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Child Labor Today

It may seem impossible that child labor still exist today in the early 2000's, but it does for children living in North Arcot and Pakistan.

Pattinathar is a child who works in North Arcot. He spent six years in a cigarette factory up to 16 hours a day.

Young children such as himself worked by rolling tobaco cut leaves and closing the ends the cigarettes. His life seemed like it had ended when he began to labor. Everybody iin his family needed to work to make a living, even his father who sufffered from severe astham and tuberculosis attacks. Even women need to work, so Pattinathar's mother worked collecting and selling firewood. "If you don't earn, you don't eat," said Alagesh [pattinathar's father] Humger made the boy too weak to work to close cigarettes. He was beaten if he didn't finish or was late by the beedi foreman. Pattinathar was brave enough to escape eight times, once for five days,  but each time he escaped, he returned for a beatening. The forman then shackled his ankles together, preventing him from escaping again.

<-- Pattinathar and his brothers work making cigarettes.

But, he was discovered during a medical visit, and by John VIncent. He wanted to free him, so he threatened to send the pictures of Pattinathar in chains to the press. They were afraid, and don't want to get word out about that, so they let Pattinathar go.

now...pakistan

Iqbal Masin is a child who works in Pakistan.

Iqbal's parents sold him into slavery for less than $16. He was shackled to a carpet weaving loom, tying knots for 6 years. When he was free, he traveled the worlk talking about the horrors of child labor. then... on sunday, Iqbal was shot. Many people believe that his murder was done by members of the carpet industry, because they had made threats against Iqbal. BLLF was a private group back then, fighting against child labor. Iqbal attracted international attention with his protest. He spoke, abou the horrible conditions and treatments, children were facing, how unsafe it really was, and how poorly they were paid. Well, all the speaking out did him good because he recieved the Reebox Youth in Action Award in December from the American Shoe Company. He wanted to save his money for school, and Brandeis University gave him a full scholarship.

Iqbal Masin a 12 year old activist from Pakistan, who spoke out against child labor and freed thousands of children.

Iqbal's campaign against child labor shut down dozens of carpet weaving factories. He managed to free thousands of children. The government put limited effort in trying to stop child labor, so therefore, they wanted it to continue. Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto argues her side by stating: "vowed to fight child labor, but her government has taken only limited action. It faces powerful industries which argue that the impovershied country needs their export earnings from carpets and other goods sold abroad." She has taken action, but very little. Industries aruged against it because "carpet factory owners prefer children becaues their tiny fingers make the smallest, tightest knots and hence the best carpets." The factory owners only reason for hiring children to work is because they "make the smallest, tightest knots." What happens if they don't make the smallet or tightets knots, what would they do, kick them out just because they are asking for too much from them?

more of pakistan...

Ashiqe is a brick maker who works in a brick kiln.

Ashiqe's father and three brothers work there too. They had to take a loan for their elder sister's marrige, and becaue of the loan, their wages were cut. They need to find a way to repay the loan. Ashiqe only gets 1/2 an hour break. He was sent to school for 3 months by his father, but the owner removed him and put him back to work. HIs father got the  blame for putting him in school. He liked going to school, and most of all, he wanted freedom and wants to leave work. People who are a brick makers get 1.40/1,000 bricks.

Ashiqe..--> so sad, it must be really hard and stressful.

Child labor starting to get better?

Well, for chidren in Brazil it's clearing up. In Brazil, the turn of the last century was to get American Children out of factories. It have a huge inefficient government, large budget and trade deficits and shocking levels of poverty and inequality. Child labor was a national issue when Cardoso was president. Employers ban children from there fields. Nike's symbol won't be allowed to be on any sports material until the company stops exploting the children.

Overall, child labor still exist today despite people trying to ban child labor in the countries. Many industries take advantage of familys poverty. Many childern don't get a good education, but instead they work long tiring hours day after day in unhealthy factories. Many organizations and people are stopping child labor, but is it for good? Their are many improper schools out their spreading propaganda around, lies that children believe. Since many family's are poor, their incomes are extremely low, and as a result of that, it is responsible for the way the family is living.

Today, many children are still getting poorly paid, and US companies is still envolved with child labor, only the chilren were from other countries and were children of color. No white children labor today. Companies like Nikey and Disney are involved with such a process of child labor. Many countries have child prosecution today. Countries such as Thailand have prosecution. Children had to prosecute. Pedophilia is a practice of an adult having sex with children. You could work on many ways to prevent child labor and pedophilia by emailing the president at president@whitehouse.gov, if you have the gusts to ever confront the president and tell him to stop child labor all around the world, telling him to stand up and talk about this major issue in front of political leaders of countries facing these problems. You can change the world by believing in freedom, not child labor and you will then realize what children around the world face everything, starvation, and difficulites in hardships, lacks and plenty of beatings.

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