Suffocating life itself

"To thwart a child's natural work, the visionaries of education have said, is to suffocate life itself.

In short, becoming a person is a full-time job. This is the real reason that forcing children to do adult work is so damaging: It not only exposes them to soul-killing tedium, but robs them of the time they need to become adults. They're deprived not only of the chance to go to school, but of the freedom to pursue their curiosity -- to engage in that crucial and illuminating project called play."

Read the complete editorial at StarTribune.com of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.

Africa adds to miserable ranks of child labor

Sub-Saharan Africa remains a huge pit where children as young as 5 or 6 years old work.

It is the difference between eating and going hungry, said one grandmother who works with his grandson in a quarry to earn $3 a week.

While there is a trend worldwide in the decline in child labor, here the figures remain the same as far back a century ago.

Forum and training

I dropped by briefly at the Forum on Child Labor at Kuya Ed's Restaurant last week. I was happy to note that many barangay officials were there. There were also participants from NGOs and child-focused social development agencies.

Congrats to the National Coalition Against Child Labor in Commercial Agriculture for the succesfull conduct of the forum.

The Coalition is holding another important activity this week. It's the training of advocates on child labor to be held at Eden Nature Park on August 16-19.

Child-labor free carpet making

A Washington-based foundation is set to launch next month in such design centers as New York and San Francisco an education campaign for a child-labor-free carpet industry.

RugMark's search for The Most Beautiful Rug aims to create consumer demand and help eradicate child labor particularly in carpet and rug producing nations as India, Nepal and Pakistan.

The consumer awareness campaign will run for three years.

Buy only carpets and rugs that has the RugMark label. You are assured that it was made not by tiny hands.

Children should be in school

Posted as comment at my new blog.

"I am lost in cyberspace, but lost not in vain after all. I found your blog site and i immediately positioned myself for further investigation. I can only hope that all these community projects you have been talking about will come into fruition.

Although I have been away for over a quarter of a century (I recently visited the beautiful city of Davao last July 2006, I must admit I am at awe as far as progress and improvement this city achieved. I must say, kudos to all of you.

As a Dabawenyo at heart, there is something I wish to speak out. Inspite of the progress and improvement I have witnessed thereof, there are still a lot of improvements to make concerning the welfare of our young children. I am shocked to see young children sleeping on the streets.
They are everywhere.

Is there something we could do to take care of these children. Why are they on the street living miserably neglected? Is there something our local governance can do to help and alleviate this poverty? These children should be at a school environment to learn and acquire education.

Thank you,"

Cornell

Tougher law in India

They will put to jail violators of a new child labor law in India beginning on October 10.

The new child labor law extends an existing ban against employing children in hazardous industries. It will bar employing children as domestic servants, at roadside food stalls and in hospitals.