Let children have a childhood

I have recently finished an excellent book, The House in Fez by Suzanna Clark - (http://riadzany.blogspot.com). In the book Suzanna highlights the issue of child labour in Morocco. I think a lot about my experiences working overseas and in particular the plight of working children in countries such as Cambodia - forced into prostitution as early as five years of age...it makes me feel physically sick to think about these issues but I know that ignoring the issue is not within me either. I worry about what I can do, how I can contribute. Raising awareness is my current answer - doesn't feel enough of an effort but it is a start.

Recent figures from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) show that:

• Globally, 1 in 6 children work
• 218 million children aged 5 - 17 are involved in child labour world wide
• 126 million children work in hazardous conditions
• The highest numbers of child labourers are in the Asia/Pacific region, where there are 122 million working children
• The highest proportion of child labourers is in Sub Saharan Africa, where 26% of children (49 million) are involved in work.

What types of jobs do children do?

PROSTITUTION
A UNICEF survey concluded that 35 percent of Cambodia's 55,000 prostitutes are children under the age of 16. You can read

"I was tricked and sold to a brothel when I was only 14. Everyday, I would have to provide services to 10 men against my will."
Srey*, a Cambodian child sex tourism survivor, spoke these words as she shared her story with an audience of high-level government representatives — members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Taskforce. Source: www.worldvision.org

CHOCOLATE
"It is estimated more than 100,000 children work in the Ivory Coast's cocoa industry under "the worst forms of child labor," and that about 10,000 are slaves.

As the Ivory Coast produces 43 per cent of the world's cocoa, it is likely almost half the chocolate products sold in Australia could be linked to child slavery." Source: www.theage.com.au

MINING
"About one million children work in mines and the number is increasing." Source: www.ilo.org
Children are involved in mining for diamonds in mines near Koidu Town, the capital of the Kono district in Sierra Leone. Other children (some as young as 6) in India are involved in cutting or polishing diamonds which are used in cheaper engagement rings. Source: www.anti-slaverysociety.addr.com

How can you help?
1. Be better informed on the issue of Child Labour - what is it; where is it happening; what industries are involved; statistics
2. You dont have to march the streets or protest but you can raise awareness by helping your friends and family understand the issue of child labour
3. You can boycott products that use child labour
4. Support organisations who support the cessation of child labour
5. Subscribe to a newsletter to keep you up to date. www.globalfundforchildren.org has an excellent one that I enjoy and share with Claudia & Haydn.

The end of my rant...
Reading The House of Fez somehow sparked within me the need to speak out about this horrible issue. Staying silent just isnt an option. My own two children enjoy the most delightful life of freedom and love and I feel a tad guilty that I have done so little to help those little ones who do not have parents/guardians that ensure they have a childhood.