Although it is hard to imagine here, child labor is still common in many countries around the world. Today, on Tag International Tag Child Labor, we want to shed some light on the current situation and pay special attention to the situation in our project in Bolivia.

According to the latest figures from the ILO (International Labor Organization) and UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), approximately 160 million children between the ages of five and 17 worldwide are affected by child labor. Half of them work in hazardous conditions. Unfortunately, the number of working children has actually risen again in recent years. One reason for this is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused financial hardship for many families and made the additional income earned by children necessary for survival.

In fact, Bolivia—where we are active with our Street Doctors—is particularly noteworthy when it comes to child labor: it is the only country where child labor is legal from the age of 10! And this law was only passed by the Bolivian parliament in 2014! The government argues that the income of minors is necessary to combat poverty in the country. As a result, almost one million children Tag here for often less than four euros a Tag , frequently under poor and undignified conditions.

The "profession" ofshoe shiner —the "lustrabota"—is very widespread, especially in La Paz (we reported). These children often live on the streets, without parents or any other support.

Our medical teams in the city therefore make a point of visiting these children's accommodations and hot spots every week to diagnose and treat illnesses, dress wounds, and provide emotional support. This makes it possible to get serious and chronic illnesses under control in good time and alleviate the children's suffering.

We are very grateful that, thanks to your help, we can make these children's lives easier, and we would like Tag take this Tag thank you for your support.