is the date/time stamp of the Procurement 
Services Center on the application wrapper or other documentary 
evidence or receipt maintained by that office.
    Applications may be sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) 
will not be accepted. Applications sent by other delivery services, 
such as Federal Express, UPS, etc., will be accepted, however, the 
applicant bears the responsibility for timely submission. Because of 
delay in the receipt of mail in the Washington, D.C. area, it is 
recommended that you confirm receipt of your application by contacting 
Lisa Harvey, U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, 
telephone (202) 693-4570 (this is not a toll-free number), prior to the 
closing deadline. All inquiries should reference SGA 02-03.

D. Funding Levels

    Up to US$2 million is available for this program. Although USDOL 
will award only one cooperative agreement, a partnership of more than 
one organization may apply to implement the program.

[[Page 19260]]

E. Program Duration

    The duration of the program(s) funded by this SGA is four (4) 
years. The start date of program activities will be negotiated upon 
awarding of the cooperative agreement (hereafter referred to as 
``grant'').

IV. Requirements

A. Statement of Work

    In developing their proposals, applicants should take into account 
the gaps and challenges to preventing trafficking, promoting school 
attendance, and reintegrating trafficked children into educational 
settings outlined in Section I.C above. Applicants should explain how 
the services provided under this grant will address the gaps outlined 
in Section I.C. They should also consider the implementing environment 
in Togo described in Section I.B and Appendix E, and the lessons 
learned from other experiences in trafficking projects available as 
background documents on-line at (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/ipec/publ/childtraf/trafficking.pdf), or in hard copy upon 
request (see Appendix F).
    The applicants should also propose approaches and strategies to 
meet the education needs of the identified target beneficiaries in 
Togo--children at risk of being trafficked or child victims of 
trafficking. The approaches should support the goals of USDOL's Child 
Labor Education Initiative (EI): (1) Raise awareness of the importance 
of education for all children and mobilize a wide array of actors to 
improve and expand education infrastructures; (2) Strengthen formal and 
transitional education systems that encourage working children and 
those at risk of working to attend school; (3) Strengthen national 
institutions and policies on education and child labor, and (4) Ensure 
the long-term sustainability of these efforts.
    The cooperative agreement awardee (hereafter referred to as 
``Grantee'') is expected to work cooperatively with stakeholders in the 
country, including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labor, 
Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Technical Education and 
Professional Training, NGOs, national steering/advisory committees on 
child labor and education, community and faith-based organizations, and 
trafficked and at-risk children and their families. In order to avoid 
duplication, enhance collaboration, expand impact, and develop 
synergies, the Grantee should coordinate project activities with those 
already being undertaken for victims of trafficking with USDOL funding 
by the ILO/IPEC, and by the World Bank with the Ministry of Social 
Affairs. The Ministry of Social Affairs currently works with 15 
communities in the Central and Maritime regions. Although project 
resources may be used to conduct jointly funded awareness raising 
campaigns, training, and information gathering, the bulk of project 
resources should be directly devoted to expanding and improving 
education and support programs for target children. Project key 
personnel should work closely with the ILO/IPEC's National Program 
Manager, and where warranted with staff of the Ministries of Labor, 
Education, Social Affairs and Technical Education in developing project 
interventions. Project activities should also be coordinated with those 
funded by other donors, such as the World Bank. Finally, the Grantee 
should assure that youth with disabilities have physical and 
programmatic access to programs operated with the use of USDOL funds.
    Below is a listing of specific requirements to guide applicants in 
the development of responses to this solicitation.
    Overall, the applicant should propose creative and innovative 
approaches to improve access, quality and relevance of education for 
Togolese children up to age 18 who have been victims of trafficking, or 
who are at risk of being trafficked. The geographical target area will 
be the Central and Maritime regions of Togo. The exact number of 
communities and children to benefit from this Child Labor Education 
Initiative Project will be identified by the Grantee in collaboration 
with the ministries of Labor, Social Affairs and Education in the first 
three months of the project, and will form the basis of the first 
year's work plan.
    The applicant should also work closely with local authorities and 
educators to create a coherent model of education interventions to 
provide education alternatives to children at risk of trafficking or 
victims of trafficking. In the process of implementation it is expected 
that capacity of local delivery mechanisms for education to this target 
group will be strengthened. Although new and innovative solutions are 
strongly encouraged, at a minimum, the applicant is expected to propose 
approaches that address the following areas of implementation:

1. Awareness Raising and Mobilization of Actors To Promote School 
Attendance and Reduce Child Trafficking

    a. Assist local organizations to develop a multi-tiered 
communications strategy with audience segmentation and targeted 
messages that raise awareness and influence opinions and behavior of 
multiple actors including parents and children, educators, community 
leaders, and others to promote school attendance and reduce 
trafficking. The strategy should complement rather than duplicate 
previous awareness raising campaigns, and where possible coordinate 
with future ones planned by other projects so as to reduce duplication 
and mixed messages.
    b. On the basis of the communications strategy, conduct awareness 
raising campaigns to targeted audiences to promote school attendance 
and reduce the lure of trafficking.
    c. Use communications strategy to mobilize actors to propose 
solutions to reduce trafficking and promote school attendance.
    d. Through awareness raising and related activities, promote the 
development of working and task-oriented multi-sectoral partnerships at 
the community, regional, and national levels to combat trafficking, 
promote school attendance, and improve education infrastructure in 
areas of high incidence of child trafficking.

2. Strengthen Education Systems To Promote School Attendance, Reduce 
Trafficking, and Reintegrate Trafficked Children Into Education 
Settings

    Strengthening of education systems to address project goals will 
involve at least the following components: (1) Identification of target 
communities and baseline data collection; (2) Prevention of dropout of 
younger children at risk of being trafficked through improved quality 
and relevance of education; and (3) Reintegration of older trafficking 
victims into educational settings.
    Targeting at-risk communities:
    The Grantee should work with the Ministries of Education, Labor, 
and Social Affairs and other relevant partners to:
    a. Identify the number and location of target communities for EI 
project interventions.
    b. In target communities, gather and correlate baseline 
socioeconomic and education data on (1) children returned from 
trafficking; and (2) children at risk of being trafficked to identify 
trends and patterns in these data.
    c. Assess educational infrastructure and quality in target 
communities, and identify specific gaps to be filled by the project.
    Prevention
    The Grantee should work with the Ministry of Education and other 
relevant partners to:

[[Page 19261]]

    a. Identify risk factors for formal school dropout, causes of drop 
out, and drop out trends in areas of high trafficking.
    b. Develop a strategy to increase retention and promotion to next 
grade for children at risk of being trafficked, particularly girls.
    c. Reduce drop out rates for at-risk children through improved 
primary school quality and enrichment programs in areas of high 
trafficking, or scholarship programs.
    Reintegration of Trafficked Children
    The Grantee should work with the Ministry of Education and Ministry 
of Social Affairs, Ministry of Technical Education and other relevant 
partners to:
    a. Strengthen the links between education programs at transition 
centers and permanent schools, including through increased capacity to 
assess and share psychosocial and education needs of child victims of 
trafficking.
    b. Support development/expansion of bridge programs that allow 
eventual reintegration of younger children (up to age 15) victims of 
trafficking into the formal school system or vocational training. These 
programs should include innovative approaches to improve teaching 
materials, pedagogy, learning assessment, and monitoring of results. 
The programs can include psychosocial counseling and guidance, 
recreational activities, tutoring, and life skills training.
    c. Develop innovative vocational education and skills training 
programs for older children (ages 15-18) who are either victims of 
trafficking or at risk of being trafficked that allow them access to 
improved future employment opportunities. These programs can include 
psychosocial counseling and guidance, tutoring, and life skills 
training.
    Funds provided by this grant in support of this component may be 
used for the construction/repair/expansion of education or boarding 
facilities to benefit target children, and for the provision of related 
pedagogical and training materials, if local communities can leverage 
complementary resources in support of proposed education facilities and 
programs.

