Eradicating Child Labor: A Call to Action from Global Supply Chains to Classrooms

I am Leo Nagasaki, a Japanese student currently broadening my educational and cultural horizons in the United States as a boarding student. Having grown up in a diverse family of six and immersed in various cultural settings, I've developed a deep appreciation for the richness and significance of engaging with different cultures. My academic interests are wide-ranging, but I have a particular passion for computer science, where I use languages like Java, Python, and C to drive innovation. My hobby of soldering electronics keeps me grounded in the tangible aspects of technology. Creativity has always been a part of my life; I've been recognized as the top artist in my school multiple times and received an award for outstanding language performance as a freshman. My curiosity led me to an internship where I served as a chief group manager at AWS, exploring the realms of machine learning and acquiring advanced technical and marketing skills. These experiences, coupled with my unwavering determination, fuel my commitment to combating child labor.

Past 20 years there's been a decline in youth child labor force participation suggesting that many people are choosing to delay going to work in favor of going to finishing high school. In 2022 EPI calls this a positive trend for both individuals and the economy. It should not be slowed or reversed of course when we talk about child labor, we're not talking about kids with privilege choosing to put off entering the workforce, more bluntly child labor is very much a CLASS ISSUE. In the case of the United States, most kids who work in dangerous fields are migrant children. 130,000 unaccompanied migrant children came across the U.S. border in 2022 many are eligible for Asylum but the Epic backlog of Asylum claims leaves a lot of them in limbo for years. As their claims process, they're ineligible for work permits or any of the already limited social programs for Americans living in poverty. The Biden Administration has pounded the problem by pushing to get children out of shelters and released to sponsors who have not been properly vetted.  Department of Health and Human Services calls minors monthly after their release to sponsors, but Human Services has lost contact with a significant number of unaccompanied migrant children after their release. Specifically, the agency lost contact immediately with one-third of the children, which is over 19,000 sponsors to whom these minors were released.

According to the Times, In Los Angeles, children stitch "Made in America" tags into J. Crew shirts. They bake dinner rolls sold at Walmart and Target, process milk used in Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and help debone chicken sold at Whole Foods. As recently as the fall, middle schoolers made Fruit of the Loom socks in Alabama. In Michigan, children make auto parts used by Ford and General Motors.

At this point, it's really hard to not just take a step back take a deep breath and ask god ow the hell is this all happening? The modern supply chain makes it easy to explain. Staffing agencies serve as middlemen, providing migrant kids to employers who feign ignorance saying they assumed the agencies had checked the children's ages properly. The company doing this includes General Mills which after it got exposed to the use of child labor said that “It recognized the seriousness of the situation and would review the finding” basically means they don't give a crap.

At FairFuture Foundation, our commitment to eradicating child labor spans across community campaigns, education initiatives, and global collaboration. We aim to empower and enlighten, ensuring children worldwide have the freedom to pursue education without the burden of labor. Our strategy, deeply rooted in comprehensive research, seeks to enhance awareness, foster educational empowerment, and catalyze policy reform. Through our innovative "Hear" framework, we concentrate on leveraging data, uniting allies, elevating awareness, and underscoring the critical need to safeguard child rights.

Our journey began with in-depth research that broadened our understanding of child labor challenges, leading to increased awareness and empowerment within communities. This growth has spurred positive changes in national policies through collaborative efforts and global advocacy, showcasing our enduring commitment to impactful, sustainable advocacy. We underscore the need for flexibility in confronting global issues, ensuring our fight against child labor remains robust and responsive.

Key initiatives include:

• Launching educational campaigns and workshop series, potentially expanding into podcasting.

• Establishing an entity focused on fundraising and technology donations.

• Organizing policy advocacy forums, engaging experts and policymakers in meaningful dialogue.

• Conducting research and partnering with international organizations to amplify our message.
  

The "Hear" framework encapsulates our strategy:

Harness: Identify and utilize critical data to pinpoint and combat child labor.

Engage: Forge a united front in the battle against child labor.

Awareness: Enhance understanding and push for meaningful reforms.

Recognize: Emphasize the immediate need for protection of child rights.

Our vision is both bold and attainable:

We are directly contributing to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, promoting quality education for all children by eliminating child labor. This endeavor also supports SDG 8, advocating for decent work and economic growth by transitioning children from labor to learning environments. Additionally, our actions are instrumental in advancing SDG 10, which focuses on reducing inequalities and ensuring equitable opportunities for children from all backgrounds.

Echoing the words of Kailash Satyarthi, "Child labor perpetuates poverty, hinders children's potential, and impedes national progress," we are reminded of the profound impact of our mission. Fighting against child labor transcends aiding individual children; it's about fostering a brighter future for all. By uniting in this cause, we are dedicated to ensuring every child has the opportunity to attend school and dream big, contributing to the construction of a better world, one step at a time.