Global Issues - Child Labor

I've decided to expand this blog to also include information on some global issues.

126 million children worldwide are subject to child labor. Child labor refers to the employment of children for work that deprives them of childhood and an opportunity for an education. This harms the children physically, mentally, and socially. Oftentimes, the children subject to child labor do not have a choice. Some have to support their family financially, and others were forced to work for others.

Children operating a spinning machine

During the Industrial Revolution, children as young as the age of six were employed in factories for little to no pay. Oftentimes, the factory owner would get away with not paying them nothing. Sometimes, the children would work up to 19 hours a day, with only a one-hour break in between. Not only were these children subject to long hours of work, but they also worked in dangerous, and often fatal, conditions. Large and heavy equipment surrounds the children as they work. An accident can cause a major injury, and possibly even death. Part of the reason that children were used in factories was because they had more nimble and agile fingers than adults. For example, the children can easily tie tight knots in a carpet industry. The treatment of the children in factories during the Industrial Revolution was often cruel. The people whom the children serve with would often physically or verbally abuse them. Furthermore, punishments such as having to carry a heavy weight on their neck would be given to the children who accidentally mess up when they work. Finally, in 1912, the Children's Bureau made it the US government's responsibility to monitor child labor. Then in 1916, the US Congress was pressured into passing the Keating-Owen Act. This was the first federal child labor law. It prohibited the sale in commerce of goods produced by factories that employed children under the age of 14. However, this act was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. So, in 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act (find out more http://prezi.com/zizqmp0mu35l/fair-labor-standards-act/). This placed limits on many forms of child labor. Any child under the age of 16 is not allowed to work in hazardous conditions. Child labor was a problem in the past, yet it still is a problem today in the present.

Child trafficking

Currently, there are children involved with trafficking, soldiering, mining and manufacturing. These are all forms of child labor. Child trafficking is also a form of slavery that involves children for exploitation. The children are considered to be merchandise and can be moved from one country to another. Examples of exploitation includes sexual exploitation, forced services, practices similar to slavery, and even the removal of organs for money. Child soldiers are involved in armed political groups. Most of the child soldiers were abducted from their families and forced to become soldiers, but some joined an armed group for a chance of survival. They are used all over the world. An example of a military group is the Lord's Resistant Army (LRA), which is found in Uganda. Child mining is dangerous work for children. Children mine for diamonds, gold, salt, stone, and other other minerals or objects. Children work both above and under ground to find gold. When they work in tunnels, they risk death from explosions and tunnel collapse. The air is filled with dust and sometimes toxic. Additionally, constant exposure to salt is unhealthy for children because salt is corrosive. Children are still involved with the manufacturing business. They face dangerous accidents and are treated cruelly and poorly by their employers. Many children suffer from loss of eyesight, constant back pains, deformation of fingers, and even lung diseases. The experiences of childhood diminished all due to the need for cheap labor. Cadbury used to use African children to gather cocoa beans for their industry. As of 2010, Cadbury no longer uses African child labor in their main chocolate range. Their most popular diary  milk range will also carry a fair trade logo to show ethical company behavior. As people who have freedom, we should use our freedom to help those who don't. Underneath this are some actions you can do to help children subject to child labor.

Child soldier

What you can do:
- Spread awareness to family, friends, and neighbors about this issue
- Sign this petition to help the children of Uzbekistan that are subject to child labor:
   http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-forever-21-to-stop-forced-child-labor-in-cotton
- Pray for the children involved in child labor