3. Strengthen institutions and policies to promote school attendance, 
reduce trafficking, and reintegrate trafficked children into 
educational settings

    The objective of this component is to promote approaches to create 
accountability mechanisms within the government to document the problem 
and monitor (in partnership with civil society organizations) the 
progress in reaching target communities both in the prevention of child 
trafficking through school retention, and reintegration of children 
into educational settings after being returned from trafficking. The 
development and expansion of multi-sectoral partnerships to reduce 
trafficking and support the education of target children is critical. 
Specifically the project should:
    a. Improve Ministry of Education capacity to collect data on 
correlations between school attendance and performance, drop out and 
trafficking. The result of strengthened capacity would be the ability 
to collect, process, analyze, map and correlate data between 
trafficking and educational attainment, with the objective of informed 
education and child labor (anti-trafficking) policies. Data should be 
collected and processed in collaboration with the ministries of Labor 
and Social Affairs.
    b. Strengthen the capacity of key civil society organizations and 
communities to monitor and follow up on the education of children at 
risk of being trafficked or returned from trafficking, to complement 
government monitoring.
    c. Enhance inter-institutional coordination capacity, collaboration 
and working partnerships between the Ministries of Labor, Social 
Affairs and Education, and Technical Education concerning the education 
of children who have been victims of trafficking, or who are at high 
risk of being trafficked.
    d. Enhance partnerships between the public sector and civil society 
on the issue of education of children who have been victims of 
trafficking, or who are at high risk of being trafficked.
    e. Improve coordination and implementation of existing policies and 
laws on school attendance and child labor in target areas of project 
intervention.
    f. Promote legislation/litigation to compensate victims of 
trafficking through payment by traffickers and employers for their 
social reintegration and education.
    In implementing these three components, the Grantee will design 
approaches that promote sustainability of impact at the individual, 
organization and system-wide level as described above in Section I.C 
above. As one means to promote sustainability, the Grantee can leverage 
alternative income generation/credit programs for opportunities for 
families of children benefiting from this project, and/or for older 
children who complete skills and/or vocational training.
    In addition to meeting these requirements, the Grantee will be 
expected to monitor the implementation of the program, report to USDOL 
on a quarterly basis, and evaluate program results. The grant(s) will 
include funds to plan, implement and evaluate programs and activities, 
conduct various studies pertinent to project implementation, and to 
establish education baselines to measure program results. The Grantee 
must develop annual work plans that will be approved by USDOL. 
Corresponding indicators of performance will also be developed by the 
Grantee and approved by USDOL.

B. Deliverables

    Unless otherwise indicated, the Grantee(s) must submit copies of 
all required reports to ILAB by the specified due dates. Other 
documents, such as project design documents, are to be submitted by 
mutually agreed upon deadlines.
    1. Project Designs. A project document in a format to be 
established by ILAB in the logical framework format will be used, and 
will include a background/justification section, project strategy 
(objectives, outputs, activities, indicators, means of verification), 
project implementation timetable and project budget. The project design 
will be drawn from the proposal written in response to this 
solicitation. The document will also include sections that address 
coordination strategies, project management and sustainability. The 
time for delivery of this document will be negotiated at the time of 
the award.
    2. Technical and Financial Progress Reports. The Grantee must 
furnish a typed technical report to ILAB on a quarterly basis by 31 
March, 30 June, 30 September, and 31 December. The Grantee must also 
furnish a separate financial report to ILAB on the quarterly basis 
mentioned above. The format for the technical progress report will be 
the format developed by ILAB and must contain the following 
information:
    a. For each project objective, an accurate account of activities 
carried out under that objective during the reporting period;
    b. An accounting of staff and any subcontractor hours expended;
    c. An accounting of travel performed under the cooperative 
agreement during the reporting period, including purpose of trip, 
persons or organizations contacted, and benefits derived;
    d. A description of current problems that may impede performance, 
and proposed corrective action;
    e. Future actions planned in support of each project objective;
    f. Aggregate amount of costs incurred during the reporting period; 
and
    g. Progress on indicators (to be reported annually).

[[Page 19262]]

    3. Annual Work Plan. An annual work plan will be developed within 
three months of project award and approved by ILAB to ensure 
coordination with other relevant social actors in Togo. Subsequent 
annual work plans will be delivered no later than one year after the 
previous one.
    4. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. A monitoring and evaluation plan 
will be developed, in collaboration with ILAB, including beginning and 
ending dates for the project, planned and actual dates for mid-term 
review, and final end of project evaluations. The monitoring plan will 
be prepared after completion of baseline surveys, including revision of 
indicators provided in project document, targets, and means of 
verification.
    5. Evaluation Reports. The Grantee and the Grant Officer's 
Technical Representative (GOTR) will determine on a case-by-case basis 
whether mid-term evaluations will be conducted by an internal or 
external evaluation team. All final evaluations will be external in 
nature. The Grantee must respond to any comments and recommendations 
resulting from the review of the mid-term report.

C. Production of Deliverables

    1. Materials Prepared Under the Cooperative Agreement. The Grantee 
must submit to ILAB all media-related and educational materials 
developed by it or its sub-contractors before they are reproduced, 
published, or used. ILAB considers that education materials include 
brochures, pamphlets, videotapes, slide-tape shows, curricula, and any 
other training materials used in the program. ILAB will review 
materials for technical accuracy. The Grantee must obtain prior 
approval from the Grant Officer for all materials developed or 
purchased under this cooperative agreement. All materials produced by 
the Grantee must be provided to ILAB in a digital format for possible 
publication by ILAB.
    2. Acknowledgment of USDOL Funding. In all circumstances the 
following must be displayed on printed materials:
    ``Preparation of this item was funded by the United States 
Department of Labor under Cooperative Agreement No. E-9-X-X-XXXX.''
    When issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, 
bid solicitations, and other documents describing projects or programs 
funded in whole or in part with Federal money, all Grantees receiving 
Federal funds, including State and local governments and recipients of 
Federal research grants, must clearly state:
    a. The percentage of the total costs of the program or project 
which will be financed with Federal money;
    b. The dollar amount of Federal funds for the project or program; 
and
    c. The percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the 
project or program that will be financed by non-governmental sources.
    In consultation with ILAB, USDOL's role will be identified as one 
of the following:
    a. The USDOL logo may be applied to USDOL-funded material prepared 
for world-wide distribution, including posters, videos, pamphlets, 
research documents, national survey results, impact evaluations, best 
practice reports, and other publications of global interest. The 
Grantee will consult with USDOL on whether the logo should be used on 
any such items prior to final draft or final preparation for 
distribution. In no event will the USDOL logo be placed on any item 
until USDOL has given the Grantee written permission to use the logo, 
after obtaining appropriate internal USDOL approval for use of the logo 
on the item.
    b. If ILAB determines that the use of the logo is not appropriate 
and does not give written permission, the following notice must appear 
on the document:

    This document does not necessarily reflect the views or policies 
of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, 
commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. 
Government.

