Stats, Situation, Causes, Consequences...

I poured a lot of time and emotion into my first blog post, neglecting to give a bigger picture of child labor around the world. I'll do it now...

Simply put, child labor is any sort of work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their education, and harms them mentally, physically, or socially. Around the world, children are exposed to dangerous chemicals and diseases, denied education and a chance to grow, and worked to the point of exhaustion and starvation. 

Nothing happens without cause, without reason. Poverty is a major driving force behind child labor - Monetary constraints and the need for food, shelter, and clothing drives children into the trap of premature labor.

A lack of quality and sustainable education goes hand in hand with poverty. In places like sub-Saharan Africa and the slums of India, education is scarce and had to come by, with no set learning system in place. On top of that, illiterate adults do not realize the value of education, focusing on their own survival interests for the present. All this adds up to 103 million kids out of school by age 10, and a world illiteracy population of 799 million. Pretty scary numbers, huh?

Despite efforts by the UN and other organizations, child labor incidence still stands at 10% in the world today, a number around 200 million, monumental in size. In global child labor hotspots, mainly sub-Saharan Africa and India, child labor is projected to increase in 10 years, frustrating endeavors to reduce and get rid of the menace. 

What are the consequences of child labor? Poverty, of course, is intertwined with labor. Only education can end the cycle of poverty, but yet child labor blocks kids from getting education. Of course, that leads to increased illiteracy, which in turn leads to an ignorant populace. Child labor also can cause mental and physical developmental issues, and potentially early death. 

The most important things is, though - Child labor stems human potential. It wastes human resources, talents and skills, essentially prevents our world from progress and development. 

I believe two things have to be done in order to eradicate child labor: First, poverty must be addressed, and second, a stable education system should be put in place. Both are monumental challenges - Easier said than done.

Here are some organizations campaigning against child labor. I encourage you to actively take part:

http://www.freethechildren.com/
http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/child-labour/lang--en/index.htm#a2

To get educated:
http://www.unicef.org/protection/57929_58009.html

I leave you with this video and a promise to update by next Sunday.

The Journey Starts Here

When I look at the drops of rain "backgrounding" my blog, I can only think of heaven-knows what potential lost in the sweat and toil of children in labor.

We do ourselves a disservice by allowing such horrors to pass beneath our eyes. The future is in me, the child, the billions of children who are the future citizens of the world. And yet -- how can we get to such a future when 215 million kids are in some sort of bonded labor. Uneducated, working day and night, walking miles for water and killing themselves for morsels of food - This is not the future.

I speak not from experience but from passion; I am the first to admit that I live a wealthy, comfortable life, rich with possibilities. My worries usually revolve around grades, tournaments, and competitions. Never have I struggled or even imagined struggling for a full belly or a roof over my head. Those were and are alien to the life I am so privileged to live.

I first ran into child labor when it glared out at me on the front page of the newspaper, drawing me in and playing on my confusion and disbelief. Shock and horror morphed into curiosity to learn more, knowledge that gave me the strength and certainty that I was going to do something about it. Sadly, one always faces some sort of brick wall in life, and this was mine. I sat helpless in frustration, constantly reading, talking, unable to contribute something meaningful. That's why I started this blog.

I am not the only one that is fighting for this cause. UNICEF, Free the Children, and India-based Childline are some of many organizations campaigning against child labor. I encourage everybody to donate, get educated, and spread awareness in the community. That's what I am trying to do - Join in and together we can make the world a better place.

Even the biggest trees were born from a tiny, humble seed. Even the biggest companies were born from a spark of an idea. I like to think of this blog as the start of my journey to make a difference in this world - My quest to give a child some hope, something tangible to hold onto, some opportunity.

Thank you.