Hunger & Child Labour Are Closely Interlinked

Hunger & Child Labour Are Closely Interlinked

( by Mehak Datta)

“LIFE OF LITTLE ONES ARE DESTROYED WHEN CHILD LABOUR IS EMPLOYED” 

No father wants his child to work in scorching heat, no mother wants her baby's little hands to lift weights of bricks in the age of playing with toys. So why is it like we have such a huge no of child labour around us? Why do we see children who should be going school are working in factories and most of the time near construction sites? Do they not want to enjoy and spend their childhood like normal children? The biggest reason behind it is the “food” that is required by the human body to survive. If this wasn’t the urge, no one would even mind working. 

The percentage of children employed is almost 90% in Asia and Africa. “The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that there are about 250 million children working in the developing countries out of which about 120 million are full time working”. Isn't this shocking figure? Even more shocking is to know that 61% of it is of Asia, 32% is contribution of Africa and 7% Latin America. 

Child labour is the worst kind of exploitation recognized by any nation. But is it the money that attracts them or the urge to survive? Out of 90% of total child labour across globe there would be a very small number of children who work because they want to the others are just working because of the circumstance faced and to earn their livelihood. 

We see them all around us, the boy you called “chotu” at the tea stall or the children you employed of your workers on the construction site so that your work could be done on time. Do you think this is the way they should be spending their innocent yet beautiful childhood? 

Every child has a right to live carefree in childhood and live the innocence of that age in the way it is meant to be. Even the domestic labour we see in our homes work just to earn their living. Every parent’s dream is to see their children living the age they are in and not to be under the pressure of earning and be mature before time, but they have to be cold-hearted and send their children because there is no other source through which they could fill empty stomachs of the family and children. 

It is wisely said that “Someone can take away your property, wealth and every materialistic things from you but cannot take away education and your knowledge”. Education has the power to change someone’s life completely. But even for this it requires a strong heart and after seeing the worst condition of their parents, they lose the will to study and want to share and help as much as they could. So, there is just one possible thing which could be done in order to eradicate child labour is to stop providing them work and instead of giving the workers children job help them study and provide them with some amount of food so that they could be eager to study rather than asking for a job. Even if we would provide 10% of the knowledge which we have it could do wonders for them. 

The mid-day meals provided by the government in schools owned by them are the biggest example that children are not willing to grab education instead they come for food. And why not have you seen the infrastructure of a government school? Why would anyone want their children to study there? 

In all the developed countries’ government owned schools are considered the best even for the middle class who can own to send their children in private schools and the reason is the facilities and education provided is to educate them not to earn profit. 

So if we want no one to die of hunger and every child to live childhood as it is meant to be, we should stop providing them with labour work and instead do our contribution in providing them the education and also some food to the workers working on daily wages. 

“Just because a child’s parents are poor or uneducated is no reason to deprive the child of basic human rights to health care, education and proper nutrition.” — Marian Wright Edelman, Founder and President of the Children’s Defence Fund”.

Disclaimer:-

The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Light de Literacy and LDL does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.