D. Administrative Requirements

    1. General. Grantee organizations are subject to applicable Federal 
laws (including provisions of appropriations law) and the applicable 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars. Determinations of 
allowable costs will be made in accordance with the applicable Federal 
cost principles. The cooperative agreement(s) awarded under this SGA 
are subject to the following administrative standards and provisions, 
if applicable:
    29 CFR Part 36--Federal Standards for Nondiscrimination on the 
Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal 
Financial Assistance.
    29 CFR Part 93--New Restrictions on Lobbying.
    29 CFR Part 95--Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and 
Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other 
Non-Profit Organizations, and with Commercial Organizations, Foreign 
Governments, Organizations Under the Jurisdiction of Foreign 
Governments and International Organizations.
    29 CFR Part 96--Federal Standards for Audit of Federally Funded 
Grants, Contracts and Agreements.
    29 CFR Part 98--Federal Standards for Governmentwide Debarment and 
Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-
Free Workplace (Grants).
    29 CFR Part 99--Federal Standards for Audits of States, Local 
Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations.
    2. Sub-contracts. Sub-contracts must be awarded in accordance with 
29 CFR 95.40-48. In compliance with Executive Orders 12876 as amended, 
13230, 12928 and 13021 as amended, the Grantee is strongly encouraged 
to provide sub-contracting opportunities to Historically Black Colleges 
and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges and 
Universities.
    3. Key Personnel. The applicant shall list individual(s) who has 
(have) been designated as having primary responsibility for the conduct 
and completion of all project work. The applicant will submit written 
proof that key personnel will be available to begin work on the project 
no later than three weeks after award. The Grantee agrees to inform the 
GOTR whenever it appears impossible for these individual(s) to continue 
work on the project as planned. The Grantee may nominate substitute 
personnel and submit the nominations to the GOTR; however, the Grantee 
must obtain prior approval from the Grant Officer for all key 
personnel. If the Grant Officer is unable to approve the personnel 
change, he/she reserves the right to terminate the cooperative 
agreement.
    4. Encumbrance of Cooperative Agreement Funds. Cooperative 
agreement funds may not be encumbered/obligated by the Grantee before 
or after the cooperative agreement period of performance. Encumbrances/
obligations outstanding as of the end of the cooperative agreement 
period may be liquidated (paid out) after the end of the cooperative 
agreement period. Such encumbrances/obligations shall involve only 
specified commitments for which a need existed during the grant period 
and which are supported by approved contracts, purchase orders, 
requisitions, invoices, bills, or other evidence of liability 
consistent with the Grantee's purchasing procedures and incurred within 
the cooperative agreement period. All encumbrances/obligations incurred 
during the cooperative agreement period shall be liquidated within 90 
days after the end of the grant period, if practicable.
    5. Site Visits. USDOL, through its authorized representatives, has 
the

[[Page 19263]]

right, at all reasonable times, to make site visits to review project 
accomplishments and management control systems and to provide such 
technical assistance as may be required. If USDOL makes any site visit 
on the premises of the Grantee or a sub-contractor(s) under this 
grant(s), the Grantee shall provide and shall require its sub-
contractors to provide all reasonable facilities and assistance for the 
safety and convenience of the Government representatives in the 
performance of their duties. All site visits and evaluations shall be 
performed in a manner that will not unduly delay the work.

V. Review and Selection of Applications for Award

A. The Review Process

    USDOL will screen all applications to determine whether all 
required elements are present and clearly identifiable. Each complete 
application will be objectively rated by a technical panel against the 
criteria described in this announcement. Applicants are advised that 
the panel recommendations to the Grant Officer are advisory in nature. 
The Grant Officer may elect to select a Grantee on the basis of the 
initial proposal submission; or, the Grant Officer may establish a 
competitive or technically acceptable range for the purpose of 
selecting qualified applicants. If deemed appropriate, following the 
Grant Officer's call for the preparation and receipt of final revisions 
of proposals, the evaluation process described above will be repeated 
to consider such revisions. The Grant Officer will make final selection 
determination based on what is most advantageous to the Government, 
considering factors such as panel findings and the availability of 
funds. The Grant Officer's determination for award under this SGA is 
final.

    Note: Selection of an organization as a cooperative agreement 
recipient does not constitute approval of the cooperative agreement 
application as submitted. Before the actual cooperative agreement is 
awarded, USDOL may enter into negotiations about such items as 
program components, funding levels, and administrative systems. If 
the negotiations do not result in an acceptable submission, the 
Grant Officer reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and 
decline to fund the proposal.

B. Rating Criteria and Selection

    The technical panel will review applications against the various 
criteria on the basis of 100 points with an additional 5 points 
available for non-federal or leveraged resources.
    The factors are presented in the order of emphasis that they will 
receive.
    1. Approach, Understanding of the Issue, and Budget Plan (40 
points).
    a. Overview. This section of the proposal must explain:
    (1) The applicant's proposed innovative methods for performing all 
the specific areas of work requirements presented in this solicitation.
    (2) The expected outcomes over the period of performance for each 
of the tasks; and
    (3) The approach for producing the expected outcomes.
    The applicant should describe in detail the proposed approach to 
comply with each requirement in Section IV.A of this solicitation, 
including all tasks and methods to be utilized to implement the 
project. Also, the applicant should explain the rationale for using 
this approach. In addition, this section of the proposal should 
demonstrate the applicant's thorough knowledge and understanding of the 
issues involved in providing education to children victims of 
trafficking or at risk of being trafficked; best-practice solutions to 
address their needs; and the implementing environment in Togo.
    b. Implementation Plan. The applicant must submit an implementation 
plan, preferably with a visual such as a Gantt chart, for the project 
in Togo. The implementation plan should list the outcomes, objectives 
and activities during the life of the project, and scheduling of time 
and staff starting with the execution of the cooperative agreement and 
ending with the final report. In describing the implementation plan, 
the applicant should address the following points:
    (1) Describe the use of existing or potential infrastructure and 
use of qualified personnel, including qualified nationals, to implement 
the project. The applicant should also include a project organizational 
chart, demonstrating management structure, key personnel positions, and 
indicating proposed links with Government, civil society leaders, 
educators, and other significant local actors.
    (2) Develop a list of activities and explain how each relates to 
the overall development objective of reducing child trafficking and the 
effects of trafficking through education.
    (3) Explain how appropriate awareness raising, training, and 
pedagogic materials will be developed.
    (4) Demonstrate how the organization will strengthen national 
institutions and policies on education and combating child trafficking.
    (5) Demonstrate how the organization would systematically report on 
project performance to measure the achievement of the project 
objective(s).
    (6) Demonstrate how the organization would build national and local 
capacity to ensure that project efforts to reduce trafficking and the 
effects of trafficking through the provision of education are sustained 
after completion of the project.
    c. Budget Plan. The applicant must develop a budget of up to US $2 
million for the project. This section of the proposal should explain 
the costs for performing all of the requirements presented in this 
solicitation and for producing all required reports and other 
deliverables presented in this solicitation; costs must include labor, 
equipment, travel, and other related costs.
    d. Management and Staff Loading Plan. This section must also 
include a management and staff loading plan. The management plan should 
include the following:
    (1) A project organization chart and accompanying narrative which 
differentiates between elements of the applicant's staff and 
subcontractors or consultants who will be retained;
    (2) A description of the functional relationship between elements 
of the project's organization; and
    (3) The identity of the individual responsible for project 
management and the lines of authority between this individual and other 
elements of the project.
    (4) A description of how the implementation plan will be integrated 
into and support the anti-trafficking projects being implemented under 
ILO/IPEC and World Bank sponsorship.
    The staff loading plan should identify all key tasks and the 
person-days required to complete each task. Labor estimates for each 
task should be broken down by individuals assigned to the task, 
including subcontractors and consultants. All key tasks should be 
charted to show time required to perform them by months or weeks.
    This section will be evaluated in accordance with applicable 
Federal laws and regulations. The budget must comply with Federal cost 
principles (which can be found in the applicable OMB Circulars) and 
with ILAB budget requirements contained in the application instructions 
in Section III of this solicitation.
    2. Experience and Qualifications of the Organization (35 points).
    The evaluation criteria in this category are as follows:
    a. The organization applying for the award has international 
experience implementing basic, transitional, and vocational education 
programs that

