Child labour

This is an issue of great concern these days. At least most children are now aware of what child labour is. But, this is only to those in towns and cities who have access to the media. For those in the remote areas there are still in the darkness. So from my opinion it is our duty as active members to make sure that these children are made aware of child labour.

I was heart broken when I received the following article from one of the students whom I am working with.

Compiled By Edwin Hwera
[Entumbane Secondary School, Mpopoma Computer Centre]
Bulawayo Zimbabwe

She writes:

“ I was heart broken when I watched a certain program from our local television. There was this reporter/researcher who went to the one of the remote areas of Northern Zimbabwe. He arrived at place. He met three boys at the fields. And I did not like the condition they were in. If you looked at their outside appearance and their motions, they could not make proper movements. And you could see that their bodies have been exposed to too much cold for too long. The boys were asked
what they were doing there. They stated that they were guarding the fields from baboons. Oh, Lord how could people treat children like this!

Baboons are not a creature to fool around with; they are vicious.
Apart from baboons they are also other dangerous animals which can be found in African forests. And if I look at the boys I don’t think they is anyone of them who was over 11 years of age. And at this age what threat do they pose to baboons, none!

And they did not show any sign of food. Yes, the researcher offered them food, polony and chocolate sweets. Thank you for that but, that’s only for that time. What about tomorrow, they will go back to the old story. I can’t blame the reporter much; he was just doing his job, and I will have to thank him for exposing such cruelty.

We can cry and feel pity for these kids, but that’s another story.
What hurt me and made angry was when he went to the homesteads of these kids. I was appalled by the scene. He found the elders sitting doing nothing apart from smoking their cigarettes. And they showed that they were getting bored of just sitting.”

So you can see what other students feel about child labour. This
article touched me, and it gives me the inspiration to fight against
child labour.