post #6

I wish I could update this while I am at work. I would have an abundance of stories, plus a lot of reviews, comments, etc.

Currently, I am astounded by a forceful phone call by a woman helping her 4th-grade son write a quick homework about child labor. There were two questions, the first I cannot remember (though I remember starkly it relating to Africa and cacao beans, because she did not know what cacao beans were – and I don’t say that to demean her). The second was, why does Africa have the highest child-labor rate? I told her my opinion: it’s probably because they are trying to boost the economy by increasing the workforce, but I recommended she check authoritative sources, like Human Rights Watch. Her response (or supposition) was, “You know, I have to wonder,” she started, “do you think they’re making a lot of kids work because Africa is running out of adults?”

I was startled. Is “startled” too crude of an understatement?