Childhood

According to a report by UNICEF, In Bangladesh 12.8% of the total children of age 4-15 are engaged in child labor. I noticed that there are many child labor working in different sectors ranging from brickwork, manufacturing, servicing and shipyard etc. As a personal project, I have decided to focus on child labor in the aluminum factories in Chittagong. A child in these factories earns about 700 Taka (about US$10) per month, about 10% of what an adult worker earns for a similar job. Due to poverty, many families rely on the income generated by their children. These children are denied their rights to formal education. However, they have the opportunity to learn some simple mechanical operations. Their daily routine is being occupied with works that include machining, heating, pressing and assembly of parts. They live in the factories and do not need to worry about their three daily meals. Compared with the children that take more dangerous jobs in shipyard and mining industry, they are relatively luckier.