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.

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