[[Page 19264]]

address issues of access, quality, and policy reform for disadvantaged 
children including working children and victims of trafficking.
    b. The organization has a field presence in Togo, or in the region, 
or could rapidly establish an office in Togo that gives it the 
capability to work directly with government ministries, educators, 
civil society leaders, and other local organizations, e.g., community-
based or faith-based groups; the organization can document that it has 
already established relations of this nature in the target country or 
can show that it has the capacity to readily establish such relations.
    c. The organization has experience working with, or can show it has 
the ability to work with U.N. and multilateral donor organizations.
    The proposal should include information about previous grants or 
contracts relevant to this solicitation including:
    a. The organization for which the work was done;
    b. A contact person in that organization with his or her current 
phone number;
    c. The dollar value of the grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement for the project;
    d. The time frame and professional effort involved in the project;
    e. A brief summary of the work performed; and
    f. A brief summary of accomplishments.
    This information on previous grants and contracts shall be provided 
in appendices and will not count in the 25-page maximum page 
requirement.
    3. Experience and Qualifications of Key Personnel (25 points).
    This section of the proposal must include sufficient information to 
judge the quality and competence of staff proposed to be assigned to 
the project to assure that they meet the required qualifications. 
Successful performance of the proposed work depends heavily on the 
qualifications of the individuals committed to the project. 
Accordingly, in its evaluation of the applicant's proposal, USDOL will 
place emphasis on the applicant's commitment of personnel qualified for 
the work involved in accomplishing the assigned tasks. Information 
provided on the experience and educational background of personnel 
should indicate the following:
    a. The identity of key personnel assigned to the project. ``Key 
personnel'' are staff who are essential to the successful operation of 
the project and completion of the proposed work and, therefore, may not 
be replaced or have their hours reduced without the approval of the 
Grant Officer.
    b. The educational background and experience of all staff to be 
assigned to the project.
    c. The special capabilities of staff that demonstrate prior 
experience in organizing, managing and performing similar efforts.
    d. The current employment status of staff and availability for this 
project. The applicant should also indicate whether the proposed work 
will be performed by persons currently employed or is dependent upon 
planned recruitment or subcontracting. Note that management and 
professional technical staff members comprising the applicant's 
proposed team should be individuals who have prior experience with 
organizations working in similar efforts, and are fully qualified to 
perform work specified in the Statement of Work. Where subcontractors 
or outside assistance are proposed, organizational control should be 
clearly delineated to ensure responsiveness to the needs of USDOL. Key 
personnel must sign letters of agreement to serve on the project, and 
indicate availability to commence work within three weeks of grant 
award.
    The following information must be furnished:
    a. The applicant should designate a Program Director (Key 
Personnel) to oversee the project and be responsible for implementation 
of the requirements of the cooperative agreement in all of the 
countries of eventual implementation. The Program Director must have a 
minimum of three years of professional experience in a leadership role 
in implementation of complex basic education programs in developing 
countries in areas such as education policy; improving educational 
quality and access; teacher training and materials development; 
educational assessment of disadvantaged students; development of 
community participation in the improvement of basic education; and 
monitoring and evaluation of basic education projects. Points will be 
given for candidates with additional years of experience. Preferred 
candidates will also have knowledge of child labor and trafficking 
issues, and experience in the development of transitional, formal, and 
vocational education of children removed from child labor and/or 
victims of child trafficking.
    b. The applicant should designate an Education Specialist (Key 
Personnel) who will provide leadership in developing the technical 
aspects of this project in collaboration with the Project Director. 
This person must have at least three years experience in basic 
education projects in developing countries in areas including student 
assessment, teacher training, educational materials development, 
educational management, and educational monitoring and information 
systems. This person must have experience in working successfully with 
ministries of education, networks of educators, employers' 
organizations and trade union representatives or comparable entities. 
Additional experience with child labor, psychosocial counseling, the 
education of child victims of trafficking, and education monitoring and 
evaluation is an asset.
    c. The applicant should specify other personnel proposed to carry 
out the requirements of this solicitation.
    d. The applicant should include a description of the roles and 
responsibilities of all personnel proposed for this project and a 
resume for each professional person to be assigned to the program. 
Resumes should be attached in an appendix. At a minimum, each resume 
should include: the individual's current employment status and previous 
work experience, including position title, duties performed, dates in 
position, and employing organizations and educational background. 
Duties should be clearly defined in terms of role performed, e.g., 
manager, team leader, consultant, etc. Indicate whether the individual 
is currently employed by the applicant, and (if so) for how long.
    4. Leverage of Funding (5 points).
    The Department will give up to five (5) additional rating points to 
applications that include non-Federal resources that significantly 
expand the dollar amount, size and scope of the proposal. Of special 
interest is an organization's ability to provide income-generation and/
or credit programs in support of families of target children, or for 
older children who complete education programs and are ready for self-
employment. These programs will not be financed by the project, but can 
complement and enhance project objectives. The applicant may include 
any leveraging or co-funding anticipated. To be eligible for the 
additional points in the criterion, the applicant must list the 
source(s) of funds, the nature, and possible activities anticipated 
with these funds under this cooperative agreement and any partnerships, 
linkages or coordination of activities, cooperative funding, etc.


[[Page 19265]]


    Signed at Washington, DC, this 12th day of April, 2002.
Lawrence J. Kuss,
Grant Officer.
Appendix A: SF 424--Application Form.
Appendix B: SF 424A--Budget Information Form.
Appendix C: Background Information on the Causes and Effects of 
Trafficking on Children.
Appendix D: Background Information on USDOL-Funded Projects to Address 
the Trafficking of Children.
Appendix E: Background Information on Education and Anti-Trafficking 
Programs in Togo.
Appendix F: Background Material available in hard copy (upon request).

BILLING CODE 4510-28-P

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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN18AP02.000


[[Page 19267]]


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN18AP02.001


[[Page 19268]]


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN18AP02.002

BILLING CODE 4510-28-C

[[Page 19269]]


    Note: Use Column A to record funds requested for the initial 
period of performance (i.e. 12 months, 18 months, etc.); Column B to 
record changes to Column A (i.e. requests for additional funds or 
line item changes; and Column C to record the totals (A plus B)).

