Innocence with dream in their eyes

picture credit: sangeeta dayal

The Photograph is from Laitkor a village in Shillong in the year 2013. The father and 14 year old son are working together carrying fertilizers. 

Like many poor families in small villages of India they too are struggling for food and a good lifestyle, in so much cold weather they had no choice but carry it. 

While clicking it I wondered how bad it is that even this little boy has every right to go to school and get educated like any other one of us.

picture credit: sangeeta dayal

This little girl “Mariam” is from a small village in Shillong. She does not go to school regularly and spends her day in collecting woods for household wood selling business and working at home helping her mother.

 While talking to her I felt at this age she does not know the importance of going to school but may be later in coming years she will realise it and probably start going to school.

But what about all the other children like them who do not have such facilities.

Kailash satyarthi – “Child slavery is a crime against humanity. Humanity itself is at stake here. A lot of work still remains, but I will see the end of child labour in my lifetime”.

Child Labour is the adverse practice which is hampering childhood, the mental and physical abilities of children. The major cause of this is poverty, lack of education opportunities.

Families with low income take their children as extra hand for additional income for their household. They say larger number of children in family means extra income for house. So they prefer sending their children to factories and industries instead to schools. Other reason is they can be paid less so are cheap for the employers.

Government has many laws stating several industries as hazardous for employment of children.

Various initiatives and regulation acts for prevention of child labour in hazardous occupations have also been there. Nowadays many NGO and other institutions are also working in this field to prevent child labour. Govt of India has also mandated Free and compulsory education for children till class 8 by enacted Right to Education Act in 2009 for children of age group between 6 & and 14. 

Building shelter homes for those children who are living in streets and giving them better education opportunities and they can learn a career to get a better job and future.

Child labour is a serious problem. Children are our future and we have to take better care of them if we want a better future of ourselves.

Next time you see child labours I suggest try inspiring them through your words to be an educated person and tell them the importance of education because I feel at this age this is the biggest hidden truth of life to them.