Sites Used:

http://www.compassion.com/child-advocacy/find-your-voice/quick-facts/child-labor-quick-facts.htm

http://www.ilo.org/ipec/Campaignandadvocacy/Youthinaction/C182-Youth-orientated/worstforms/lang--en/index.htm

http://www2.needham.k12.ma.us/nhs/cur/Baker_00/2002_p7/ak_p7/childlabor.html

http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=59

http://www.ibcr.org/eng/definition_child_trafficking.html

http://listverse.com/2013/03/07/10-modern-day-forms-of-child-labor/

http://www.ilo.org/ipec/areas/Miningandquarrying/MoreaboutCLinmining/lang--en/index.htm

http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/cadbury-drop-cocoa-made-child-labour-2946609

http://library.thinkquest.org/trio/TTQ02189/manufacturing.htm

Tai Po Organic Farm 2

On the Saturday of February 22, 2014, I went with another group of students to an organic farm in Tai Po. In total, there were 6 students that signed up for this service. All participants were from my grade. We met together at 9:00 in Tai Wo station. We took the 25K to the village where the organic farm was. We walked a distance to reach the organic farm.

Our school rented a small area for us to plant vegetables. It was an awesome opportunity for all of us. We all received a pair of gloves. First, we had to remove the small unwanted weeds/plants that were growing on our plot. We were given a hoe to help us remove those plants. If we left the plants there, they would take in all the nutrients from the soil away from the plants we are about to grow. This reminds me of the parable of the sower. It is similar to "thorny ground". It still allows the plant to grow, but the "thorns" would take in all the nutrients and eventually, cause the plants to die. In our lives, the weeds are like riches and temptations. It takes all our time and attention away from what really matters, God. Right now, I think my faith is in thorny grounds. I get distracted by all the temptations. That is why we need to remove the things that distract us (weeds). It would allow our faith to grow stronger in Christ.

Afterwards, we loosened the soil. Then we put fertilizer in the soil to help the plants grow. It looked like dark soil. The "fertilizer" in our lives would be anything that helps, not hinders, our faith in Christ. This can include reading the Bible, praying, doing devotions, going to church, listening to Christian lectures or music. We then pushed the soil up to make our plot higher, the soil looser, and to cover up the fertilizer. Then, we put bamboo sticks to guide the bitter melon plants and showing them where they should grow. So, when they grow, they won't grow all over the place, but straight, wrapping around the bamboo stick. In my life, the stick would be God. I need to wrap myself around God and make Him the center of my life. Finally, we removed baby plants from their small containers and planted them in our soil. We planted 3 different kinds of plants: romaine lettuce, bitter melon, and something else. We had to be very careful and not accidentally break or rip the roots or leaves. The plant is like our faith. It is very fragile when it is small and new. But as time passes by, our faith grows larger and stronger, like a plant, and is able to withstand more trials.

This is one of my favorite services. It constantly reminds me of my faith and trust in the Lord as I tend to those plants.

Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Tung Wah Food Bank

On February 15, 2014, I went with one other student to help out at Tung Wah Food Bank in Mong Kok. We met up at Mong Kok East train station and took a minibus to an area near the food bank. We had to walk a bit to reach the location. When we arrived, there was a guy that told us what we needed to do. We were to pack and organize food for those who came by to pick up food. People with diabetes or other special conditions would get different amounts and types of food compared to the rest of the people. Examples of food we packed included macaroni, instant noodles, luncheon meat, canned fish, canned beef, corn, canned mushrooms, backed beans, Horlick, Ovaltine, eggs, oatmeal, and milk formula. A lot of food are canned because many of the people who applied to get food either do not have a stove to cook a lot of food or are homeless. The people/families come to collect their food once every week, each time bringing home a week's worth of food. Coupons are also distributed to them to allow them to buy other kinds of food from supermarkets and other stores. After all, eating instant noodles and canned food too often is detrimental to your health. 

When we packed food for the people/families, we first would need to look at this sheet to see how much of each item we needed. Because it was in Cantonese, I had a bit of difficulty with it, but I knew most of the words and I understood it pretty quickly. We would put the food on a cart. With the person/family waiting outside, we would push the cart down into the waiting area and help them put it in the bags they brought. For the first timers, we would provide the bags for them. In total, I think I helped pack food for 6-8 people/families.

