Christian approaches to Child labour
Answer Text: Christian approaches to Child labour-Child labour is the employment of children on a full time basis.-According to the Children’s Act (2001) a child is a boy or a girl who is below 18 years.-The law forbids the employment of children.-Despite this, some people resort to using children as a major source of labour.Some of the reasons why children are employed include:-They are looked at as a source of extra income by their guardians especially those that work in plantations.-They do not have qualifications in any skill so as to negotiate for their terms.-They can easily be hired and fired.-They are not eligible for participation in unions therefore, they cannot fight for proper terms and conditions of service.-Their labour is cheap.-Poverty has made parents to give up their children for employment in order to earn extra income and supplement the family needs.-Children are being employed as house helps, labourers in coffee and tea plantations, in industries and as commercial sex workers.-In order to protect the rights of children, there are international, regional and national declarations. They include: The Universal Declarations of the Rights of the Child, The African Charter on the Rights of Children and the Kenya Children’s Act.-The government of Kenya has taken measures to curb child labour.-Many organizations have taken it upon themselves to look into the rights of children such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Save The Children Fund, CARE International, The African Network for the Preventionand Protection Against Child Abuse and Neglect.(ANPPCAN)-Christian look at children as blessings from God and should therefore be loved and cared for.-The Bible also condemns all forms of oppression and exploitation of children.-God’s presence is symbolically made present in the family.-Parents have a responsibility to protect their children from harm.
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