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

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

In light of recent events and action taken around the world devoted to positive and progressive change, We should take this time to focus on another issue impacting hundreds of millions of people today: child labor. If you are unaware, child labor is the plague afflicting children of all ages around the world, in which they are forced into hostile, unsanitary, and hazardous work conditions. The worst part about this is, these children have no control over their situations. They are born into poverty, and the unfortunate truth is many die in poverty.They have no choice but to work, else they are denied the small wages they may accrue from working to buy food and water for themselves and their families. As mentioned before, however, the environments that these poor children are put into are far less than desirable. This is unacceptable. This atrocious practice of child labor violates several articles of the United Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a document crafted by the United Nations to outline a common standard for all people.
Specifically, Articles 23, 24, 25, and 26 are violated, which are the rights to favorable work conditions, leisure and limited working hours, an adequate standard of living, and education, respectively. While these articles are not enforced, they provide a basis for human rights; in other words they are what every human being deserves and should be granted. A future I long to see is one where all people acquire these rights and are able to prosper, improving humanity as a whole. I believe that DCIs mission is helping bring this future to fruition. With DCIs aid, children are provided with the necessary resources to survive without child labor, and are given education to boost their chances at having a bright future they can be proud of. It is critical that all of us around the world, regardless of background, are given the opportunities to thrive and receive an education for the betterment of our countries, and the world as a whole. You can help make a difference. You can provide this opportunity for these children. Rif Ahmed Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI) Rif Ahmed I am Rif Ahmed and I am a rising senior in high school. I am 17 years old, and have been working with DCI as a volunteer for around 5 years, while my family has been involved with and been a part of the organization for longer. I aim to help DCI make a difference in the lives of children in dire need, and give them the opportunities to live a safe and happy life.

Aryana Kutub: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Aryana Kutub: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

Despite all the current events going on in the world, there is an ongoing issue that must be addressed involving child labour. According to the International Labour Organization, 218 million children between 5 and 17 years of age are in employment; among them 152 million are victims of child labour, and almost 73 million work in hazardous conditions. Now most of us have the privilege of working from home or remote learning for school. Unfortunately, that is not the same case for many children around the world. The pandemic is affecting families economically and numerous parents are losing their jobs and are now unemployed. Due to this loss of income, youths in certain areas of the world are now being put to work or increase their workload.
It hurts me to know that children must work to provide at such a young age. They are stripped from having an education and are being paid so little to work in such harsh conditions. These children are not only affected physically but also mentally. They can no longer keep themselves safe during these unfortunate times and are ill equipped when it comes to home and health. Oftentimes we think to ourselves that there is nothing we can do for child labourers.
But in reality there is so much more that we can do even from just staying at home. The youth have been speaking out and taking actions for generations about the ongoing issues in our world. We can do the same. By educating ourselves, we can obtain valuable knowledge on how to provide aid. Those of us that are privileged to have an education and comfortable living conditions should be able to use our resources to enact the much needed changes. We can no longer let children be robbed of their childhood. These disadvantaged children need a voice. We need to make others understand the wrongs of child labour and take action to put an end to it.

Aryana Kutub
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)

About Aryana Kutub
Aryana Kutub will be starting her sophomore year of highschool in August. Aryana’s family has been involved with DCI since the Texas branch was established. Aryana now wants to directly work with DCI to make a positive impact in the lives of children in need.

Abrar Mamun: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Abrar Mamun: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

When I first travelled to Dhaka at a young age, I immediately recognized the stark juxtaposition between my life in the United States and the lives of several children growing up in Bangladesh. To this day, I can still remember watching children as young as 5 years old working in the streets of Dhaka and Khulna, selling fruits and other products in an attempt to provide for their families. Although I was the same age as them, it was clear that I lived a life of luxury, one that was filled with financial security and numerous job/educational opportunities. At the time, I couldn’t even imagine that these children had to be the breadwinners of their families; my biggest concern was missing the next episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. I began working with DCI because of the profound issues that child labor presents for future generations of children. To this day, adolescents are forced to work in the dangerous conditions of streets, fields, and factories. They have become the subjects of exploitation and inhumane working conditions, essentially robbing them of their right to safety and stripping them of their well-being.
Moreover, one must consider the extensive physical and time-related burdens that labor places on children. When kids are spending all of their time in the fields, they cannot even think about pursuing an education. The parents of these children will say that education is unnecessary because it doesn’t provide basic necessities, like food and money. Thus, child labor threatens social mobility and serves to further the vicious existence of abject poverty.

All of us can play a role in ending child labor. We must do everything in our power to teach these children that their lives matter – that they have a right to happiness and future prosperity. For anyone reading this, I sincerely ask that you do more research on the subject and join us in combatting child labor practices. If we do not persistently take action, these practices will continue to cheat our children out of bright futures! Let’s join hands and end complicity!