When we had time, we helped restock the shelves neatly. We opened cardboard boxes with the help of scissors and took the food out to stack on the shelves. We also organized bags of 2kg rice.

Overall, this service has taught me to be thankful for the food I have. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have enough money to buy good, healthy food for consumption. This service was fun and enjoyable. I am sad to know that they are soon moving somewhere else, but I hope that I can serve in another food bank in the future.

February 11, 2014 PPT Presentation Reflection

The gap between the rich and poor is tremendous. The majority of Hong Kong's population lies within the less than $5000 a month. Many of these people live in cage homes.  After listening to Mr. Auty's presentation, it gave me a deeper insight onto the problems Hong Kong faces. Anyone can make a difference, young or old, including me. The purpose of MAD projects is to allow us to use our gifts and blessings to serve the community. I hope that when I go on service experiences, I would open my heart to them and serve them as best as I can.

English Interview Practice at LMC Primary School

Interviewing LMC Students

After school on Thursday, December 5th, I went with 10 other students to Lui Ming Choi Primary School. We walked to the Shek Mun MTR station and took a bus to the school. We had a little trouble at first figuring out which room we should go into. But after a few minutes, we sorted it out. We split up and went into three rooms, with about four people in each room. I was in a room with Rachel Mok, Jenny Cheung, and Benedict Leung. Because it was our first time, Benedict explained to us what we should do. He told us not to follow the script exactly, but to ask questions that relate to their answer. I settled down in a corner of a room, waiting for students. 

Interviewing the "cute" student

In about a minute, the students started to enter the rooms. I interviewed around five to six students. Some questions/statements I asked them included: tell me about yourself, what would you do if you were the president of China, what do you want to be when you grow up, who is your role model, what is your favorite festival, tell me about a recent news report, what books do you read, and what are your hobbies. I wanted to laugh at some of their responses because sometimes their responses were really off topic. The Lui Ming Choi students gave me a  checklist to grade them when they arrived. I graded each student on their politeness, eye contact, posture, sentence fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, relevance to my question, and confidence when answering. There was this really cute student that said twice, "I am talented in science." His English was pretty good. Another student I interviewed seemed to have memorized everything by heart. She said something like this, "I am (name). I go to Lui Ming Choi Primary School. I am 11 years old...." She was like reciting facts she has memorized. Three of the students gave a little bow and would not take a seat until I told them to. All of them were so polite. A lot of them seemed pretty nervous. 

In a classroom

When we finished interviewing the students, we split into two groups and went into the students' classrooms to inform them of how they did overall. We each spoke about what they did well and how they could improve. When we finished speaking, the teacher commanded the students to say "thank you" and "goodbye" to us. Yes, commanded. She said, "Stand up!" like an army commander. I think she could have have been a little more gentle. Out of all the services I have done, this is my favorite so far. I really liked interviewing the students. Time flew by as I was interviewing them. I had a lot of fun.

Teaching English

Discussing our skit

On the Saturday of November 30, 2013, I participated in a teaching service. There were seven students, including me, that taught mothers English. We met at the number 1 platform at Hang On station at 2:00. When everyone arrived, we walked to this community service building. We helped carry cups to the meeting room for the "tea time" that would occur later in the day. We went into a small side room and went over what we would teach to the mothers. I was expecting to teach kids, but mothers were good too. We split into two groups. The girls were in one group and they guys were in another group. Both groups had a little skit to perform to the mothers. The guys performed their skit first. Their skit was more like a brief conversation about their daughter's dance rehearsal. After presenting their skit, they taught them new vocabulary. 

