Today is celebrated on World Day against Child Slavery, more than 400 million children in Latin America, Asia and Africa (mainly) become slaves for different reasons.
Indirectly, child slavery is part of our lives because we all in greater or lesser extent consume objects that have been manufactured by slave boys and girls, or food collected by small hands that they should be playing or learning. It was the death of Iqbal Masih in 1995 that gave rise to this commemoration, and it is that this teenager who had managed to overcome an early childhood undergoing forced labor, was murdered for positioning himself as an activist against companies that used child labor .
The little Pakistani had to make marathon work days (up to 12 hours) from four years to settle a family debt. His life was not much different from other children than today they arrive to work 15 hours in precarious conditions that put their physical, psychological and social integrity at risk.
Manos Unidas develops projects on three continents against child slavery: education, health and reintegration into a society that marginalizes children after using them. This is the information available on your page.
The United Nations International Labor Organization has been trying for years (without success, obviously) to define and regulate child labor through stipulation of the minimum age for admission to a job. There are several organizations that intend to provide priority attention to children, and also many interests against.
We live in a world of contrasts, here we care about the well-being and emotions of children, and in other places they exploit them forcing them to work. Then, when we step on our carpet, we drink coffee, or we get dressed, we surely won't remember those kids that are almost the same as ours, only that they are marked by their place of birth and their social status.
