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| Poverty: The Cause of Child Labor |
| Children in Cameroon work to help their families and support themselves |
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Yemti Harry Ndienla (mcyemtih)  |
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Published 2006-07-04 21:12 (KST) |
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Child labor is a common phenomenon in developing countries. In Cameroon, and particularly in its big towns, child labor is prevalent, and frequently occurs during the long school holiday.
Most of the children involved are working to assist their families. For some it is necessary to work to raise money for their education. To others it is a way to help their parents generate more income to pay for basic needs such as food. This could be seen as better than simply idling or loitering about during this period. This is applicable only to students.
Children who don't go to school, especially orphans, work full-time in places like cocoa and coffee plantations. They also hawk things like cooked food and household articles.
Some of the child laborers claim they want to generate personal incomes so as not to be totally reliant on their parents. To others it's a way of helping one parent after the death of another. No matter what the reason the act still remains illegal in the eyes of the United Nations.
"I am ten years old, my name is Ndumbe Elame, I sell soya to have some money to assist my family and my parents. They say I should not come back home without selling everything." Though Ndumbe is not happy doing the job, he must do it if he wants peace in the family. "I am sometimes forced to stay out until past midnight in other to sell everything," he added.
But this is not the case with Ayuk Emelda, a seven-year-old hawker of groundnuts. "I also sell things but my parents give me time to rest after school, eat and play with my friends briefly before going out to hawk. My parents use the money for my fees and to buy other things at home." She added.
Nine-year-old Felix Ebah is an orphan. He said. "I have no choice after the death of my parents, my guardian who happens to be my uncle decided to take me out of school, leaving his own children in education. Since I want to be a better person in the future, I decided to go into truck pushing to raise some money for my school needs."
There are many children out there like Ndumbe Elame, Ayuk Emelda and Felix Ebah. Though one may consider their reasons for child labor genuine, it all comes back to poverty.
Poverty, I must say here, is the root cause of many social ills.
As a result of the economic hardship in this country, parents in particular and children in general are looking for miscellaneous ways to earn a living.
It's a fact that most children involved in child labor have parents who are in business. The government should be thinking of reducing taxes on business people. This will enable parents to curtail the habit of sending their children to hawk on the street to supplement the family income.
The government should also give financial support to orphans, as they are most vulnerable to being exploited for their labor. That notwithstanding, traffickers who perpetuate child labor should also be brought to book.
"My children need to assist me during the holidays. It is only through this that I can pay their school fees for the next academic year." Said Mary Mbah, a trader. "People who say children should not help their parents should then give us the help." She added.
"My children help me during the holidays and even during the school period. But I put limits on them. I mean they don't sell goods after 6pm because I want them to have time to read and carry out their school assignments." Said Juliana Agbor.
Article 138 of the I.L.O. convention defines child labor as work carried out by any child below 12 years of age. U.N.E.S.C.O. has come up with the following definition.Work that burdens the child; too heavy for the child's age and capabilities, child work unsupervised or supervised by an abusive adult. Very long hours of work, child has limited or no time for school, child is forced by circumstances or by coercive individuals to work. Limited or no positive rewards for the child. Child's work is excluded from the legislation, social security and benefits. Binds the child to poverty and misery, child's work is utilised for exploitative, subversive or clandestine operations or disguised illegal activities. Child is subjected to psychological, verbal or physical/sexual abuse." Work which does not interfere with education is permitted after the age of 12.
Many people disaprove of child labor, but it is not enough to ban it. Real action must be taken to end the poverty that is its root cause.
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©2006 OhmyNews
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