One of the projects that YouthHOPE is developing is about creating jobs for youth. Unemployment for youth is at an all-time high and it is impacting their lives and communities in a very negative way. Many youth are looked to in order to help provide for their families and for the millions of AIDS orphans, even to be the head of the household. We feel like one very tangible way that we can share the love of Christ with them is through the creation of jobs. You can read more about this type of ministry in our Southeast Asia project.
There is a flip-side to this. And it is even uglier. One of the things that we like to talk about is the potential that youth have. We are not the only ones that believe that. However, there are too many that want to take advantage of that potential rather than empower. Child labor was dealt with in the United States in 1924 when the Child Labor Amendment was passed to limit, regulate, and prohibit the labor of persons under eighteen years of age. That is still not even close to being a reality in most parts of the world. The majority of those who are who are considered child laborers are what we at YouthHOPE would consider to be youth (13-17 year olds).
The International Labor Organization has designated June 12 as World Day Against Child Labor. At YouthHOPE we want to support this effort to create awareness. We also think that it very important that we as christians begin to look at this problem and ask the church how it can be a significant player in helping to end this type of abuse.
Here are a few facts and a link to more information about this issue:
- The ILO estimates that there are more than 115 million children that are involved in hazardous work
- Hazardous work is defined by:
- work which exposes children (and youth) to physical, psychological or sexual abuse;
- work underground, under water, at dangerous heights or in confined spaces;
- work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools, or which involves the manual handling or transport of heavy loads;
- work in an unhealthy environment which may, for example, expose children (youth) to hazardous substances, agents or processes, or to temperatures, noise levels, or vibrations damaging to their health;
- work under particularly difficult conditions such as work for long hours or during the night or work where the child (youth) is unreasonably confined to the premises of the employer.
- Many children and youth are permanently injured or die as a result of this abuse
- More information available at the ILO website and you can also download a brochure explain more about the World Day Against Child Labor
Pray about what you could do to help stop this exploitation of youth.
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