Instructions for Part II--Budget Information

Section A--Budget Summary by Categories

    1. Personnel: Show salaries to be paid for project personnel which 
you are required to provide with W2 forms.
    2. Fringe Benefits: Indicate the rate and amount of fringe 
benefits.
    3. Travel: Indicate the amount requested for staff travel. Include 
funds to cover at least one trip to Washington, DC for project director 
or designee.
    4. Equipment: Indicate the cost of non-expendable personal property 
that has a useful life of more than one year with a per unit cost of 
$5,000 or more. Also include a detailed description of equipment to be 
purchased including price information.
    5. Supplies: Include the cost of consumable supplies and materials 
to be used during the project period.
    6. Contractual: Show the amount to be used for (1) procurement 
contracts (except those which belong on other lines such as supplies 
and equipment); and (2) sub-contracts/grants.
    7. Other: Indicate all direct costs not clearly covered by lines 1 
through 6 above, including consultants.
    8. Total, Direct Costs: Add lines 1 through 7.
    9. Indirect Costs: Indicate the rate and amount of indirect costs. 
Please include a copy of your negotiated Indirect Cost Agreement.
    10. Training /Stipend Cost: (If allowable)
    11. Total Federal Funds Requested: Show total of lines 8 through 
10.

Section B--Cost Sharing/Matching Summary

    Indicate the actual rate and amount of cost sharing/matching when 
there is a cost sharing/matching requirement. Also include percentage 
of total project cost and indicate source of cost sharing/matching 
funds, i.e. other Federal source or other Non-Federal source.

    Note: Please include a detailed cost analysis of each line item.


Appendix C: The Causes and Effects of Trafficking on Children

    Child trafficking is considered one of the worst forms of child 
labor under ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor to 
which the United States, Togo and many other countries are 
signatories. ILO Convention 182 categorizes child trafficking as 
belonging to the same category as forced labor. Specifically, 
Convention 182 identifies four categories of the worst forms of 
child labor, and calls for their immediate elimination:
     All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, 
such as the sale and trafficking of children; debt bondage and 
serfdom and forced or compulsory labor; including force or 
compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict;
     The use, procurement or offering of a child for 
prostitution, production of pornography or pornographic 
performances;
     The use, procurement or offering of a child for illicit 
activities in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs 
as defined in the relevant international treaties;
     Work which by its nature or by the circumstances by 
which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety, or 
morals of children.
    Children who are trafficked often engage in one or more of the 
above-mentioned categories of the worst forms of child labor.
    As noted by the ILO in a recent report, Trafficking of Children: 
The Problem and Responses Worldwide, (available electronically at 
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/ipec/publ/childtraf/trafficking.pdf), child trafficking can occur within national 
boundaries, but can also cross borders and regions. ``The victims, 
mostly separated from their families and communities end up in 
prostitution and other exploitative forms of work, such as 
agriculture, mining, manufacturing, fishing, begging and domestic 
service. They are defenceless against abuse and exploitation and 
traumatized''' (ILO, Trafficking of Children, p. iii).
    It is estimated that millions of children in many countries are 
trafficked, but the exact number of victims is unknown. Often the 
children who are victims of trafficking come from impoverished or 
rural areas/countries and go to urban areas of the same country, or 
to wealthier countries. Trafficking involves a series of actions and 
actors (including recruiters, intermediaries, transporters, 
employers, and family members) at different points, from point of 
origin to final destination. The final outcome is the exploitation 
through work of the child being relocated, and a serious compromise 
of the child's access to education and other aspects of healthy 
human development. The exploitation is manifested through the 
abusive conditions to which the child is subjected, including 
physical and mental abuse, confinement, inadequate or non-existent 
health care, poor accommodation, and hazardous work.
    Trafficking is a complex issue involving a series of motivations 
and aspirations that are both benevolent and malevolent. Children 
and their families can be drawn into trafficking through persuasion 
and/or deception. They are led to believe that a child will be 
better off because he/she will receive an education or job skills, 
earn money, and be cared for by adults with more means than their 
parents. In many such cases, children or their families approach the 
recruiters, who take advantage of parents' hopes and aspirations for 
their own personal gain. In other cases, children are trafficked as 
a result of deception, threat or coercion.
    As noted in the ILO report on trafficking cited above, among 
factors that encourage trafficking are poverty; the desire to earn a 
living and help support family; low level of education of parents; 
scarcity of schools; political conflict and natural disasters that 
devastate local economies; cultural attitudes toward children, and 
girls in particular; and inadequate local laws and regulations or 
lack of enforcement. The consequences of child trafficking include 
death or permanent damage to physical and mental health; drug 
dependency; family disintegration; the risk of violence, physical 
and emotional damage due to premature sexual activity, and exposure 
to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In the 
case of girls there is also the risk of pregnancy, early motherhood, 
and reproductive illnesses that might affect future reproductive 
ability.

Appendix D: Background Information on USDOL-funded Projects to Address 
the Trafficking of Children (through the International Labor 
Organization's International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor 
(ILO/IPEC))

Ongoing Projects

Africa

Combating the Trafficking in Children for Labor Exploitation in West 
and Central Africa--Phase Two (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gabon, 
Ghana, Cote d''Ivoire, Mali, Nigeria, & Togo)

    Description: The project aims to assist government agencies and 
nongovernmental organizations in effectively preventing and 
abolishing child trafficking for the purpose of domestic work, work 
on plantations, street trading, begging and prostitution. Support 
will be extended to partner organizations to rescue and rehabilitate 
9,000 child victims. The project will address the problem on both 
national and regional levels through awareness raising campaigns; 
mobilization, capacity building, and coordination of social partners 
and key actors; provision of multi-disciplinary preventive and 
rehabilitative programs for child victims, children at risk of 
trafficking and their parents; development of multilateral and 
bilateral agreements to prevent trafficking; and the organization of 
sub-regional meetings to review regulations and enforcement practice 
of trafficking in children.
    Status: The three-year project began in July 2001, and USDOL's 
contribution to ILO/IPEC is $4,279,154.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Brazil and Paraguay--Prevention and Elimination of Commercial Sexual 
Exploitation of Children and Adolescents

    Description: This project aims to eliminate the commercial 
sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in border areas 
between Paraguay and Brazil. Action will be taken to rescue and 
rehabilitate 1,000 children that have been sexually exploited, and 
offer 400 families credit support to

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further income generation. Relevant public, private, governmental 
and nongovernmental institutions will be strengthened to implement 
efforts to eliminate the commercial sexual exploitation of children, 
and to make available reliable and credible information related to 
the commercial sexual exploitation of children, including possible 
child trafficking networks.
    Status: The three-year project began in August 2001, and USDOL's 
contribution to ILO/IPEC is $1,995,464.

South Asia

South Asia Sub-regional Program to Combat the Trafficking of Children 
for Exploitative Employment (Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka)

    Description: The project addresses the problem of trafficking in 
children for purposes of domestic work, work on plantations, work on 
construction sites, sex tourism, pornography, and prostitution, both 
on the national and sub-regional levels. Some 1,700 children will be 
rescued from exploitive work situations and will receive 
rehabilitation services. An additional 6,000 children will be 
prevented from being trafficked. The project will enhance the 
capacity of government and nongovernmental organizations to address 
trafficking issues, and will support sub-regional cooperation and 
joint action among the South Asia Association for Regional 
Cooperation (SAARC) countries.
    Status: The two-year project began in June 2000, and USDOL's 
contribution to ILO/IPEC is $1,789,426.

