Child Labor/Slavery

Child Labor/Slavery
By: Hayley Gonneville


       Did you know that child labor harms many children around the globe? For example, Iqbal Masih who was killed for standing against child slavery. Imagine sewing carpets all your life, with no food nor water. Children need to be able to go to school like everyone else. Child labor/Slavery is unneeded because they don’t let children have breaks while sewing, the children don’t get food or water, most of all because the children get beaten for making a mistake.

       Children in child labor don’t get any breaks while sewing carpets for stores or other community services. All they do is sew all day, so imagine how unhealthy they must be because they never get to exercise or go outside. The article states, “The majority of children in child labor perform unpaid family work”. (10 child labor facts, Matt Berg). Children are sewing or working everyday nonstop and don’t get paid no matter what they do. Imagine working at a job that you don’t get paid at. The video quotes, “When in child labor, they were always working and got no breaks”. (Youtube:Freedom Hero/Iqbal Masih). This states that life in America is very different than life in child slavery. Living your life in child labor is very difficult.

         Unlike you who gets food everyday, children in child slavery don’t get any food or water so that they can keep their fingers small, so they are able to sew. If you get hungry an hour after you eat, then imagine how the children feel not being able to eat at all. The film states, “Children in Pakistan, in child labor, do not get food or water to keep their fingers small”. (Youtube:Freedom Hero/Iqbal Masih). A lot of children can die from child labor, because their bodies are not healthily treated. Kids should not be dieing this young and deserve to be healthy. The text states, “According to the ILO, 168 million children worldwide are engaged in child labor as of 2013”. (10 child labor facts, Matt Berg). This means that 168 million children are unhealthy because they starve all the time and are never hydrated. These children deserve to be healthy and live a good life.

          Instead of being sent to the corner when making a mistake, in child labor you were beaten or put into a torture chamber. They get beaten for even making a tiny mistake. The video states, “If children made a mistake, while making carpets, they were beaten or put into a torture chamber”. (Youtube:Freedom Hero/Iqbal Masih). They are basically teaching the kids that it is not okay to make any mistakes in life. That everything should be perfect the first time you try to do or make something. The article states, “Carpet dealers have lost more sales because of the killing of Iqbal Masih”. (Kathy Gannon, May 31, 1995). Since shoppers know that kids are getting harmed from child labor, such as Iqbal, they are not buying the carpets anymore. Children should not have to do jobs that an adult should be doing, for example sewing carpets.

         Child labor/slavery is a cruel and horrible way to treat children. Child slavery gives kids less of an advantage to have a good life. All of slavery involved with children should be stopped and kids should be free to get an education. They should go to school. Be taught by teachers and learn and be able to make mistakes without being beaten. Child labor/slavery is a system that should be banned.