Why Young Children Are Working From Dawn to Dusk

Summary

In Nepal, over a million children are entangled in labor, with approximately 17,000 working in brick factories amidst hazardous conditions. Despite laws prohibiting child labor under 14, 10% of these workers are underage. The script reveals the plight of Oven and Sangeeta, siblings who became breadwinners after their father's death, working long hours for meager pay. It also exposes the exploitation of children from marginalized castes and the lack of enforcement of child labor laws, including by a local politician. Local charities like Our Sansa are making efforts to rescue children and provide education, but the battle against deeply rooted poverty and social structures is immense.

Takeaways

• 👷 Over a million children in Nepal are engaged in labor, with many working in exploitative and dangerous conditions in brick factories.
• 📜 Despite laws prohibiting the employment of children under 14, around 10 percent of workers in brick factories are underage.
• 👶 Evidence shows at least 87 children under 14 working in six factories, some as young as five years old.
• 🌞 Children work from dawn to dusk, often without proper training and in poor conditions, leading to frequent injuries.
• 💰 The low pay for brick-making, which is less than half the national minimum wage, is a factor attracting businesses to employ children.
• 🤧 Workers, including children, are exposed to dangerous chemicals from kiln chimneys, risking lifelong health complications.
• 🏭 Brick factories are a significant part of Nepal's economy, with an estimated 17,000 child laborers working in them as reported by UNICEF in 2021.
• 👦 Children as young as six are working in these factories, often because their families are in desperate need of income.
• 👮‍♂️ There has been minimal enforcement of child labor laws, with only one prosecution case in the last two years.
• 🏛 The government has policies to combat child labor but allocates a very small budget for inspections, with only 10 inspectors for over 30 million people.
• 🏛️ Local politicians, some of whom own factories employing children, have significant power and influence, complicating the enforcement of child labor laws.
• 🤝 Local charities like Our Sansa are working to get children out of factories and into schools, providing financial incentives to families to stop sending their children to work.

Q & A

How many children in Nepal are engaged in labor according to the transcript?

Over a million children in Nepal are engaged in labor.

What is the booming industry in Nepal that employs a significant number of children?

The booming industry in Nepal that employs children is the brick factories industry.

What is the legal working age in Nepal as per the transcript?

The legal working age in Nepal is 14 years old.

How many registered brick factories are there in Nepal?

There are more than 1,500 registered brick factories across the country.

What percentage of workers in brick factories are underage?

Around 10 percent of the workers in brick factories are underage.

What is the estimated number of child laborers working in Nepal's brick factories according to a UNICEF report in 2021?

According to a UNICEF report in 2021, there are an estimated 17,000 child laborers working in Nepal's brick factories.

What are the main factors contributing to the employment of children in brick factories?

The main factors contributing to the employment of children in brick factories are low pay and the lack of proper training and poor working conditions.

What is the average daily wage for a child working in a brick factory?

The average daily wage for a child working in a brick factory is less than half the national minimum wage, which is approximately 175 Nepalese rupees per day.

What are the health risks associated with working in brick factories as mentioned in the script?

The health risks associated with working in brick factories include exposure to dangerous chemicals emitted by the kiln chimneys, which can cause lifelong respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological complications.

What is the role of local charities like Our Sansa in addressing child labor in Nepal?

Local charities like Our Sansa help children like Arvind by providing financial incentives to families to allow their children to attend school instead of working, and by preparing transitional classes to bring the children up to an appropriate educational level.

What is the government's stance on child labor in Nepal, and what is their goal regarding this issue?

Nepal's government has ratified many national and international policies to combat child labor and has pledged to eliminate it by 2025. However, the budget allocated for inspections focused on the issue was only $3,400 last year with only 10 inspectors for a population of over 30 million.

Outlines

00:00

👷‍♂️ Child Labor in Nepal's Brick Factories

In Nepal, over a million children are involved in labor, with a significant number working in brick factories amidst a booming industry. Despite laws prohibiting child labor under the age of 14, approximately 10% of brick factory workers are underage. Evidence shows at least 87 children under 14 working in six factories, some as young as five. These children work long hours for low pay, often under exploitative conditions. The low wage is a key factor attracting businesses to employ children. Many of these children, like Oven and his sister Sangeeta, work from dawn to dusk after tragic family circumstances forced them into labor. The harsh working conditions and exposure to dangerous chemicals pose serious health risks, including lifelong respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological complications.

