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Antigua’s child labor
The future of a society is with the children and their education and preparation. What kind of future awaits for Guatemala when its children are on the streets working to survive today. What kind of education and preparation will its labor force have in ten or twenty years? I posted another photo of a child at work on May 7th.
It is very disturbing to me to see children working to survive today instead of being in school and have the minimum provided to them. By the way, child labor is ilegal in Guatemala and school is mandatory for children under 16. As you can see, neither is enforced by the government.
it’s sad fact! education will be the least important when families are struggling just to make ends meet..
I had the priveledge of meeting this young man, and his 6 year old brother a few weeks ago. Unfortunately their (single) mother works long hours in a local kitchen with low wages and can not afford to send then to school. For even the few free/public schools there require the students to supply books and uniforms. This young man is such a very hard worker, and makes his money honestly (not begging with some sob story as some other children do). It is such a shame because with an education, this VERY BRIGHT young man could do wonders with his life. Here in the USA, we take education for granted. We gripe about having to buy school suppies, while they would just like an opportunity to go to school. Traveling there sure makes one put their own life into perspective.
It is one thing to talk about the importance of educating children, but I’d suggest that you put your money where your mouth is! If you know enough about this young man to know his mother’s employment and the circumstances of his brother–why havn’t you put forward the $300USD that it would cost to put him through a year of school? Surely you’ve spent far more than that on far less important material goods. And, I am not talking about making a donation through a huge agency. Simply work out an agreement with the young man and his mother–then pay the expenses through them or directly to the school. Now, that is a REAL way to make a difference. I know that this is possible because my family is directly assisting a young girl in San Juan, Sacatapequez.
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Rudy:
I found one shoe shine boy very international .. I was in the park one day and He was speaking German to someone then turned around and spoke to me in English. That tells me at the age of 7 or 8 This young man speaks Spanish, German, and English . Question How much more dose He know? Very interesting.