Child Labor's Fashionable Face- New York Times- December 2, 2011

  
“Children below the age of eighteen make up an estimated 40 per cent of India’s 1.2 billion people. Of this number, 35 million, or around 7 percent, are children in name only. They work an average of eight hours to twelve hours a day, performing adult jobs in sectors from agriculture to manufacturing. They are always paid below the market rate.”

This article shows a deep contrast between poverty and the “child labor’s fashionable face”.  Starting off with a description of two children’s outfits you would never expect that they live in slums.  It turns out that they work for $67 a month and that goes to their families.  One of the children mentions that he is trying to raise money to send his sister off in style, referring to her dowry.  Both children dropped out of school and wish they had not.  They’re dreams of becoming a doctor or policeman are dashed, now they work in factories.

Focusing on the desire for material possession and façade of success versus their reality, this article is intriguing in its style and approach.




To read this article click here