Source: CCTV.com

01-12-2007 16:41

Early in the 1990s, Mogolia shifted from the planned economy to a free market one. The system was not so perfect as is expected. That was one of the causes that child labor emerged in the country.

In an attempt to find employment many families migrated to the cities. But the lack of jobs forced many of them to send their children to work. TV5 Mongolia's Erdenechimeg Dagiima has today's report in our Labor Series.

Every child has a right to grow up in nurturing environment where they can realize their full potential. The street, with the risks it poses, is not such an environment. Tune in tomorrow for our story on Technical Education for Street Children in Bangladesh.

In Mongolia, there are many children who never had joy, although the childhood should have the happiest memories of life. They carry too heavy burdens by doing the work in behalf of their parents in order to find money. For instance, this family’s living source is to scavenge. Working from day to dust without a moment’s respite, they make 5000 tugruks. In other words, it is only 4 dollars.

"He is my grandson. My husband and I scavenge with him. Well, life is all right today. But, I don’t know about my grandson’s future. It is so hard to see." A grandmother said.

The grandson said "My parents are at home. I help my grandparents. I really want to go to school. But I don’t have clothes and books. Now, it is too late to go there. "

Many children have like this boy’s life. So many people work at garbage collection place called Tsagaan Davaa nearby the capital city.

Most of them are children. Even there is a boy who has been working here eight years. They are not children any more and looking older than they are. One of them said "So many kids work here. We are the oldest. Now we are turning thirteen. "

"We need money to live. All these kids’ parents don’t work but they drink alcohols. " Another said.

These children really need money. They can do anything for that. Even they asked us to pay for them to interview.

It is hard to call them econo-kids and also so hard to say that they have gone to the dogs.

Everybody agrees on that adults gave them this life but nobody could save them. It is true that really tough work makes the person totally rough. These tender-aged children are taking care of their family by scavenging at this garbage place that has many cross, kites and all the kinds of animals. They are called larks.

As a matter of fact they are the winged creatures, so they could fly but this grievous society took away their wings.

This is the life of one of the poorest families in Mongolia. Today no one can predict when the lark can fly.

 

Editor:Du Xiaodan