Since 2002, World Education has been using education to address abusive forms of child labor. The International Labor Organization defines child labor as "work situations where children are compelled to work on a regular basis to earn a living for themselves and their families, and as a result are disadvantaged educationally and socially; where children work in conditions that are exploitative and damaging to their health and to their physical and mental development; where children are separated from their families, often deprived of educational and training opportunities; where children are forced to lead prematurely adult lives."
The worst forms of child labor are those situations where children work more than nine hours in a day; earn less than a minimum wage or no wages at all; work in hazardous conditions for health and safety; have no access to education; and, work outside of their family's home. World Education and its partners are reaching those children in the worst forms of child labor, including those exploited for the commercial sex industry and other forms of bonded labor in Africa and Asia. World Education is also working with children at risk of becoming child laborers, which means they are not enrolled in school; they are victims of domestic violence; they are orphaned or have only one parent; and, they are vulnerable to sexual exploitation.
To reduce child labor, World Education and its NGO partners are equipping children, aged 8-14 years old, in labor situations or at risk of being put into a labor situation with the basic skills and life skills boys and girls need to protect themselves and create opportunities for the future. From vocational and practical skills training to basic literacy classes for children, World Education helps girls and boys learn about personal safety, opportunities to enter or reenter the formal school system, and equips them with practical vocational skills.
