Work as Child's Play?

THE CHALLENGE

The challenge to date is how to reduce POVERTY in line with the rapid increase of the population.

Poverty has been existing for many years now, and because of this, people tend to go the "other side". By other side, i mean the bad side. Wherein they steal money for food, kill people for money, steal cars for money, rob people for money, and so much more for money. And because of these, some may want to migrate to find more economic opportunities worldwide. Most families are needy and thus letting their children earn income. The jobs that include selling cigarettes and sampaguitas, car washing, hauling and so much more. Others may even work at factories, and what is worse is that they might end up begging.

CHILDREN AS WORKERS

Children have the right to go to school. They have the right to learn, and it is their parents obligation to send them to school, even though they don't have the money. But most of the impoverished parents send their children not school but to WORK. Send their children to work has its negative effects.

First, on their health. Children who are exposed to the streets have the tendency to become sickly because they are prone to hazards. The children who spend many hours of  working might get respiratory diseases, brain damage, coughs, and high risk of injury. And because they are seen anywhere, drug dealers might use them as their means of exchange to their customers. Children who have very little knowledge about the outside world might give in immediately to the people who offer them money. Always remember that it is not the children who are obligated to work for a living, it is their parents.

Second, they lack knowledge. They have a difficulty in gaining proper education because they are too focused on having income. And if they decide to go to school by the age of 7 or 8, there is a big chance that they will drop out of school because they didn't see the importance of knowledge that the school can offer.

EXAMPLES ON CHILDREN AS WORKERS

"Julie is a 10 year old girl who lives in Manila with her family. Julie's father is unemployed and her mother sells flowers in clubs near their home. Being the youngest of six children in her family, she has always accompanied her mother selling flowers from 10pm till 5am. Julie has been exposed to this lifestyle since she was five years old. Living in poverty has forced Julie to resort to the same job of selling flowers and key chains like her mother. Julie is exposed to drunks and street fighting as she sells her goods on the streets during the night."

"Evelyn and her family migrated to Manila from the island of Samar when she was six years old. Evelyn, being the third of six children, came with her parents to Manila looking for better economic opportunities. Her father has irregular work as a jeepney driver while her mother is a market vendor. Evelyn and her older siblings were forced to work due to poverty and her parents unstable income."

source for these two stories:
http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/archives/secondary/casestud/philippines/2/child-lab.html

IN CONCLUSION

Though nowadays, child labor are decreasing, but street children are still visible  around Roxas, Claveria, and Jacinto. They beg for food and money, they look sad and hungry and they deserve something much better. The government should gather all the street children (if possible) and make a program for them. They should not work for some illegal syndicate, they should be studying like normal children. The government should really make an act about this. Not just have an article about stopping child labor.