Children living on the Edge - fairyage

CHILDREN LIVING ON THE EDGE

Child labour is prevalent throughout Pakistan. This is violations of human rights, and despite government regulations, there seems to be no end in sight. The studies conducted reveal the nightmarish ordeals that a vast majority of children undergo in order to obtain the basic necessities of life.

There are several heart-rending stories of hapless children. People rstories and then soon forget all about them. The government for its part, announces specific schemes for children. These schemes are launched with much fanfare. But many of these much-publicized programmes have not brought the desired results due to a numof bottlenecks in their implementation.

According to the latest UNESCO statistics, one sixth of the total child population (5-14 years) are child workers. The worst cases of child labour occur in the carpet industry and the soccer ball industry. Children as young as seven years of age spend days stitching footballs and boxing and cricket gloves for export. Many children spend their entire childhood making carpets with their dexterous hands. They work long hours with very little rest and in most cases no holidays.

Deprived of proper wages, for thousands of child labourers, childhood is a bitter phase of life. According to a survey conducted in 1996 there were 3.3 million working children (5-14 years) in the country. The figures may be much higher now. With institutional care almost non-existent, one can imagine the gravity of the problem. "Right to Education" can accelerate in eliminating the menace of child labour and can ensure that every child achieves his full potential as a matter of right. The first step can be taken by involving the community at large to strike at the roots of child labour.

here...Alas Mrose...the original contents by www.fairyage.com / describe with the help of Child Labour & UNESCO