Florence, 11, fills and hauls buckets of dirt alongside her mother at an artisanal gold mine in Kenya. She has dropped out of school because there was not enough money for her uniform, and so she works to help pay for her family’s basic needs. Children are also employed to mine copper ore and blue sapphire at this site.

Working should be healthy, not harmful for children

By and World Vision Canada |

School will soon be done for the year and young Canadians will join the country’s workforce for a couple of months. It brings back memories of my own teenage summers: a blissful blend of partying and putting in shifts selling hot dogs, scooping ice cream and babysitting.

My jobs were fun—I made new friends, earned money to buy stuff I wanted, and gained actual “experience” to put on a résumé. My parents encouraged me, believing responsibility and a strong work ethic should start young. I now make my own children do chores and will encourage them to find part-time jobs when they are old enough, because this type of work is good for them.

But it’s a far cry from the exploitative labour that millions of children are doing in poor countries. Recently in Uganda and Kenya, I met children weeding barefoot in rice paddies, trying to avoid leeches and snakes. I saw girls as young as nine hammering for hours in a stone quarry. There were boys fishing alone in the dark, with no lifejackets to keep them safe. Others were swinging machetes on sugarcane plantations, or scavenging through garbage dumps in slums.

This type of work is not good for them. It’s dirty, dangerous and degrading. But they had no option; they work to survive. Their wages help parents pay for basics like food, shelter and clothing. Although many have big dreams—hoping to become teachers, lawyers, doctors, pilots—most were no longer in school. They were too busy supplementing family incomes and, in many cases, could not afford school uniforms or fees.

William, 13, dropped out of school when he was 11 to work. He wakes at 6 a.m. and spends the morning digging in maize fields and the afternoon cutting sugarcane in Uganda. He works barefooted and eats sugarcane to give him energy. The little money he earns helps to pay for clothes and food for his family. He hopes to return to school one day to become a lawyer.
William, 13, dropped out of school when he was 11 to work. He wakes at 6 a.m. and spends the morning digging in maize fields and the afternoon cutting sugarcane in Uganda. He works barefooted and eats sugarcane to give him energy. The little money he earns helps to pay for clothes and food for his family. He hopes to return to school one day to become a lawyer.

There’s no simple solution to child labour exploitation, yet one thing is certain: keeping children safe and in school must be economically feasible for parents. Long-term development programs can help. With support to increase family income and help with health and education costs, parents don’t have to send their children to work in exploitive conditions.

When I talk to my friends and family about “modern day slavery,” I sense that many feel it’s overwhelming, unbelievable, or just too far away. Yet, as consumers we could be fueling this injustice. We need to start asking Canadian companies that import products questions such as:

• How does your company know that there is no hazardous child labour in your supply chain?

• Does your company follow a code of conduct or corporate policy that states you do not employ child labourers nor do your suppliers? How do you ensure your code of conduct is implemented? How do you deal with violations?

• How do customers know about your company’s actions to prevent and deal with possible cases of child labour?

For Christians, prayer has a place, too. World Vision’s No Child for Sale campaign is providing a free, two-week daily devotional series featuring 15 leading Christian thinkers from across Canada. Available by clicking here, the series reflects on how faith and Scripture speak to the problem.

Child labour is particularly common in small scale fishing/seafood activities in Uganda where these brothers, ages 12 and 14, fish for tilapia on Lake Victoria. Children are used to carry heavy loads, such as firewood, water, fish and nets. They are exposed to hazardous materials (like sharp objects and chemicals), and are usually required to fish after dark and spend the night on the lake in cold temperatures. Some are also asked to dive into the lake to chase fish, although many do not know how to swim. Like these brothers, most fishing children have lost at least one parent. Many live by themselves in rented rooms or outside along the shoreline. Some children sleep in the boats, either at the lake or landing sites. Most have dropped out of school because they need to earn money for survival. Most of their employers are boat owners, recruiters, or landlords.
Child labour is particularly common in small scale fishing/seafood activities in Uganda where these brothers, ages 12 and 14, fish for tilapia on Lake Victoria. Children are used to carry heavy loads, such as firewood, water, fish and nets. They are exposed to hazardous materials (like sharp objects and chemicals), and are usually required to fish after dark and spend the night on the lake in cold temperatures. Some are also asked to dive into the lake to chase fish, although many do not know how to swim. Like these brothers, most fishing children have lost at least one parent. Many live by themselves in rented rooms or outside along the shoreline. Some children sleep in the boats, either at the lake or landing sites. Most have dropped out of school because they need to earn money for survival. Most of their employers are boat owners, recruiters, or landlords.

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About the author

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World Vision Canada

Britt Hamilton is an advocacy communications officer for World Vision Canada.

About the author

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