05:04

🌐 The Broader Issue of Child Labor in Nepal

While brick factories are a focal point, they represent just a fraction of the child labor issue in Nepal. Corruption and the involvement of nearly one in seven children in various forms of labor are pervasive. Many underage children work in kiosks, shops, hotels, and restaurants, often away from parental care and vulnerable to exploitation. Trafficking from India adds to the problem. Despite the government's ratification of policies to combat child labor and a pledge to eliminate it by 2025, enforcement is minimal, with a single prosecution case in two years and a meager budget for inspections. The caste system further complicates the issue, with the lowest caste, the Dalits, often trapped in poverty and child labor. Education, though compulsory, is inaccessible to many, with one in five children out of school.

10:05

🏛️ Political Involvement and Inaction on Child Labor

The political landscape in Nepal plays a complex role in the persistence of child labor. Local politicians, such as Rambabu Prasad Choudhary, who owns a brick factory employing children, often enjoy popularity despite flouting child labor laws. When confronted with evidence of child labor in his factory, Rambabu denies any wrongdoing and expresses a desire to improve community welfare if elected. The lack of political will and enforcement of laws is a significant barrier to eradicating child labor. Local elections highlight the power dynamics, where those in positions of authority may also be implicated in the very issues they are expected to address.

15:05

🤝 Community-Based Solutions to Child Labor

Local charities are stepping in to address child labor by offering alternatives to families. Organizations like Our Sansa provide financial incentives to families in exchange for their children's school attendance. This approach aims to fill the financial gap that often drives parents to send their children to work. The charity negotiates with families, providing rice, which is a staple and essential for their livelihood, in place of the income the children would have earned from labor. This support is contingent on the children's continued school attendance, ensuring they receive an education and are not drawn back into labor.

20:19

🎓 Transitioning from Labor to Education

The transition from labor to education is a critical step for children like Arvind, who have been removed from factories. With the help of Our Sansa, these children are enrolled in transitional classes designed to bring them up to an appropriate educational level. The charity provides a comprehensive support system, including education, psychological counseling, and family support, to prepare the children for mainstream schooling within three to six months. The ultimate goal is to integrate these children into the formal education system and to take legal action against their former employers, using evidence gathered over time.

Keywords

💡Child Labor

Child labor refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives them of their childhood, potential, and dignity, and that is harmful to their physical and mental development. In the video, it is a central theme, highlighting the plight of over a million children in Nepal who are engaged in labor, particularly in brick factories. The script mentions that around 10 percent of the workers in these factories are underage, which is illegal under Nepalese law that prohibits the employment of children under the age of 14.

💡Brick Factories

Brick factories are industrial sites where bricks are manufactured for construction purposes. In the context of the video, they are identified as one of the booming industries in Nepal where child labor is rampant. The script reveals that there are over 1,500 registered brick factories in the country, and children as young as five years old are found working in these factories, often in exploitative and dangerous conditions.

💡Exploitative Work

Exploitative work involves the unfair treatment of workers, often characterized by low wages, long hours, and hazardous working conditions. The video script describes how children in brick factories work from dawn to dusk, are paid by the brick, and often suffer injuries due to poor working conditions and lack of proper training. This type of work is particularly harmful to children, as it not only affects their immediate well-being but also has long-term implications for their health and development.

💡Underage Workers

Underage workers are individuals below the legal working age who are employed, often in violation of labor laws. The script provides evidence of at least 87 children under the age of 14 working in brick factories, which is illegal as per Nepal's law. These children are highlighted as being part of a larger issue where around 10 percent of brick factory workers are underage, indicating a significant societal and legal problem.

💡National Minimum Wage

The national minimum wage is the lowest amount of remuneration that employers are legally required to pay to workers. In the video, it is mentioned that the pay for children working in brick factories is significantly lower than the national minimum wage, with one child earning less than half the minimum wage for over 10 hours of work. This underscores the exploitative nature of child labor in these factories.

💡Respiratory and Neurological Complications

Respiratory and neurological complications refer to health issues related to the respiratory system and the nervous system, respectively. The video script mentions that children working in brick factories are exposed to dangerous chemicals emitted by kiln chimneys, which can lead to lifelong respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological complications. This highlights the severe health risks associated with child labor in such environments.

💡Caste System

The caste system is a social stratification system that has been historically prevalent in parts of South Asia, including Nepal, where individuals are ranked into different levels based on their birth. The script discusses how the Dalits, or 'Untouchables,' are at the bottom of the social hierarchy and often end up in unskilled labor, including child labor. Arvind, one of the children featured in the video, is part of this caste, which contributes to his family's poverty and his engagement in child labor.

💡Poverty

Poverty is the state of being extremely poor, often lacking the basic necessities of life. In the video, poverty is identified as one of the main factors driving child labor. Families in desperate economic situations may send their children to work to contribute to the household income, as seen with Arvind and his sister who became breadwinners after their father's death.

