According to www.freethechildren.org, the global problem of illegal child labor and exploitation has hardly disappeared. Indeed, as the population grows, so too do the numbers. *246,000,000 children qualify as child laborers (generally aged 14 and under) *73,000,000 are under the age of 10. *Of these, 2.5 million are in developed countries *Another 2.5 million live in Eastern Europe *Every single year, an estimated 22,000 kids will die in a work-related accident. *The great majority - 127 million - of these working children under fourteen live in the Asia-Pacific region. *In Sub-Sahara Africa, nearly 33% of children under 14 are employed. This number totals 48,000,000! *The top two industries that employ these many millions of children across the globe are the agricultural and the Domestic services. However, these jobs are hardly as cushy as they sound... Conditions in these countries generally mean danger in the fields or in the "domestic area". It's no jump of the imagination to figure out what kind of domestic activities were preformed by the large population of little girls (up to 60%) They are exploited as prostitutes, black market baby machines, and all sorts of other terrible "careers". Right now, lack of enforcement is the key obstacle to combating child labor. Advocacy groups and non-profit organizations always need support of every different kind. Each of us is certainly gifted with some talent, service or even contact that can make a difference in the lives of our children, and through them, the fate of our future. So, earnestly ask yourself, what can I do to put a stop to this terrible tragedy? |
