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Samara Rezwan: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Samara Rezwan: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

Everyday, an estimated 168 million children are unable to attend school because they have to go to work in order to support their family or themselves. Child labor not only denys children of their childhood and education but often these children have to work in precarious conditions. Especially in places like Bangladesh, child labor laws are often ignored and many children work around 60-80 hours a week. Child labor effects the overall development of children by leading them to experience depression and isolation since they spend many hours at work instead of socializing with other children at school. According to UNICEF “An estimated 246 million children are engaged in child labour.

Nearly 70 per cent (171 million) of these children work in hazardous conditions – including working in mines, working with chemicals and pesticides in agriculture or with dangerous machinery.” Organizations such as DCI are fighting child labor by spreading awareness and protecting the rights of children by ensuring they receive a proper education, rights to healthcare, and ensure their access to opportunities and family support.

Samara Rezwan
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)

Rehan Habib: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Rehan Habib: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

For me, the lack of child rights in impoverished countries is one of the most important issues that requires attention. The opportunity to grow up without the fear of being abused or forced into labor at an early age is something that I believe many people take for granted. As someone who grew up in America, I never have had to deal with this fear that many children in other countries have. It seems unfair to me that there are children who are not receiving the same chance that I did simply because they are born somewhere else. No matter where a child is born, they should be given the same chance as other children to grow up, attend school, and live a healthy life. Child labor and abuse create a cycle of poverty that can keep generations of people from improving their lives. When children are forced to work at a young age, they lose time that could be spent in school, getting educated. Without education, these children struggle economically when they eventually grow into adults. In our modern world, it should not be possible that any child has to live through hardships like this. I urge other people like me who were able to live without the fear of childhood labor to join DCI as a volunteer.

You can make a difference in helping to ensure that all children can have a proper childhood, rather than living a life working long hours in an abusive, inhumane environment.

Rehan Habib
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)

Nafisa Uddin : World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Nafisa Uddin : World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

I remember the first time I was introduced to the concept of child labor. It was the October of my sixth-grade year during my language arts class and we were learning about the rampant use of child laborers on cocoa plantations in Cote d’Ivoire. I was not ignorant of the fact that as a child attending a nice public school who lived with both of her parents in a nice home with warm meals and access to learning resources that I had a lot of privilege. But I found it unfathomable that there are people who purposefully deprive children of their right to, well, a childhood. What was worse, in a way, I was enabling those very people who were exploiting children.

What were most kids thinking about in October? Halloween—a time for thrilling chills and more importantly, chocolate! It was certainly what I was thinking about during that time. After learning about the heinous atrocities that child laborers experience, I felt sick at the dark irony that another child had to suffer at the cost of my enjoyment. How was it fair that I could enjoy the sweet that was a product of another child’s labor and tears? How was it even possible for something that an unjust to be tolerated?
That lesson forever changed my life. Learning more about the plight of child laborers and the misfortunes of trafficked children made me come to grips with the reality of how much injustice is justified simply because it is ignored. Protecting child rights is not just a phrase uttered by advocates; it is a duty that we all must uphold. Child rights is more than simply a goal; it is a principle that emphasizes that every child be given the opportunity to dream big.

I urge all of you to join in protecting children from child labour, now more than ever. Whether it be through online awareness, volunteering, or organization: get involved. This year has presented a host of unprecedented problems. But it has also given us an opportunity to strengthen our efforts and give all children what they rightfully deserve: a brighter future.
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)

Nafisa Uddin
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)

Nafisa Uddin lives in Tampa. She is pursuing a major in Biomedical Sciences with the goal of becoming a physician. Nafisa has been a dedicated volunteer with DCI since 2013 and has a special interest in female empowerment and health care issues.

Elsa Syed: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Elsa Syed: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

218 million children worldwide are victims of child labor. That is 218 million children forced into work that dismantles their childhood by being placed in situations that can harm their mental, physical, social and moral development. Victims of child labor often have no other choice but to accept dangerous jobs in sweatshops, factories, and mines, working long hours in grueling conditions for meager pay, due to their poor living conditions. Children are exploited into these fatal positions because they lack a voice, which is why it is so important for all of us to fight for them and be their voice.

During my early school years, my family moved from the US to Dhaka for a few years. It was eye-opening to see so many people living in the margins of society. Every day on my way to school, I would see children in the streets begging from car to car in ragged clothes, hoping the windows would roll down so they could receive what would amount to a few cents. 

When I think about these poor children, I realize that this could have been the lives of anyone of us. I could have been born into this vicious cycle of poverty, struggling every day to survive. It is our responsibility to restore the rights of these kids. This is why I am so grateful to be working with DCI. I was able to work with several girls at DCI’s Sun Child Orphanage in Bangladesh. I saw how close of a family these girls are, and how they learn together every day in hopes to create successful careers and to become independent in the future. The younger children were able to look up to their older friends who were pursuing higher education and beginning their careers. I was able to help the younger girls work on their English and writing. But it wasn’t even the English lesson that made them happy. Simply my being there and spending time with them put smiles on their faces. It’s honestly a privilege to be given the opportunity to make even the smallest impact on the lives of these children. DCI has inspired me to continue helping to provide children with the right tools and resources to empower them.

Elsa Syed
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)

Elsa Syed lives in Texas, and is a rising junior at Plano East’s IB World School. She has been involved with DCI since 2017 and has created a club at school that brings other people to join DCI’s mission.