Abrar Mamun
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)

About Abrar Mamun
Hello! My name is Abrar Mamun, and I am a rising sophomore at Rice University in Houston, TX. While working with DCI in high school, I truly began to see the tangible effects of our work in rural areas of Bangladesh and other third world countries. Moving forward, I hope to continue working with the organization to mitigate the lasting effects of poverty and child labor.

Nashaat Shaikh: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Nashaat Shaikh: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

Despite having prior knowledge of child labor and child rights or lack thereof, I was taken aback after reading only a handful of articles covering such topics. An estimated 70 million children around the world are being forced to work in hazardous conditions while simultaneously being exposed to extreme temperatures, harmful chemicals, and otherwise dangerous locations. Many of these children– working in efforts to attain even a sliver of the luxuries we possess– suffer from serious health conditions because of their working environments. On November 24th, 2012, a fire broke out at the Tazreen Fashion Factory, killing at least 117 people and injuring 200 more, marking it as the deadliest factory fire in the history of Bangladesh. Amongst these workers were elderly folk, young men and women, and many children. On April 24th, 2013, The Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed, killing 1132 factory workers and injuring thousands more. Many of the workers who died and were injured were children, again working so that they may be able to live a better life.

After this incident, there have been at least 109 accidents similar to this. The more I read about this, the more horrified I become. How many more children will die in these situations before any changes are made? Many young kids are forced to work in these terrible conditions and are treated as less than human. There are kids my age and much younger who are working in order to survive. Without their labor, they wouldn’t be able to afford food or water, and most don’t have access to shelter either way. These kids are forced to grow up and mature quickly, enduring much more pain than they should have to in the process. They aren’t allowed to have fun and have the experience of being a kid. The things that I consider as normal and take for granted are luxuries to these children. I can easily book a doctor’s appointment to get a check-up, but these kids can only dream of this type of medical treatment. The worst part about all of this is that these kids are put into this position at no fault of their own. Had they been born into a different family they might have been able to enjoy their childhood and not have to experience cruel child labor. DCI works to help the children who aren’t as fortunate by offering medical support, supplies, shelter, food, and water, and a quality education. Because of DCI, these kids have a chance. Donate now so that you as well can help give these children a better life.

Nashaat Shaikh
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)

About Nashaat Shaikh:
Nashaat Shaikh, is 17 years old and a rising senior in high school. She has been actively volunteering and interning with DCI for over one year. She hopes to make a difference in the world and to help those who are less fortunate. She is very dedicated and commited and young leader for DCI’s mission.

Tazkyah Khan : World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Tazkyah Khan : World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

Our generation is currently living through a large movement of political and social change as well as an international pandemic, one that without a doubt will go down in history books. And during this change, we have been fortunate enough to be gifted the power of the media to shed light on important issues, one of those being child labor. I have been extremely privileged to have a roof over my head, access to education and healthcare, and food on the table without having to worry about if we could afford all these things. Until working with DCI, I had not fully grasped the concept of how lucky I am. Even now, it is overwhelming to read about the circumstances of the 152 million children forced into a life of child labor. Kids from ages as young as five are being exploited in some of the worst forms of child labor such as trafficking, forced labor, and involvement in illicit activities. These children are being put in extremely dangerous circumstances while being stripped of their childhood, and part of this is due to the poverty cycle.

As millions of families are desperate for resources, they are forced to subject themselves and their children to work for the bare minimum. Even with the strenuous and back-breaking hours put into work, the poverty cycle limits them to a hard life with little hope.
Distressed Children & Infants International, along with other organizations, is working towards the same mission, to eliminate child labor and help the underprivileged families impacted by destitution by providing income-generating opportunities as well as healthcare and education. Even during these hard times, it is our job to work towards change, even more now than ever. Take the opportunities that are given to you, donate not only money but your time to charities, spread awareness, and join DCI in their mission to protect child rights. Our generation has already proven to be a powerful one, and by coming together we can work towards bettering the world.

Tazkyah Khan (Subah)
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)

Tazkyah Khan (Subah)
Tazkyah Khan lives in Portland, Oregon. She is a freshman at Sunset High School and volunteered at DCI’s SunChild Home Orphanage for 7 weeks over the summer of 2019. She also founded the DCI Youth Club of Portland in October, involving other youth members in DCI’s mission through fundraisers and other projects. Tazkyah Khan has worked with DCI for over a year and aims to help those who are less

Farnaz Khandaker: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Farnaz Khandaker: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