Presenting our skit

After the guys, it was my group's turn to teach the mothers English. Our little skit was about eating at a restaurant. There are three roles: Amy (the daughter), mother, and the waitress. I was Amy. I started the skit off by saying, "Mom, I'm hungry." Then, the mother (Rachel Mok) called for the waiter. I told the waiter (Jenny Cheung) what I wanted to eat, then the mother told the waiter what she wanted to eat. The waiter asked the mother if she wanted dessert. The mother replied by saying what dessert she would like. After we presented our skit, we taught them vocabulary from the skit. Most of the vocabulary are related to food. It included these words: hungry, spaghetti bolognese, Russian vegetable soup, soup of the day, banana split, and soft-hearted chocolate pudding. Some of the mothers knew already knew a lot of the words we taught them, but most of the vocabulary was new. 

"Tea time"

After we taught them the vocabulary, we had "tea time". The seven of us split up each went to a table. We ate cheese buns, some kind of pudding, and glutinous rice balls. I really liked the cheese buns. When I first saw the cheese buns, I thought they were cookies. Anyways, as we were eating, the mothers asked us questions about English. One of the mothers that I was in a table with asked Kevin and I about her son's homework and exam. She was confused when to use "st", "nd", and "rd" when writing dates. I told her that first is always 1st, second is always 2nd, and third and onward is "__rd". I think that cleared up for her. She also wondered whether or not you say "get on the bus" or "get in the bus". I have always thought that it was "get in the bus". But, I learned from another ICS student that it was actually "get on the bus". I hope we were able to clarify things for the mothers. At 4:30, we left the community service building and departed for home. This was a pretty fun service. I hope there is another opportunity for me to go again in the future.

Tai Po Organic Farm

A clean field

On the Saturday of November 23, 2013, I went to an organic farm in Tai Po to do service. In total, there were 11 students that signed up for this activity. Most of the students that signed up were in my grade. We met together at Tai Wo station at 9:00 in the morning. After meeting together , our group rode the 64K bus to an area near the organic farm. We had to walk a distance to reach the organic farm. This farm was located near a village. Three students helped out in the office, and the rest of us followed another farmer to a small field for instructions.

Picking up orange seeds

We set down our belongings on some chairs near the storage shed and started with some exercises. We stretched our arms, legs, and necks. Then, the farmer passed out some green trays to us and told us to pick up the orange seeds on the ground that a big tree drops down. She said that it would affect the growth of the plants. If a big tree starts to grow in the middle of the small field, it would take in all the nutrients and leave very little nutrients for the plants. For the next 45 minutes, we picked up the round, orange seeds. I managed to fill up 2-3 trays of these seeds. 

Guys sweeping up orange seeds

Some guys used a very interesting method to collect the orange seeds. Using their trays, they would scrape the ground and gather the orange seeds into one place. Then, another person would scoop the seeds into a tray. When our trays were full, we deposited our "waste" into this big pile to allow it to decompose. Anyways, after gathering the orange seeds, we pulled weeds from the ground. The weeds took the nutrients from the plants and were affecting the growth of them. The farmer told us to pull the vines and leaves that were in clumps. I didn't really know what I was supposed to pull. I'm pretty sure that I pulled out some good, useful plants. We also put these "waste" into the same big pile. Afterwards, we took a break and drank some water. We gathered up our belongings and headed to a greenhouse. The farmer told us about the purpose of the greenhouse and the plants. The plants are put in a controlled environment. When the plants mature, they have to be transplanted into a bigger pot. When the plants get too big for the green house, they are planted outside in the fields. She talked about other facts. It was rather educational. This concludes my service.

Pulling weeds

As I was picking up the orange seeds, I began to relate it to my faith. If left there for a longer period of time, the orange seeds will disrupt the growth of the plants. In my life, the orange seeds are like bad habits. The bad habits will affect the growth of my faith (the plants) in God. So, it is best to clear my life of these bad habits and focus on God. Furthermore, as I pulled weeds from the ground, I also thought of how I was spending my time. The "weeds" in my life take away my free time (the nutrients) and I spend it on unnecessary things. I should be spending more time with God and not with my computer.

A greenhouse

Overall, this was a fun and worthwhile trip. Perhaps, next time, I will come again.