Ramisa Ahmed : World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Ramisa Ahmed : World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

While it may not be something you think about everyday, June 12, 2020 is a great opportunity for us to reflect on how privileged and blessed we are. As a 17 year old living in the U.S., I just finished highschool, enrolled into college, can drive a car, earn money safely, and am able to live my best life with the help of my parents and friends. However, the majority of children in this world do not get that opportunity. The International Labour Organization reports that there are an estimated 152 million children in child labour, half of which are in hazardous work. These are 152 million kids that are my age and under. Let that sink in.

As we start to grow into young adults, it’s time to start thinking about how we can make a change. We need to change those numbers, for the better. While donating is always a great way to help, I understand that is not always possible. Some other ways we can help in the fight against child labor include, first and foremost, educating yourself. Don’t believe in random statistics and instead, dig for the information on your own.
Other ways you can help are to contact businesses that do business in countries that have child labor, contact local, regional, and national legislators, contact government leaders, and buy fair trade and sweatshop-free products whenever possible. Please continue to spread awareness past the World Day Against Child Labour, and let’s all work together towards bringing child labour to an end!

Ramisa Ahmed
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)
Ramisa Ahmed lives in Georgia and will be attending Kennesaw State University as a freshman Mechanical Engineering major. She has recently joined DCI in June 2020 as an intern on their humanitarian mission to aid children in need. Personally, she strives to make a difference in her parents’ home country of Bangladesh through means of engineering innovation.

Nameer Ahmed: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Nameer Ahmed: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

Child labour is defined as “work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development”. According the International Labour Organization (ILO), globally there are 152 million victims of child labour. This practice must come to a stop. We cannot keep endangering children worldwide for the purpose of work that adults are supposed to do. Our children should not have to work for the shortcomings of adults. This is completely unacceptable, and can cause harmful effects such as premature ageing, malnutrition, depression, drug dependency, and so on. As a world, we must do better to protect our children. Our children are our futures, and we are nothing but our future. Volunteer now. It does not matter if you are a high school student, or a senior; we must volunteer now to eradicate this issue once and for all. On World Day Against Child Labor, I want each and everyone one of you to take a moment and think about how you can contribute to stopping this issue. It can be small, such as donating to your local charity. But do something. Action speaks louder than words.
Nameer Ahmed
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)
About Nameer Ahmed
Nameer Ahmed lives in Irvine, California. He is an incoming senior at Northwood High School, who enjoys playing tennis and the piano. Nameer is passionate about giving back to the community and has been a dedicated volunteer since 2017 by helping with research work and giving charity through DCI’s support-a-child project.

Shezda Afrin : World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Shezda Afrin : World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

Child labor is an issue we work to overcome every day. During the COVID pandemic, we see families across the world facing economic crisis. Unfortunately, some parents think that they have no option but to send their children to work in desperate, low-income situations. We can only imagine how many children in Bangladesh are out of school and are engaging in harmful work in factories. We cannot let this pandemic be another reason why child labor persists. Across the world, children are being deprived of food, shelter, and education during this critical time. Now more than ever, we as an organization must step up to ensure that child labor is not being implemented. For some children being exploited at this very moment, it is not about staying home, not attending extracurriculars, and attending virtual classes. For some children, it is about taking the economic burden of their family on their shoulders, more often than not, unwillingly.
Today, we have become stronger as a society. Collectively, we are speaking out against injustice, all while battling a pandemic. Shouldn’t we, speak out against child labor and child trafficking? Putting an end to this huge global problem is a step towards a better future. Let’s educated about it, search which companies are utilizing child labor, speak out, spread awareness, and support organizations that are fighting against this injustice. Support DCI today.

Shezda Afrin
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)
About Shezda Afrin
Shezda lives in Pennsylvania. She has recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. While she was a pre-med, she worked with children to assist them academically and clinically. Shezda has been a volunteer since 2016 and has been involved with DCI in Dhaka as well. She hopes to assist in the change that DCI brings to the children of Bangladesh.

Aishwarya Benzy: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Aishwarya Benzy: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

At this very moment, millions of innocent children are being exploited. Some are wasting away in sweatshops while others are wearing away as they sell their bodies. Deprived of their childhood, dignity, and future, these children are crippled and locked into a continuous cycle of poverty. Children are not property nor are they tools. They are human beings that have the right to develop to their fullest potential. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our commitment is being tested. The children we have been protecting and supporting for years are at their most vulnerable. Although times may be tough for us, imagine how unbearable life must be for those families whose livelihoods have been snatched away as they are ravaged by a merciless virus. With no other option to support their families, what will be the fates of the children we have fought so hard for? During these trying times, we cannot afford to withdraw our support and commitment. These vulnerable children need our help now more than ever. We cannot give up on them.
Aish Benzy
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)
About Aish Benzy
Aish Benzy lives in Connecticut. She is a rising senior at Cheshire High School. Working with DCI since the age of 13 her support and dedication towards DCI’s mission has been unwavering. Learning about the plight of children like herself, around the world, has given her a new perspective on the world and motivated her to make a difference in her position of privilege.

85% of our total operating expenses fund programs for children. So the majority of your dollars go toward exactly what you intended - supporting children in poverty.

DISTRESSED CHILDREN & INFANTS INTERNATIONAL, INC

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Phone/SMS/WhatsApp/Viber: +1 (203) 376-6351 or +1 (875) 292-9186, E-mail: dci[at]distressedchildren.org
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