PRINCIPLE:

You have the right to work, to choose your work and to work in good conditions. You should be treated fairly for the work that you do. Children should be protected from child labor.

WELCOME ACTIVITY: Get to know class members. Sing a song or activity.

DISCOVER:

Discuss the stories below

RUPINDER’S STORY

My name is Rupinder, and I am 13 years old. My parents work on a coffee plantation. When I was young, I went to school for two years. But when I was 8, my parents told me I had to stay home and look after my younger sisters and brothers. Then, when I was 10, I started working on the coffee plantation too, during picking seasons. I worked from 6 in the morning till 10 at night. One day, while I was working, I hurt my arm. Now I can’t work on the plantation anymore. My parents can’t afford to keep me at home if I don’t work, so I came to the city. I thought I could find work here. But I cannot read and write, so it is hard. What I really want is to go to school to learn to be an engineer or a builder.

What problem did Rupinder face?

CRISTINA’S STORY

Cristina’s family was poor and needed money. Cristina saw a posting on the internet for a well-paying job in another country. She was happy for the opportunity. Unfortunately, when she got there, the good job was really a trap. A “handler” took her passport. Cristina was forced to work 18 hours a day caring for elderly patients in a rest home. She had no holidays or days off, and she was kept in fear of deportation by the people who were profiting from her labor. Luckily, Cristina’s situation was reported to police agents by an observant neighbor. Cristina was able to testify against her handler in court. The “handler” received a prison sentence of 5 years. Cristina found a new job and life as a medical billing and coding. (Source: Human Rights Casebook Thumbnails)

 What problem did Cristina face?

FRIEDA’S STORY

Frieda lives in the city, and she is very happy that she has a good job working in a big hotel. She works very hard, but still cannot afford many of the things she wishes to have. One afternoon, she saw one of her co-workers, Isaiah, from the hotel with a brand-new cell phone. She wondered how he could afford such an expensive phone, since they both did the same job at the hotel. She discovered that Isaiah made a lot more money per year than she did.

 What problem did Freida face?

EMMANUEL’S STORY

Emmanuel had a job working on a construction project that would expand the port in his city. He was happy when he got the job, but soon learned how poorly the company treated their workers. In spite of the high risk nature of the job they were doing, the company gave no money to support workers in the event of serious injury or death. Emanuel was also surprised to learn that the company hadn’t been paying his social security allowance, even though his contract required it. When he complained to his boss, he was threatened to stop complaining or get fired.

What problem did Emmanuel face?

QUESTIONS:

• What problems did Rupinder, Cristina, Frieda, and Emanuel face?

• How were their stories similar? How were they different?

• How did these stories make you feel?

• What is the difference between children working and child labor?

• How does it impact children or your community if children do hard labor or work long hours when they are young?

• Even adults can be treated unfairly by their employers. What are some ways that people might be taken advantage of at work? How can those problems be addressed?

EMPHASIZE:

• You have the right to choose your work and to work in good conditions. (UDHR 23)

• People who do the same work should get the same pay. (UDHR 23)

• You should be able to earn a salary that allows you to live and support your family. (UDHR 23)

• The government should protect children from work that is dangerous to their health or development, interferes with their education or that might lead people to take advantage of them. (CRC 32)

PLAN AND ACT:

• Think about the job you would like to have one day.

• Draw this staircase and words on the board.

• If paper is available, each student could draw their own staircase and fill in the job and steps.

• Write the job at the top of the staircase.

• What steps do you need to take to get that job someday?

• Make a list of what you can do to prepare now

REFLECT:

Share with the class how the steps developed have helped shaped your direction during the week.