Timebound Program in Nepal

    Description: The Timebound Program in Nepal will comprise a set 
of comprehensive and integrated initiatives that will show visible 
results in the elimination of the worst forms of child labor in the 
country in a specific time period. Child victims of trafficking for 
labor or sexual exploitation has been identified as one of six worst 
forms of child labor in Nepal to receive priority attention. It is 
estimated that some 2,000 children will benefit directly from this 
component of the project. Children will receive trauma counseling 
before reintegration into school or vocational training.
    Status: USDOL contribution to the entire ILO/IPEC project is 
$5.5 million (child trafficking component is $1.5 million) for a 
four-year period. The project began in September 2001, and the 
trafficking component of the project will commence in July 2002.

Projects Completed in Recent Years

Africa

Combating the Trafficking in Children for Labor Exploitation in West 
and Central Africa--Phase One (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gabon, 
Ghana, Cote d Ivoire, Mali, Nigeria, & Togo)

    Description: The first phase of this project produced a sub-
regional report synthesizing studies on the nature and scope of 
child trafficking in the participating countries and developed 
strategies for national and concerted regional actions to address 
the problem. Efforts were made to channel identified children to 
NGO's already providing social protection and support services for 
victims of trafficking. The project began in 1999 and is now 
completed. USDOL's contribution to ILO/IPEC was $225,525.

South Asia

Setting National Strategies for the Elimination of Girls' Trafficking 
and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Nepal

    Description: The project aimed to strengthen the role of the 
Ministry of Social Welfare in combating child trafficking and 
coordinating an action plan at the national level to combat child 
trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation. Some 120 children 
were removed from prostitution and provided rehabilitation services 
and educational opportunities. Public awareness campaigns on the 
trafficking of children were carried out in villages and carpet 
factories. The two-year project commenced in 1997 and is now 
complete. USDOL's contribution to ILO/IPEC was $190,323.

Appendix E: Background Information on Education and Anti-Trafficking 
Programs in Togo

    Many government ministries and organizations are currently 
working to combat child labor and trafficking, as well as to provide 
educational services to youth. Although these efforts are 
significant in nature, they are being carried out on a relatively 
small scale and are mostly uncoordinated. This section summarizes 
some of the interventions most pertinent to a Child Labor Education 
Initiative project in Togo.

Government Ministries

Ministry of Education

    The Togolese Ministry of Education has been working to expand 
educational access for all children, and bureaus of the ministry in 
both Lome and Sokode are making special efforts to support girls' 
education. With recent efforts to develop inter-ministerial 
cooperation, notably with the launching of the ILO/IPEC program, it 
has been involved in preliminary meetings to develop an action plan 
to combat child labor and trafficking. The regional Directorate of 
the Ministry of Education in Sokode has also been developing a 
working relationship with the Ministry of Social Affairs on child 
trafficking. Following a presentation on child trafficking, there 
have been three follow up meetings with various government 
ministries and local leaders to discuss the causes of child labor. 
One of these meetings was devoted to establishing local committees 
to fight against child trafficking.
    In addition to government schools, the Ministry of Education 
supports community-based schools (Ecoles d'Initiative Locale) by 
providing manuals and technical assistance for teacher training. In 
cooperation with the World Bank, the Ministry has implemented an 
Education Management and Support Project (PAGED), and also 
collaborates on education programs with several NGOs, including Aide 
et Action, Plan International, La Colombe, and CARE.

Ministry of Labor

    The Togolese Ministry of Labor has recently begun actively 
working with ILO/IPEC to implement a policy to combat child labor, 
and has designated a special unit within the ministry to work with 
IPEC. Its efforts to combat child labor fall into three categories: 
(1) Awareness-Raising, (2) Action Programs with IPEC to get returned 
trafficking victims into school, and (3) Legislation to revise the 
Togolese Labor Code to bring it in line with international 
agreements.
    In 1998/99, in collaboration with IPEC, the Ministry conducted a 
sample survey of 600 children to assess the extent of the child 
labor problem. The results pointed to the existence of child labor 
in a large number of sectors including: market porters, agriculture, 
domestic workers, gravel porters, artisan workshops, and fishing. 
The survey also found that trafficking of children within Togo 
eventually led to their trafficking outside the country. Using the 
results of this survey, a National Action Plan was developed in 
collaboration with IPEC and other ministries. The plan focuses on 
three groups of children: exploited and abused child workers, child 
victims of trafficking, and street children. Among the activities 
proposed are: creation of a database on traffickers; improvement of 
legislation on children; regional exchange of information on 
trafficking; improvement of cooperation between police, customs and 
immigration officers; improvement of educational opportunities for 
girls and street children; awareness raising campaigns; and the 
rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked children.
    Among its other responsibilities, the Ministry of Labor inspects 
workplaces and mediates conflicts that arise in apprenticeships. The 
office in Sokode estimated that it resolves about 20 such conflicts 
per year, and that many more are resolved through the employers' 
unions, which employers of apprentices are required by law to join.

Ministry of Social Affairs

    The Ministry of Social Affairs has been spearheading the fight 
against the exploitation of children, with very few available 
resources. Its activities include: An annual awareness raising 
campaign on trafficking; withdrawing children from exploitative 
situations (particularly trafficking); arranging for the 
repatriation of trafficking victims, including coordinating with 
local NGOs to receive them in transit houses; and arranging 
children's reintegration into family and enrollment in school or 
apprenticeships. The Ministry is working with CARE-Togo to implement 
the World Bank-financed Institutional Development Fund (IDF) 
project, which has established 15 village-based committees 
nationwide dedicated to preventing trafficking and following up with 
trafficked children who have been reintegrated.
    The Sokode regional office of the Ministry of Social Affairs has 
developed regional and prefectoral action plans to address the most

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pressing social needs in the area, but most of the plans have yet to 
be implemented due to lack of resources.

Ministry of Technical Education and Professional Training

    The Ministry of Technical Education and Professional Training 
offers two vocational training options for older children: 
apprenticeships and technical institutes, of which there are 11 
nationwide. The Ministry also has Regional Centers of Technical 
Education and Professional Training, where training is tailored to 
meet regional needs (e.g., night courses, HIV/AIDS education). 
Training at a technical institute lasts three years and is less 
expensive than apprenticeships. Students must be between 14 and 20 
years of age at the time of enrollment, and must have completed at 
least two years of secondary school.
    The Ministry has put forth regulations governing 
apprenticeships, including duration (between one and four years) and 
fees. There are reportedly many violations in the apprenticeship 
system whereby parents must pay a large amount in cash and kind to 
get their children accepted into an apprenticeship. It is reported 
that the children may not learn the required skill set in the legal 
time limit set for the apprenticeship, but may serve as unpaid 
laborers for many years. Violations of the apprenticeship system are 
investigated when formal complaints are filed.
    Dual training, whereby children attend evening literacy courses 
while engaged in apprenticeships, is an option available to 
apprentices. This training is partially subsidized by the ministry.

International Donors

IPEC

    The IPEC program in Togo began in March 2001 and is funded by 
France and the United States. The organization is undertaking 
efforts to remove children under age 14, particularly girls, from 
the worst forms of child labor, and to improve working conditions 
for children ages 15 and over. IPEC has worked with local chiefs to 
raise awareness of child labor and trafficking, and has 
subcontracted three initiatives: (1) Reinforcing the capacity of 
communities to combat child labor and trafficking. (This capacity 
building program is directly implemented by the Ministry of Social 
Affairs, with overall coordination by the Ministry of Labor); (2) 
combating child labor among market porters in Lome with the Bureau 
International Catholique de l'Enfance--BICE; and (3) combating the 
exploitation of girls in domestic service in Lome, with WAO-Afrique. 
These initiatives last between 12 and 24 months. Togo is also part 
of the USDOL-funded regional eight-country trafficking project, in 
which US $159,000 is designated for direct action programs in Togo. 
These funds are intended for awareness raising and other 
interventions to reach 200 target communities. In the first year 10 
pilot communities will be identified in each region with future 
expansion anticipated in subsequent years.

