Off on a New Journey

The scorching rays of the sun burn 12-year old Leandra Cristina Da Silva's back as she bends over to pick up something at her feet. She spots an important find. What is so valuable is not a trinket or a toy, but a piece of garbage - a filthy can, rotting food or a soiled rag.

Until recently, Leandra worked hard for a living. Instead of playing in her backyard or attending school, she labored seven days a week, coated with dust and grime in the filth of the Olinda garbage dump on the outskirts of the coastal town of Recife in northern Brazil. Although she lives close to the sea, with Marcia, her mother and her brother and sister, Leandra had never seen the Atlantic Ocean. Each day for Leandra was the same: after finishing her chores at home, she left every morning to work along side her mother for 10 hours or more each day, scavenging for cans and bottles to sell. After an exhausting day at the dump, she returned to a home with no running water and crawled into a bed that she shared with her mother and two siblings.

Working at the Olinda dump is mind numbing and dangerous. When the supermarket truck appears, men, women and children scramble to get the best garbage. The children who try to climb on board the trucks often fall off or are run over. Although Leandra was never hurt, her 8-year old brother was once thrown off a truck. Yet for all the drudgery and hazards, Leandra barely earned the equivalent of $3 a day selling the collected bottles to a middleman, who makes money exploiting child workers. It is illegal for children in Brazil to work in such dangerous conditions, but the pressures of poverty force parents to take risks to feed their families.

Recognizing that education is the best way to fight poverty, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN International Labor Organization have joined forces with the Brazilian government to open new doors for children, putting them back in school where they belong. The Bolsa Escola ("School Scholarship") programme makes cash and in-kind grants to families that replace the income children bring in.

Though Leandra was proud to help her family, she longed to go to school. Her mother, Marcia, had worked all her life and did not get any schooling. She did not really understand the bolsa and did not believe it would replace the money her daughter earned at the dump to help support the family. But then one day, good fortune smiled on Leandra. With the help of UNICEF Project Officer Ana Maria Azevedo and Susan Sarandon, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and What's Going On? host, Leandra was awarded a bolsa. It did not matter to her if she was older than the other children in her class. She was thrilled to make a new start. As Susan and Marcia peeked into the classroom to wish Leandra luck, tears welled up in her eyes.

What's next for Leandra?
Leandra is now a full-time student. Instead of rummaging through mountains of trash, she spends mornings in class and afternoons at Jornada ("Journey"), an arts and crafts course. Her brother and sister are also in school and the family lives in a new house. The garbage dump is out of sight and her mother no longer scrounges for bottles and cans. Leandra is happy at the thought of how far she has come. She is full of hope knowing that from now on, life holds many opportunities. "I feel like a different person. Now my life is changing. I hope it will change even more."

How can you help?
Begin by finding out more about child labor - a global problem that keeps some 250 million children trapped in an endless cycle of poverty. They take on low-paying dangerous jobs to survive. The degradation and back-breaking work hinders not only their physical development but mental and emotional growth as well. Article 32 of the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child has the right to be protected from work that impedes his or her education and development. You can find out more about child labor at UNICEF and ILO. The ILO has enacted the Convention Concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor, which calls for the prevention of child slavery, prostitution and other harmful work. This convention has had far-reaching effects in reducing the evils of child labor globally. IPEC - ILO's International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labor - works with governments, employers' associations, trade unions, human rights groups and grass roots organizations. A joint project, Understanding Children's Work, by UNICEF, ILO and the World Bank collects valuable data.

To find out how the UN works to eradicate poverty, log on to the UN Division for Sustainable Development. Other sites include the World Bank and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.

Ending child labor is a priority for governments, non-profit organizations and groups in civil society. Check with World Vision, Global March, Terre des Hommes, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch for more information on solutions to this worldwide problem.