Every year, 22,000 children die from accidents related to child labour (Child Labour). That’s 22,000 too many. Kids across the globe have to do hard labor for very little pay and harsh conditions such as work in sweatshops, harvest crops, and make textiles in factories just so that they can help their families survive. Even though child labor allows many kids to help support their families, it’s not worth them losing their free time, education, or their lives!
Many kids give up their free time and education to go work to support their families. Many of these kids are often sad because they don’t get to see their families, play games, and are deprived of their education (Child Labour). Take Sami for example. He works 6 days a week and hasn’t been home in 45 days. He only gets to talk to his mother on a borrowed cell once every week (In Afghanistan). Many kids have a story similar to Sami’s. Other countries aren’t the only ones with this problem, we also have some child workers in our country as well. Take for example the tobacco farm workers. According to “Child workers”,” Children as young as seven are working long hours in tobacco fields”.these kids are being exposed to nicotine and harmful pesticides. They also have no protective gear to protect them from the fumes and the pesticides(Child Workers).
Not only is the work emotionally draining, it’s also quite dangerous. According to “Lost Childhoods”, It is dangerous work because it involves dangerous tools, heavy lifting and dangerous fumes and weather. Most kids are even more unlucky because if they don’t do the work or do it incorrectly they get hit most times in the head, and they can be hurt very bad and even sometimes killed when working due to the heavy and dangerous (Lacey).
Some people argue that it allows kids to support their families and that its good for the economy. Although it’s good for the economy at this point in time, in the near future there is going to be a lot of employers that have slim pickings for employees because no one has an education which in most jobs is required.
Clearly, child labor has a negative impact on children. It can be dangerous work, it can separate them from their families and it can take away their education. But there are ways we can help like being aware, buying products that don’t involve child labor (look for products that are labeled “fair trade”, “good weave”, or “slave-free”), donate to organizations like the International Labor Organization that help protect kids, and educate other about the matter as well. If we all pitch in and do something small we can make a difference.