UNICEF

    UNICEF's interventions in Togo are threefold: (1) awareness-
raising on the rights of women and children; (2) education programs, 
especially for girls aged 5-14 years and parents; and (3) 
strengthening of local capacity. UNICEF works with 500 villages in 
three zones of the Maritime region to formulate village action plans 
to address problems identified by the communities themselves. These 
programs include enrollment of children in school; income-generating 
activities; registration of births as a means to increase school 
enrollment and control trafficking; vaccination certificates, and 
training of caregivers at childcare centers. Where UNICEF has opened 
schools, it works to build the community's capacity to financially 
sustain the school after the end of the program, or until the 
government can take it over.
    UNICEF works closely with several NGOs as well as with IPEC and 
the Ministry of Labor. It works with the World Bank at a regional 
level. Its five-year project budget is US $3 million, of which $1.7 
million is available for programs, and the remaining $1.3 million 
for research. UNICEF does not finance the village action plans, but 
encourages villages to seek funding from other sources. UNICEF has 
also launched an early childhood development center to help give at-
risk children an advantage in school.

The Ambassador's Special Self Help Fund

    Among other small grants it provides to local organizations, the 
U.S. Ambassador's Special Self Help Fund is financing a study of the 
traditional practice of trokosi, in which some families in the Vo 
region give their daughters to voodoo priests in order to repay a 
spiritual or monetary debt, or to compensate for offences committed 
by a member of the family. These girls are bonded for life and do 
not have the opportunity to go to school. Exact numbers on how many 
girls are involved are lacking, but the study is expected to be 
complete in 2002.

Peace Corps

    Peace Corps/Togo's Small Business Development project was begun 
in 1991, in collaboration with the Federation of Savings and Credit 
Unions in Togo (FUCEC). There are currently approximately 15 Peace 
Corps Volunteers who work in this sector, offering business training 
and consulting services to members of local credit unions. Many 
Volunteers work with women's groups, while others assist 
individuals. They help associations get officially registered, and 
in rural areas, focus on informal savings groups.
    Peace Corps/Togo also has a Girls' Education and Empowerment 
Project (recently renamed Education and Development) that was 
started in 1999. The 30 Volunteers assigned to this project make 
efforts to enroll girls in school, to keep them there, and to help 
those who are out of school find work. This project includes a 
scholarship program that has been operating for seven years. 
Volunteers work in an advisory capacity with local NGOs that receive 
up to $1,500 each (with 10% for administrative costs) to administer 
scholarships, tutoring and mentoring programs. Each NGO works with 
about 40 girls.
    The scholarship program has two funding sources: a US $7,000 
memorial fund, and US $50,000 from the State Department's Education 
for Democracy Development Initiative (EDDI). In addition to project 
funds, Peace Corps/Togo has a Small Project Assistance (SPA) program 
that awards a maximum of $500 per project and emphasizes training 
projects.

World Bank

    The World Bank has awarded a $306,000 grant from its 
Institutional Development Fund (IDF) to the Ministry of Social 
Affairs' Directorate for the Protection and Promotion of the Family 
and Children (DPPFE), which has in turn subcontracted the money to 
NGOs. The IDF Project's primary objectives are to strengthen DPPFE's 
institutional capacity and to develop partnerships between 
government and civil society through joint child protection 
initiatives.
    The Bank has not undertaken any new program lending in Togo 
since 1998. It currently has five projects, only two of which are 
new: a $5 million health project and a $15 million HIV/AIDS project. 
Both are loans. The Bank's education project ended in June 2001, and 
there are no other projects in the pipeline.
    As part of its education strategy in Togo, the Bank places 
emphasis on making communities directly responsible for schools. The 
teachers are hired and paid by the communities (with supplements 
from the Bank), and are supervised by inspectors from the Ministry 
of Education.

International NGOs

BICE-Togo

    Bureau International Catholique de l'Enfance (BICE) has been 
working in Togo since 1996. Among its areas of focus are child 
porters in the market, and internal and external child trafficking. 
In the interest of preventing trafficking, BICE provides partial 
scholarships for children, and is currently supporting 467 children, 
63% of whom are girls. It also holds two-hour tutoring sessions per 
week to maximize each child's chance of passing. Since 1997 BICE has 
been working in seven rural villages in Lac and Vo prefectures in an 
effort to address the problem at its roots. The organization works 
to return victims of trafficking to their place of origin and re-
insert them in school, and then conducts awareness raising 
activities in these areas. Each community has an Education Support 
Committee made up of teachers, students in their fourth year of 
secondary school, and others. These students are trained by BICE 
over a period of years. In Lome, BICE has conducted a series of 
awareness raising activities in the markets on child porters. The 
NGO has its own preschool in Lome for children of market porters to 
prevent them from working. Among its funding sources are the 
European Union, Fonds Pelorin (a French department store), and the 
Oak Foundation.
    BICE is also part of a Group for Exchange and Coordination among 
Education Actors, a group of 24 governmental and non-governmental 
entities that get together for

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monthly workshops on topics proposed by a rotating Secretariat. BICE 
works in partnership with IPEC.

CARE-International

    CARE's most direct intervention in the area of child labor is 
through the Institutional Development Fund (IDF) Project, funded by 
the World Bank via the Ministry of Social Affairs' Directorate for 
the Protection and Promotion of the Family and Children (DPPFE), and 
implemented with six local partners. CARE's activities in this 
$306,000 project include technical support for the creation and 
training of local committees against child labor and trafficking, 
training and awareness raising to prevent child labor and 
trafficking, and pilot initiatives for child protection.
    In 1998, CARE began a five-year, $622,000 initiative--the 
Programme for the Promotion of Educational and Employment 
Opportunities for Girls in Urban and Rural Areas in Togo (PEP)--
funded by Comic Relief, UK, and implemented in conjunction with 
AHUEFA and La Colombe in Lome and Vo District. After nine months of 
literacy and life skills training, PEP beneficiaries may choose to 
participate in a three-year non-formal education program (with the 
goal of reintegrating into the formal system), vocational training, 
or an income generating activity. A total of 653 girls and women 
currently benefit from the PEP Project.
    The Social and Professional Protection for Young Domestic 
Workers (PROMAM) Project has been operating in Lome since 2000. To 
date, PROMAM has worked with 247 domestic workers (ages 15 to 30) 
and their employers to strengthen the workers' professional 
capacities, improve their working conditions, and guard against the 
exploitation of child labor. PROMAM is in the process of creating a 
training center for girls.
    All of CARE's projects set aside a small portion of the budget 
to fund income-generating activities in support of the projects' 
larger goals.

