In Egypt, 1.8 million children are working, with many doing dangerous jobs outlawed by international conventions, according to the International Labor Organization. To mark World Children’s Day (November 20), Hamada Elrasam spent several days chronicling impoverished Egyptian families who say they have no choice but to send their children to work. Captions by Elle Kurancid.
In Photos: Poverty Drives Child Labor in Egypt
- By Hamada Elrasam
- Elle Kurancid
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Children in poor neighborhoods are more vulnerable to human trafficking, Cairo, Aug. 11, 2021. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
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Mostafa, 11, left school three years ago and now works at a local mechanic’s shop six days a week, from 11 a.m. to midnight, to help support his large family. His dream is to one day own a smartphone, Cairo, Aug. 9, 2021. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
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Tall fences, unaffordable ticket prices, and exhausting labor conditions stand between child workers and Cairo’s sporting clubs, Aug. 11, 2021. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
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Many of Egypt’s employed children are engaged in hazardous non-wage work, often within their families, Cairo, Aug. 9, 2021. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
