Where Children Must Work - Tropic Of Cancer - Episode 5 Preview - BBC

Summary

In Bangladesh, nearly 5 million children work in dangerous conditions to support their families. Jahangir, a 10-year-old working in a glass factory, earns a meager wage, often risking his health and well-being. Child labor is driven by hunger and poverty, making it difficult to eliminate without addressing deeper economic issues. UNICEF runs centers that offer education, meals, and play, giving children like Jahangir a chance at a better life. However, the challenge remains in balancing immediate survival needs with long-term solutions to end child labor and provide better futures for these children.

Takeaways

• 😀 Jahangir, a 10-year-old boy, works in a glass recycling factory in Bangladesh for only 30 pence a day, enough to buy a small bag of rice for his family.
• 😀 The factory environment is harsh, with high temperatures and dangerous working conditions, where Jahangir sorts broken glass bottles for export.
• 😀 Many children, including Jahangir, live in overcrowded spaces with up to 12 people, facing frequent quarrels and hunger due to limited resources.
• 😀 Factory owners prefer hiring children because they are cheaper to employ, have nimble fingers, and complain less than adults.
• 😀 If children are removed from factories, they may resort to begging or stealing to survive, driven by the desperation caused by hunger.
• 😀 Jahangir's boss allows him to visit a UNICEF-run center that provides a safe space for children to learn, play, and receive meals, offering respite from the factory's harsh conditions.
• 😀 At the UNICEF center, working children like Jahangir have access to free meals, showers, and opportunities to socialize and be children again.
• 😀 The center’s activities help children develop social skills and provide them with a sense of joy and normalcy, often absent in their everyday lives.
• 😀 While Western campaigns have pushed for an end to child labor, removing children from factories has led to families struggling with hunger and children taking on even riskier jobs.
• 😀 UNICEF emphasizes the importance of providing safe working environments for children, where they can also receive education and recreation, as an alternative to immediate bans on child labor.

Q & A

What is Jahangir's daily routine at the glass recycling factory?

Jahangir works full shifts at the glass recycling factory, enduring high temperatures by the furnace and performing tasks like sorting broken glass. He earns about 30 pence a day, which is enough to buy a small bag of rice for his family.

Why are children like Jahangir employed in factories instead of adults?

Children are preferred by factory owners because they are cheaper to employ, have nimble fingers for delicate tasks, and complain less than adults. This makes them an attractive labor force for factory owners looking to reduce costs.

What is the living situation of Jahangir and his family?

Jahangir and his family live in cramped conditions, often with 10 to 12 people in a small space. They sleep on the floor in the same factory complex where Jahangir works. This close living arrangement leads to frequent quarrels, including over food.

How does Jahangir feel about working in the factory?

Jahangir finds it difficult and expresses that he would prefer not to work. He wishes he could go to school instead of working, but his family’s poverty forces him to contribute to their survival.

What motivates Jahangir's mother to have him work in the factory?

Jahangir’s mother wants him to work in the factory out of necessity due to hunger. The family depends on the meager income Jahangir earns to survive, and without his contribution, they would face even greater hardship.

How do the factory workers react to the idea of banning child labor?

The factory workers express concern that if children are not allowed to work, they will have no way to survive. They argue that without their earnings, children might resort to begging, stealing, or other dangerous behaviors out of hunger.

What role does UNICEF play in supporting children like Jahangir?

UNICEF runs a center that provides working children like Jahangir with a safe space to eat, shower, and play. This gives them a chance to experience childhood and access education, which helps break the cycle of poverty.

What services does the UNICEF center provide to children?

The UNICEF center offers working children a free lunch, access to a shower, and space for recreation and learning. Most importantly, it gives them the opportunity to play and socialize with others, allowing them to briefly escape their harsh realities.

Why is it difficult to simply ban child labor in Bangladesh?

Banning child labor without providing alternative means of support would create severe economic challenges for families who rely on the income their children earn. Many families would face increased hunger and poverty, forcing children to seek riskier forms of labor or resort to begging.

What is UNICEF's perspective on child labor and its solution?

UNICEF believes that while child labor is a harsh reality, it cannot be completely eliminated without addressing the underlying poverty that forces children into work. They advocate for creating safe working environments, providing education, and offering opportunities for recreation, aiming to help children break the cycle of poverty over time.