Child labor is the exploitation of young children that takes away their dignity, potential, and innocence. It comes in many forms, including factory work, agricultural work, trafficking, other industries that prey upon children for cheap labor. They are forced to do grueling work using dangerous equipment in factories and operate heavy machinery on farms and plantations. Young children are often sold through human trafficking rings and are put into unimagineable situations. These issues are especially prominent in developing countries, where these children are forced into labor due to poverty, a lack of education, and a lack of job opportunities for adults. According to UNICEF, approximately 152 million children are estimated to be currently engaged in child labor globally. These children are forced to work in inhumane conditions and are often the only source of income for their entire family. Working in these hazardous conditions leads to numerous health complications, including chronic diseases, growth deficiencies, and other lifelong trauma.
We need to prioritize education for these children to ensure that they finally have the same opportunities as others. Although nine out of every ten children engaged in child labor are in developing countries in Asia and Africa, we cannot ignore those in Europe and North America. Social reform to help end child labor began in the 1900s in the United States, and while progress has been made there is still a long way to go. Children in Asia and Africa are still often forced into labor due to social norms. It is necessary for people in positions of authority to work harder than ever to eradicate this cruel practice.

Although there has been a steady decline in child labor since 2000, our work is not finished. As individuals who have never had to worry about providing for our families or receiving a quality education, it is up to us to take a stand for the children that cannot protect themselves. This is why it is so important to support DCI’s mission and help build a better future for these children.

Farnaz Khandaker
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)
Farnaz Khandaker is a senior at Spring-Ford High School in Pennsylvania. She is actively involved with DCI’s mission and she appreciates this opportunity to help children in need. She is a highly motivated and dedicated volunteer for DCI.

Shumonto Sanyal: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Shumonto Sanyal: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

A great thing about children is the fact that they can maintain their innocence for so long. Their innocence plays a huge factor in keeping them cheerful and happy all the time. However, that happens to be true for kids born into a normal lifestyle or kids born into a financially stable lifestyle, not a child born into an impoverished lifestyle. Children born into poverty have their innocence shattered by the age of five years old due to the fact that they have to start providing for the family since their parents cannot provide for the family alone. And when the children accept that burden they sacrifice receiving an education. Every single child, regardless of their economic status, is entitled to receive an education. To eradicate the crisis of child labor education must be prioritized for children in poverty. If education is prioritized for children in poverty then that will stop children from being hired for work in the first place because they will be too busy getting educated.
As for the children who are already working, extreme measures should be taken so that they will have access to education. If a law has to be put into place specifically stating that every single child must receive an education then a law should be placed if that is what it takes. The reason education should be taken seriously is due to the fact that education can change the course of these kids’ lives. Before they received an education, they may have been destined to be poor laborers their entire life but with an education, they can become extremely successful in any career they choose, and every kid is entitled to an opportunity at success. But in order to get the children laborers to an education action must be taken from people of power and local communities. People of power can help by passing laws and ordinances that make child labor illegal and local communities can help by giving money to the kids where they need the money so they can go to school to receive the education that they are entitled to. So, at the end of the day, everybody has to unite and contribute in their own way in order to eradicate the global crisis of child labor.

Shumonto Sanyal
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)
Shumonto Sanyal lives in Atlanta Georgia. He recently graduated high school and will be attending Georgia State University. Shumonto Sanyal has been involved with DCI since 2018.

Raishma Kazi: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Raishma Kazi: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

The Fight for Child Labor Rights
Child labor has been practiced throughout all of human history. In the U.S., child labor reached its peak during the Industrial Revolution – kids as young as four years old were working in crowded, unclean factories with little-to-no protections. Children worked long hours, were underpaid, and were unable to receive proper education. In 1900, efforts to eliminate child labor were added to social reform; by 1938, legislation was passed placing limitations on child labor. In 1949, Congress extended protections, and today, regulations exist in almost all industries to protect kids within service industries. Though there is still work to be done, especially in the agricultural sector, the reforms related to child labor are the reason why children across America are protected.
Unfortunately, reforms like this don’t exist everywhere. It’s estimated that one in ten of all children worldwide are child laborers.
In least-developed countries, around one in four children participates in labor that is detrimental to their well-being. Africa has an estimated 72 million child laborers. Asia and the Pacific have around 62 million child laborers. Collectively, these three regions account for nine of every ten children being exploited as a labor source. The other children are accounted for in the Americas – about 11 million – Europe and Central America – about 6 million – and the Arab States – 1 million.
The importance of children being properly cared for and educated in any society cannot be understated. Proper education and access to resources allows children to not only expand their knowledge but cultivate ideas to generate progress within societies. An uneducated population of children within a country or region is in an indicator for where that area will be in the next era. If change is to occur, it must begin young. All children deserve access to proper care and education, but none of this can be accessible if kids are forced to work. If lower developed countries are to succeed, labor laws and protections for children are not only necessary, but essential.

Raishma Kazi
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)
About Raishma Kazi
Raishma Kazi is an incoming freshman at the University of Texas at Austin. She is studying business, and hopes to attend law school after earning her undergraduate degree. Raishma has been a dedicated volunteer with DCI since 2009, working tirelessly to promote DCI’s message and help raise funds for the underprivileged.

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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@distressedchildren.org
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