Poverty is Man Made

As India celebrates Kailash Satyarthi's Nobel, a look at the child labour crisis that has condemned millions of children to toil ceaselessly. Children continue to labour as families, too poor to feed their young, send them out to work. As the traffic signal near Masjid Moth in Delhi changes to red and cars start pulling up, ten-year-old Raina (name changed) stops playing with the other children waiting at the lights, and arranges her face in her trademark expression of distress. Slowly, she begins weaving her way between the cars, peering into the rolled-up windows, coaxing commuters to buy an angry bird or chhota bheem balloon. Behind her, other children peddle their various wares of toys, flowers and pens. When one glass window lowers, Raina begins to hand out a ballon. But out comes a hand holding a large box of pizza and a bottle of coke. The mysterious benefactor wins a whoop of delight and a face-splitting grin from Raina. As India and the world celebrates Kailash Sa...

Once, there was a child named Ram who lived in a village called Nigmakar. The child worked in a dhaba (a small restaurant) near his village. Ram’s family was not very well off. His father used to drink a lot and his mother begged in the streets. He had a sister who wanted to study in school but she couldn’t as they had no money. All the burdens of his family were put on Ram but he never lost hope and worked hard every day. He always believed that one day he will make his family proud. He worked hard every day until he got enough money to feed his family. But his job was not good enough. Many years passed this way and he was only able to provide food to his family but any other need could not be fulfilled. One day he was going to work as usual and while he was returning from work, he saw an old man coughing and he was lying on the floor and not able to walk. As he was very caring he went to the old man to help him walk. The old man was very happy and he suddenly changed into a Go...

 A child should not be subjected to work at the expense of his or her education and dreams. Child labour robs minors of the opportunity to enjoy their childhood, go to school, and have a decent shot at success.It condemns them to a life of limited opportunities. It is, therefore, necessary to ensure that every child is protected and not exploited for cheap labour.It is not just the responsibility of the parents to eliminate child labour but also that of the government and the society. Child labour  refers to the use of children as a source of labour while depriving them of their fundamental rights in the process. Such rights include the opportunity to enjoy their childhood, attend school regularly, have peace of mind, and live a dignified life.Child labour can also refer to the practice of exploiting children for financial gain. Some industries employ children in order to cut down on labour costs since their wage demand is low.Work that places children in a situation that ...

Papa ,papa I want to go to school,  Papa said Shut up your mouth you little fool,  Now go to work with your lunch and tool,  Before the sun melts the dawns cool.  So I start my lonely walk,  Keeping my thoughts private with no one to talk  I can hear the song of the skylark,  As I gaze longingly at the childrens Park  After my long stroll, I reach the mine,  Where I have to work till nine,  I pretend everything is fine,  Znd start to work, Otherwise I wont have anything to dine.  My heart is broken, because my friend Ted is dead,  Some say it was because he inhaled poisonous lead  Whatever it is, his face was red,  And he fell sick and died in bed.  This job in mine is worst I hate,  My mother says Dear Tom, this is our fate  My Father says go to work, if you want a full plate.  I'm sure Ill fall sick and die, if I work at this rate.  My greatest dream is to learn,  And to get a ...

Loss of Quality childhood:  It is important for human beings to enjoy every stage of their development. A child should play with friends and make memories for a lifetime. Youths should explore life and form strong foundations that would define their adult lives.  Health issues:  Child labour can also lead to health complications due to undernourishment and poor working conditions. It is highly unlikely that people who employ children also have the moral capacity to ensure that they have good working conditions. Mental trauma:  It is not a pleasant experience to be kept working as a child while your age-mates are out playing and going to school. Children also lack the ability to shield themselves from most of the challenges that occur in the workplace. Issues such as bullying, sexual exploitation, and unfavorable working hours may result in mental trauma in these children. Illiteracy:  Children that are employed do not have the time to go to s...

Poor people are the most affected by child labour. The poor living standards and financial constraints sometimes make them unwilling participants in this vice. Empowering poor people through knowledge and income generating projects would go a long way in reducing cases of child labour. Parental literacy also plays an important role in ensuring that the rights of children are upheld, and minors are not used as a source of labour. Empowering parents with this kind of knowledge can create a positive change in the society and encourage the shunning of child labour practices in communities. Child slavery is a crime against humanity, Humanity itself is at  stake here. A lot of work will remain but a single step can make us see the end of child labour in our life time. Are you all with me?