💡Charities and NGOs

Charities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are non-profit organizations that aim to address social issues and provide aid to those in need. The video features Our Sansa, a charity that works to remove children from factories and enroll them in schools. They provide financial incentives to families in exchange for their children's school attendance, aiming to break the cycle of poverty and child labor.

💡Legal Action

Legal action refers to the process of enforcing rights or settling disputes through the legal system. The script mentions that Our Sansa plans to take legal action against employers who have been identified as using child labor. This demonstrates the role of charities in not only providing immediate relief but also advocating for systemic change to prevent child labor.

💡Education

Education is the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, and values, typically through a structured learning environment like schools. The video emphasizes the importance of education as a means to break the cycle of poverty and child labor. Charities like Our Sansa work to enroll children in schools and provide transitional classes to help them catch up with their peers, highlighting education as a key to a better future.

Highlights

Over a million children in Nepal are engaged in labor, many in exploitative and dangerous work in brick factories.

The booming brick industry in Nepal has more than 1,500 registered factories.

Nepalese law prohibits child labor under the age of 14, yet around 10 percent of brick factory workers are underage.

Evidence shows at least 87 children under 14 working in six factories, some as young as five.

Children work in various businesses without attempts to hide it, highlighting the prevalence of child labor.

Oven, an 11-year-old, and his 13-year-old sister Sangeeta work from dawn to dusk after their father's death.

Workers are paid by the brick, making 200-300 bricks a day for wages below the national minimum wage.

Low pay is a factor making child labor attractive to businesses.

Lack of training and poor conditions result in frequent injuries for child workers like Arvind.

Exposure to dangerous chemicals from kiln chimneys can cause lifelong health complications.

UNICEF reports estimate 17,000 child laborers in Nepal's brick factories, with bricks used in international development projects.

A six-year-old child has been working for a year, showing the severity of the situation.

Corruption and child labor are widespread, with nearly one in seven children engaged in labor.

The government has ratified policies to combat child labor but has limited resources for enforcement.

Avid, a child worker, exemplifies the daily struggle of working in harsh conditions without a break.

The caste system contributes to child labor, with the lowest caste often trapped in poverty and unskilled labor.

Compulsory education is not accessible to many, with one in five children out of school.

Local elections may influence child labor as some politicians are involved in factories employing children.

Charities like Our Sansa are helping to remove children from factories and provide education and support.

Our Sansa negotiates with families to let children attend school instead of work, offering financial incentives.

Children are transitioned into a new school environment with support to catch up to their age-appropriate level.

Transcripts

thank you in Nepal over a million

children are engaged in labor

many of them in exploitative and

dangerous work in Brick factories

a booming multiple singing dollar

industry there are more than 1 500

registered brick factories across the

country

the law here strictly prohibits the

employment of children under the age of

14.

yet around 10 percent of the workers in

Brick factories are underaged

[Music]

we have evidence of at least 87 children

under the age of 14 working in these six

factories some of them are as young as

five years old

[Applause]

[Music]

pretty much everywhere I go there are so

many children some very young working at

all sorts of businesses and no one's

even trying to hide it

foreign

[Applause]

[Music]

District in southern Nepal has the

largest number of brick factories in the

country

oven is 11 years old and works here from

dawn to dusk so does his 13 year old

sister Sangeeta

after the death of their father a few

years ago the siblings became their

family's Breadwinners

how long have you been doing this for

how many days a week do you normally

work here so I've been every day

[Music]

why do you work here

with no set hours the workers are paid

by the brick

how many bricks do you make usually in a

day yeah

two to three hundred bricks a day

how much do you get paid

so it would take him four days working

over 10 hours to make roughly seven US

dollars

that's only 175 per day less than half

the national minimum wage year

lower pay is one of the main factors

that makes employing children attractive

to businesses

who taught you how to make bricks

[Music]

no proper training and poor working

conditions mean injuries are frequent

arvind hurts his time

do you often get injured or hurt

yourself when you're working here

[Music]

arvind is also exposed to a huge amount

of dangerous chemicals emitted by the

Kiln chimneys which can cause a variety

of lifelong respiratory cardiovascular

and neurological complications

[Music]

foreign

next door

to introduce me to some of his other

friends who work in these factories

according to a UNICEF report in 2021

there are an estimated 17

000 child laborers working in Nepal's

brick factories

bricks are reported to have been used in

International Development projects

funded by the Asian development Bank the

UN the UK and the US

hold on

hello

14 and 12. all below age of employment

hello

dog hello guys

he's six years old and he's been working

here for a year already

that's his mom

[Music]

brick factories are only the tip of the

iceberg

[Music]

corruption nearly one in seven children

in Nepal are engaged in various forms of

Labor

filmed on our smartphones

are underage children working in kiosks

shops hotels and restaurants many of

them are living away from their parents

and some have been trafficked across the

border from India making them more

vulnerable to some of the worst forms of

exploitation

according to the police there's only

been one case of prosecution for child

labor in the last two years

Nepal's government has ratified many

national and international policies to

combat child labor and has pledged to

eliminate it by 2025. yet the budget

allocated for inspections focused on the

issue was three thousand four hundred

dollars last year with only 10

inspectors for a population of over 30

million foreign

[Music]

