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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.

Kavin Kathir: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Kavin Kathir: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

Over 168 million children are still child laborers today. Despite how far we have come in terms of technology and justice, child labor still remains one of the most prevalent issues in our world.

The conditions in which some children have to still work in 2020 is truly astounding. The workplaces have many problems including exposure to chemicals, a lack of sanitation, exposure to radiation, operation of dangerous machines, and much more. These would by themselves pose immense problems for adults, but the developing children are at increased risk, resulting in deaths, injuries, and physical and mental health trauma. In the 1900s, there was an anti-sweatshop movement that took place, to improve the conditions of work and eliminate child labor. More than a century later, we are still fighting that same problem.f
A lot of us were probably blessed, with plenty of outlets and opportunities available for us, and our educations never something we had to think twice about having. But, while we are receiving all of these opportunities, there are still so many children out there fighting for their basic rights and needs. By no means do I mean our childhoods were perfect, but having basic rights wasn’t something we had to worry about. The child laborers’ development and education were put at great risk, and their childhood was just stripped away from them. Progress has been made; the number of children in child labor has been cut by a third since 2000, but the number of children not being provided basic rights is still extremely overwhelming.

You might sometimes feel powerless, especially in global situations like this, but I assure you that you CAN help. Spread awareness and educate yourself on how to make a change and fight for children’s rights on DCI’s website (https://distressedchildren.org/). Get involved with DCI through volunteering, and I assure you that you will be able to contribute to DCI’s selfless, widespread and lasting impact. I saw it firsthand on my volunteering trip to Dhaka.

This World day against Child Labor, I want to applaud the efforts that have been made, and remind everyone that there is still work to be done that can better the lives of children everywhere. You have the opportunity to help, and I sincerely hope you take it.

Kavin Kathir
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)
About Kavin Kathir
Kavin Kathir is from Cheshire, Connecticut. He is a rising junior at Cheshire Academy, and is attending there through a 4-year Town Scholarship. He recently took a volunteer trip to Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he helped children learn English at the DCI Sun Child Home. He later stated that this trip really opened his eyes and was a life-changing experience. Kavin is a committed volunteer, and has been volunteering through DCI since 2015.

Nairita Siddiqui: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

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Nairita Siddiqui: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

Child labor, the exploitation of children for work, has been a persisting issue throughout history and modern day. Victims of child labor suffer degradation of their physical and mental health as they are forced to sacrifice tiring hours working in unsafe environments for little to no pay. According to the United Nations, about 152 million children, aged 5 to 17, are currently child laborers, with about 73 million doing hazardous work. 48% are below the age of 11. According to UNICEF, in the world’s poorest countries, about 25% of children are involved in child labor. The COVID-19 pandemic only worsens the issue of child labor. The economic crisis created by the pandemic leaves workers desperate for recovery, resulting in longer and more tiring work hours.

This is unacceptable. The numbers are too high. The number of kids in child labor should be zero.
In honor of World Day Against Child Labor, we must work together to combat child labor. We can put an end to this, and it all starts with YOU. Educate yourself; learn about the history of child labor and the detrimental effects it has on communities. Call and write to your legislators and stress how important it is that, as your representatives, they work to make a change to help pull distressed children out of this vicious cycle. Contact chain stores and manufacturers that take advantage of child labor and explain to them that it is imperative that they do their part in preventing this crime by ensuring that child labor is not part of their production process. This attack on distressed children has been going on far too long. Come together and help by doing your part in putting an end to child labor. Please join our mission.

Nairita Siddiqui
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)
About Nairita Siddiqui:
Nairita Siddiqui is a rising junior and lives in Georgia. She is passionate about music and fighting for social justice. Nairita has been a dedicated DCI volunteer and president of the DCI club at her school.

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