www.whyville.net Dec 5, 2003 Weekly Issue



Sporky
Guest Writer

Child Labor

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You're at home watching TV. Finally, a commercial break is in session and you run to the fridge. Seeing there's no more $2.00 bottles of water left, you moan. Now you have to drink tap water. Well, how would you like drinking water polluted with pesticides, not having a TV, and not even have a stable household income that can send you to school, give you clothes and feed you?

That's what it's like for some of the less fortunate kids in Middle Eastern, African, South American and Asian countries, many of whom must drink pesticide-polluted water.

But what about the children? Did you know there are people our age waking up at 6 a.m. so they can help support their family by picking coffee beans, cocoa beans and many other important crops?

Much worse, they could be the victims of a one-crop economy, in which the entire economy of a region is based on the success of one crop. If that crop fails, the entire economy fails. This has a harsh effect on child laborers, who must now work longer hours and be paid less.

So, the next time you're griping about taking the trash out, be thankful you're not one of the estimated 250 million child laborers out there.

-SpORkY

Editor's Note: There are also kids in North America and Europe who face the destitute life you describe -- it's not as common, but poverty and child labor can strike anywhere. But so can wealth -- there are kids all over the globe who live in the lap of luxury. The question is, what can we do to help those less fortunate than ourselves?

 

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