A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words!

The photograph abstracts from, and mediates, the actual - Victor Burgin

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What can we do to help?

1. Small donations can make a world of difference for children living in poverty and working in situations of child labour. According to "Free The Children":

- $1 can buy $10 worth of medical supplies for people in developing countries
- $50 can buy a goat that will provide a source of income for a family in a developing country
- $100 can provide a clean water system for a family in a developing country
- $5000 can build a school in a developing country

2. Get together with friends who share your passion and organize a fund raiser at your school or church, or in the community. Car washes, bake sales, garage sales, bbq's and dress-down-days at school or work are great ways to raise money.

3. Contact government officials. Your provincial MPP's and Federal MP's simply love receiving strongly-worded, passionate letters outlining issues that concern you. Be straightforward and to-the-point, but do not be offensive or insulting. Make sure to be clear and concise when outlining the issue and include your contact information so that they may respond back. If you receive a response that you are not happy with feel free to write back again. Government officials are elected to serve the people whom they represent, so don't be shy!

4. Raise Awareness. Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. The more people know about the issue, the more people can help.

For more information, visit www.freethechildren.org

Child Miners

Jorge would like to be a lawyer but has no choice other than to work all day until his back hurts. Alex works in the mine because he has nothing to eat. He doesn’t tell his mother about his work because it makes her cry.

These thirteen year old boys sneak into mines that the adults find too dangerous or too unproductive for the back-breaking labour it entails. For the small amounts of tin left in the exhausted mountains of the Andes the boys have to work in silence in case the rocks fall on them. If there is an accident the managers at the mine don’t want to take responsibility for it.

Film-maker Rodrigo Vazquez found children too young to work mining for tin in Bolivia. Trade Union managers turn a blind eye to assist the children's families but dangers due to illness and accidents condemn these kids to short lives of back-breaking labour.

Source: Al Jazeera - Witness

Watch Part One here:




Watch Part two here:




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Child Labour - Child Miners

"The change starts within each one of us, and ends only when all children are free to be children." - Craig Kielburger, Free The Children

Children should be playing baseball, soccer, gymnastics or at school learning algebra not working in mines. However, millions of children around the world work in damaging and hazardous industries like forestry, brick making, charcoal burning, mining and explosives manufacture.

On a daily basis, some of these children die, fall ill with industrial diseases or are injured by accidents. Even if they survive, each day's work significantly reduces their life expectancy.

Statistics show that there are over 300 million of these children across the globe. They are not fortunate enough to experience the life of a normal child. In extremely harmful environments like mines, fields and quarries, under very harsh conditions, they work and dig for ridiculously low wages which are usually less than a dollar. They are deprived of a childhood and basic freedom.

Again, more than one million of these children work in mines and quarries. This is one of the most dangerous forms of child labour – exposing children to severe occupational hazards.
Moreover, this is child slavery. We have to do something to eliminate these hideous acts because there is nothing worse than the exploitation of children, and it breaks me to pieces to think that they might never experience a real childhood or the beauty of life itself. WE have to end this.

A lot of people look me in the eyes and say “Mariam, no one can change the world.” my response has and will always be “just because WE think WE can't change the world doesn’t mean WE can’t make a difference.”

Many times, I have been called a leftist, a liberal freak and everything in between. But what they fail to understand is that, this is not about me. This is about children being treated in the most awful ways.

WE all have a heart and a brain. I choose to give my heart out to these kids and my brain to think of ways to eradicate their pain.



This has brought about a tremendous change in my life. Never again can I continue living my normal life with what I know today. These children are not invisible and if they are to you then I will keep on making noise and bringing this to your face until they become visible; until WE all acknowledge and do something about their appalling conditions.
They are as real as reality can ever get. They have rights to education, to expand their imagination. They have the right to be free!

The website which I plan on dedicating to this cause is still under construction. Nevertheless, you can Subscribe because I need YOUR help.
My goal, as of now, is to get the attention of as many people as possible. So please help me Raise Awareness. Forward this blog to everyone you know. Awareness is the first step.

Nelson Mandela once said,

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.

The more people know about the issue, the more people can help.
I encourage everyone to continue spreading the word. Making a difference starts with raising awareness.

Subscribe to this blog. Be part of the movement.

Under construction

If you’re reading this and you’re not me, then welcome!

I’m sorry this blog is still under construction, but shortly it will become very coherent with stories, news, updates and a lot of variations on the theme Child Miners.