PLAN International

    PLAN International works on the problem of child trafficking in 
the Central Region of Togo. In a village that is the source of many 
trafficked children, PLAN is working with a women's group to improve 
their ability to care for their children, and to increase their 
revenues through micro-finance. With support from the Government of 
Togo and the respective communities, PLAN assists with the 
construction of schools, including the purchase of materials and 
teachers' salaries. PLAN also works with community-based schools by 
providing teacher training, offering scholarships, and assisting in 
the development of teaching materials. In addition to supporting the 
formal school system, PLAN provides non-formal education for 
children who have never attended school, and offers workshops where 
they can learn various trades.
    In the area of trafficking, PLAN uses mass media (radio and TV) 
to sensitize people to the issue. In 2002, PLAN intends to 
strengthen its transit center for child victims of trafficking, so 
that children can remain for more than two weeks before returning to 
their families. The center will also provide training for girls to 
assist in their reintegration. Among PLAN's partners are the 
Ministries of Social Affairs, Labor, Education, and Security, as 
well as WAO-Afrique and FUCEC (Federation of Savings and Credit 
Unions in Togo). PLAN has also helped to sensitize border police to 
the issue of child trafficking. By January 2002, PLAN is scheduled 
to complete a study on child trafficking, including its forms, 
causes and consequences. Funding for the study is being provided by 
Japan over a five-year period, with $50,000 for the study and 
accompanying activities for the first year.

Terre des Hommes

    One of Terre des Hommes' primary areas of intervention in Togo 
focuses on child labor and exploitation, particularly trafficking. 
The Oasis Center was created in 1986-87 to assist lost children, but 
now targets children who have escaped from work, including 
trafficked children. The Center serves as a transit house, offering 
accommodation, care and basic education classes to approximately 50-
60 children until they can be reunited with their families. The 
length of stay ranges from a few days to a few weeks.
    Terre des Hommes works with the Ministry of Social Affairs, 
civil and military police, judges, local chiefs and social centers 
to reintegrate children into their home villages, and coordinates 
with UNICEF to repatriate children who have been trafficked from 
other countries to Togo. The NGO maintains a file on each child, 
including information on his/her age, type of work (and if paid), 
work location, age when placed, trafficking history and details of 
abuse. Each file also includes data on the child's parents 
(religion, tribe, language, education, etc.). An additional 
children's center, financed by the U.S. Embassy, is under 
construction.
    Terre des Hommes is financed primarily by the Terre des Hommes 
Foundation in Switzerland, but also receive funds from private 
citizens, Swiss international aid, and other countries (e.g., 
various embassies, European Union). The organization is also 
striving to obtain local funding in order to develop a more 
sustainable model.

WAO-Afrique

    WAO-Afrique has been working with child labor in Togo since 
1991. The organization conducted a study in 1994 that revealed that 
150,000-200,000 children work in Togo. In 1998, WAO-Afrique 
coordinated with the Ministry of Interior, PLAN International and 
border police to organize a meeting to raise awareness of child 
labor and exploitation. The meeting resulted in a formal definition 
of child trafficking, and a resolution to treat trafficking as a 
crime. In addition to its efforts in Togo, WAO-Afrique works on a 
regional level in West and Central Africa, and is currently 
collaborating with Radda Barnen (Save the Children-Sweden) to 
organize a regional conference next year. The NGO is also in the 
process of creating a regional observatoire (watchdog agency) to 
collect and maintain information for all countries in the West and 
Central African region.
    WAO-Afrique runs a center in Lome that serves as a gathering 
place for child laborers. Under the guidance of the NGO, seven to 
ten adolescents form an executive committee that works in Lome 
neighborhoods to raise awareness on child labor and to provide 
support for children who work.
    Another of WAO-Afrique's focus areas is micro-credit. The 
organization collaborates with FUCEC to run a micro-credit center 
for women that meets at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Togo 
in Lome. WAO-Afrique and the church guarantee the loans, and FUCEC 
provides training that covers not only credit and business 
management, but also health and nutrition. Over 200 women benefit 
from this program.

ALISEI

    ALISEI is an Italian NGO founded in 1998 that has a regional 
trafficking project based in Gabon that also covers Togo, Benin, and 
Nigeria. Of the $3 million project budget, $45,000 per year is 
allocated to Togo. The organization intends to undertake actions to 
prevent child trafficking, to reintegrate trafficked children into 
their home villages, to follow up with them, and to provide 
vocational training for older children. ALISEI is in the first phase 
of the 18-month project. It has trained personnel to conduct follow-
up activities (in collaboration with the ILO), and has started 
activities to provide schooling and vocational training for 
trafficked children. The organization is currently negotiating with 
the European Union to start a small micro-credit program for those 
who complete the vocational training.

National NGOs

La Colombe

    La Colombe works at the grassroots level in girls' education, 
child labor, internal trafficking, literacy promotion, vocational 
training, civic education and sexual harassment. The NGO has offices 
in Lome and Vogan, and a girls' training center in Vogan (the origin 
of the majority of market porters). The training center in Vogan 
consists of a non-formal education center for girls and a vocational 
training center for older girls. Students at the vocational center 
are required to take literacy and cooking classes, and then can 
choose among a variety of options including tapestry, batik and hair 
braiding.
    In 1997, the U.S. Embassy used Democracy and Human Rights Funds 
(DHRF) to finance a project with La Colombe aimed at sensitizing the 
public to women's rights. In 2000, the Ambassador's Special Self-
Help Fund financed the construction of a latrine for a school in Vo 
Prefecture.

GF2D

    Groupe de reflexion et d'action Femme, Democratie et 
Developpement (GF2D) is headed by a Magistrate of the Togolese 
Supreme Court. The NGO started with an association of women lawyers 
in 1992 and opened its first center in 1994. There are now four 
centers in the country, including one in Lome, that offer training 
on legal issues (e.g., marriage, civil status, property rights, 
etc.) to women, children and some men, and then follow up with them. 
The center in Lome receives approximately 30 clients per week and 
periodically handles issues related to

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trafficked children. With the exception of the program and center 
directors, the lawyers who work at the center are volunteers. There 
are also 300 paralegals who work in awareness raising throughout the 
country.
    In addition to offering legal assistance, GF2D operates the 
Center for Research on and Training of Women (CRIFF). CRIFF 
maintains a library that area students can use when researching 
women's issues, and has the capacity to conduct research.
    In collaboration with La Colombe and another NGO, AHUEFA, GF2D 
has developed the Assistance to Young Girls Program that will 
provide services including tutoring for students repeating a grade. 
This is a three-year pilot project with a total budget of 21,871,000 
CFA francs (approximately US$30,000). The project has not yet begun 
due to lack of funds.

CIAF

    The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices that Affect 
the Health of Women and Children-Central Region (CIAF) works in 
eight African countries and has been operating in Togo since 1986. 
The primary focus of the Sokode-based organization is to reduce the 
incidence of female excision in the Central Region of Togo by 
raising awareness of the health risks. The NGO also works to keep 
girls in school in order to decrease the likelihood of excision and 
of early marriage, and to reduce the risk of being trafficked.
    CIAF collaborates extensively with the Association for the 
Holistic Development of Women and Young Girls (ADIF). While CIAF 
focuses mainly on excision and girls' education, ADIF works with 
girls in school who lack resources, and raises awareness on 
trafficking, AIDS and the importance of education.

Appendix F: Background Material Available in Hard Copy (upon request)

    1. Project Document for Combating the Trafficking in Children 
for Labor Exploitation in West and Central Africa (Phase I)
    2. Project Document for Combating the Trafficking in Children 
for Labor Exploitation in West and Central Africa (Phase II)
    3. The Trafficking of Children: The Problem and Responses 
Worldwide

[FR Doc. 02-9515 Filed 4-17-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-28-P