"A dilemma" Cairo Warnings Or Dangers Tip by TheWanderingCamel

You've seen a lovely carpet. You know it would look beautiful on your floor at home. If you barter hard enough, you'll get it for a good price. Will you ask who made it?

Child labour is a fact of life in Egypt. Wherever you go in Cairo you will see children working, selling small items on the street, working on construction sites, doing domestic work, working in the fields at harvest time - what you might not see are the thousands of children who work in the leather, textile and carpet workshops around the city. No-one knows quite how many children work in Egypt - estimates put the numbers as high as 15% or more - but there is no dispute as to why they work - their families need the money. It is thought working children contribute as much as a quarter to to their family's total income.
The price they pay is high - long hours, unsafe working conditions and practices, cruelty from their employers, detrimental effects on their physical and mental growth and severe disruption to their education are all commonplace.

It is a dilemma - if the goods they make aren't sold, they will be unemployed and their family will lose necessary income. If you buy, you're party to an exploitation that you would never countenance for your own children. Only you can make the decision.

leyle

Website: http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/sweat/egypt.htm