[Laughter]

Factory like every other day Avid is

hard at work

who told you to come to work

at the garage

foreign

[Music]

[Music]

[Applause]

do you ever feel angry at your mom for

making you go to work

[Music]

it's gonna start raining soon and they

can't make breaks when it's raining so

Arvin has to go home which means no

money for him today

[Music]

foreign

lives here with his mom and two teenage

sisters

they're part of an entrenched caste

system

as dalits for the so-called Untouchables

this family is at the bottom of the

hierarchy in their Nepalese Society

hmm

the dollets are often thought of as

dirty not allowed to spend time with

touch or even drink from the same well

as the upper cost

um

very good

[Music]

the dollets are mostly unskilled

laborers with no assets trapped in a

vicious cycle of poverty the highest

rate of child labor is prevalent among

discussed

did you ever go to school

no no foreign

[Music]

education is compulsory yet arvind has

never been to school and he's not alone

one in five children in the country

between the ages of five to twelve are

estimated to be out of school

what would happen to you and your family

is stopped working

as a mother how does that make you feel

foreign

labor it's easy to blame the parents

sending their kids to work but in

reality the situation is so much more

complex than that there are so many

factors leaving people in the desperate

enough position to make their kids go to

work and on top of that list is poverty

[Music]

foreign

time for citizens to choose their local

governments for the next five years

highly powerful local bodies don't just

execute the law but they have the power

to make new ones as well

voters in election rallies from across

the district are showing their support

for their chosen candidates

foreign

the course of our investigation Vice

world news found out that the brick

Factory which employs arvind is earned

by a local politician named rambabu

Prasad choudhary

he's really very popular look at all

these people that

would chairperson of this District

is

so if you win this position you're going

to have a lot of power

do you think someone who doesn't follow

the law themselves should become a

politician or even run for elections

[Music]

employing children in Nepal is a

criminal offense and we have evidence

that there are at least 18 children

working in your factory in this Ward why

are you breaking the law

can show you look

this is your factory right

yes see children working

what is he doing here then

that's not true

but that doesn't change the fact that

you employ children

over the course of an hour-long

interview and despite me showing him

videos of children working in his

Factory rambabu continues to insist that

he doesn't know of any children working

for him and that if he's elected he

wants to improve the livelihood and

education of the community

a few weeks after this interview rambabu

won the elections

[Music]

while waiting for politicians like

rambabu to take real action against

child labor children like arvind are

being helped by local charities like our

Sansa Mukesh Shah is its country

representative managing their various

projects across the country

um

and the parents of other children the

charity has found working in the

factories

the negotiation is not an easy task and

not everyone agrees to take part

a lot of the families here say they

aren't aware that child labor is illegal

and that they don't think it's harmful

to their kids

for them it's been a common practice for

Generations deeply rooted in their

community

these are the mothers who agreed to be a

part of mukesha's deal to let their

children go to school instead of work in

exchange for a financial incentive

from now on once a month these mothers

are gonna come and queue up here just

like this to receive the equivalent of

what their children earned in rice

[Music]

why rice

this is the main essential things that

they need to buy actually

well they will have not any Financial

load and sending them to school then

only we say is support them every month

this is the way for the charity to not

only fill that financial gap which is

the main reason these mothers say they

send their kids to work in the first

place but to also make sure that they

continue going to school as the

continuation of this payment depends on

class attendance

how is this support going to help you

foreign

[Music]

will get the children out of the

factories

good morning guys ready ready

[Music]

are all former Child laborers themselves

arvind and a number of the other

children are brought out of the

factories and told that they no longer

have to work

[Music]

some of them were in this car some of

them are in the other and we are on our

way to the classroom that's been

prepared for them

there are at least 67 more children

identified by the charity still working

in the six brick Factories near the

village

in the coming months the our Sansa team

plans to get them out too and eventually

using the evidence they've gathered over

the months take legal action against

their employers

[Music]

[Music]

[Applause]

walking through the gates of their new

school a festival arvind and many of the

other kids most of them have never

received any formal education

okay

[Music]

to bring them up to an appropriate level

for their age the charity has prepared

the transitional class for the new

students

we give education psychological

counseling Family Support family

counseling and slowly actually when it

thinks the children will be prepared in

three to six months then we will try to

move them in the normal school we will

again then grow up and support them to

go and eat

[Applause]

it

[Music]

thank you

thank you

foreign

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]