World Day Against Child Labor: An Urgent Fight

Every June 12th, World Day Against Child Labor reminds us of an alarming figure: 152 million. This is the number of children, aged 5 to 17, forced to work in dangerous conditions that threaten their health, safety, and development. Deprived of play and education, their daily lives are a struggle for survival, often in regions already affected by poverty, conflicts, or natural disasters, where they are recruited as child soldiers or forced to work on the streets.

Ending Child Labor: An Achievable Goal

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the eradication of child labor is achievable through targeted government interventions, particularly to combat its worst forms. Global action is essential to achieve Target 8.7 of the UN's 2030 Agenda, which aims to end forced labor, modern slavery, human trafficking, and the worst forms of child labor.

Exploited children suffer severe physical and psychological problems, often victims of abuse, and are forced into social isolation. This phenomenon is widespread globally, and it is extremely difficult to escape without external help.

Our Action on the Ground Against Child Labor

At My Adoption Site, we provide legal and psychological support to children forced into labor. We work to identify employers exploiting child labor, provide economic support to vulnerable families to prevent them from sending their children to work, and conduct awareness campaigns among community leaders and elders.

Through our programs in Africa and Asia, we organize initiatives to keep children out of work and ensure their access to school. Fighting poverty remains our top priority.

The story of Njeri, a 13-year-old girl from Kenya who dreams of becoming a heart surgeon, is illustrative. She often helps her mother in the tea plantations: « Les paniers sont lourds, et les journées longues. Je ne peux pas toujours aller à l'école. » Afaafa, 12, experiences a similar situation. These young girls benefit from support projects that promote fair working conditions, improve living standards, and protect individuals from violence.

In places like the Mwakirunge landfill in Kenya, children risk their lives for a few coins. Thanks to My Adoption Site's intervention, Rehema, 17, has been able to raise awareness in her community about the dangers and children's rights, contributing to 24 children returning to school after working in the landfill.

Insidious Forms of Exploitation: The Devadasi System

In India, the Devadasi system represents a terrifying form of exploitation where young girls are "married" to deities, then forced to serve in temples and be sexually exploited. This ancient practice, rooted in cultural traditions, targets girls under 15 from poor and marginalized castes.

These young victims are trapped by poverty, lack of education, and psychological vulnerability, often forced to perpetuate this cycle for their own daughters. My Adoption Site works with communities to deconstruct these practices and offer an alternative to young girls.

What is Child Labor?

Child labor forces young individuals to work to survive, often unpaid or very poorly paid. This exploitation has devastating consequences on their physical and mental development. These children are deprived of school, work grueling shifts, and perform tasks often too heavy or dangerous for their age, without any protection.