When you wake up in the morning, and go to school, some children in you age might be heading to workplaces. When you grab textbooks and pencils, some might be picking up tools. Many children around the world are forced to work in dangerous places places like factories, farms, or mines. They work tirelessly for long hours in order to make a living, but the compensation they receive for the amount of labor they endure is extremely low, or sometimes they receive nothing at all. Some children are sold by their parents for a small amount of money at a very young age, and they are forced to spend their childhoods working instead of pursuing their dreams and futures. This is 'Child Labor', which is not just 'working', but affecting young children's health, education, and growth. Then, why do they have to suffer so much?

 The main reason of child labor is 'poverty'. In poor households, parents priotize earning money rather then education. So they have their children to make money, or sell them in cheap amount. So children have to work day and night, even though the amount of money that comes to them is not much. Another reason for child labor is 'war'. If there is a war, family's livelihood gets hard. If children's parents die because of conflicts in countries, they need to make money out of working to live. Also, the opportunity for them to learn decreases when wars happens. If schools get damaged or closed because of safety reasons, children have no choice but to work.

 This is not just a problem of children working. They get abuse in dangerous workplaces, while day loose the opportunity of their future and dream. Imagine clothes and chcolates that we use, eat everyday, thing that we get joy from, are actually made of thousands of children suffering. While they have to learn and get education in schools, they loose their rights to grow healthy. All children in the world should have rights to get education, stay safely, be healthy, and get a protected childhood, free from exploitation. Why should they be trapped in an endless cycle of labor, producing goods for strangers they will never even meet?

 Child labor is a problem that the world need to recognize and actively address to ensure that no child has to sacrifice their future for things that someone buy everyday to get happy with. And to do that, the government, companies, and we need to work altogether.

 First, the goverment and the international community has to make a strict law with child labor, banning it and punish to those who break it. Also, it is important for them to provide schools and educations for children who can't go to school because of poverty, in stead of sending them to labor.

 Second, the companies need to check their supply chain if the products that they are selling doesn't use child labor while they are making it. And they need to be transparent about how their products are made, to the consumers.

 Third, we need to work hard as well, engaging in ethical consumptions. Buying 'Fair Trade' products can help, which is products that ensures workers receives fair compensation, without child exploitation.

 Child labor isn't story of other countries anymore. It is a problem connected to productss that we buy everyday. Those things that we consume without thinking, shouldn't have hidden tears and sacrificing behind it. Young children should be holding pens, not heavy tools. We should take actions with ethical consumption and fair trade products. Children deserves to have their healthy, happy childhood. If we help them with small actions and attention, it would be a wonderful start for their dreams.

English reporter, Ryu-Jimin