Child Labour is a rampant reality in Asia. Bhutan, a land-locked monarchy, is estimated to have 55 percent of it's children between the age group of 10-14 involved in some form of labour.
Sitting among rocks covered with dusts are little children cutting large stones into small chips for a road that is being constructed. Children working at this construction site just outside the town Buna range from 5 years to 17 years in age. These children, however, are not just 'Working Children' but ' Working School Children'.
All of them attend school during most of the year and work during their vacations. Most of their parents cannot afford their school education and all the other costs associated with educating their children. So, these children have decided to take things into their own hands and ensure their way through school towards a brighter horizon.
Most children working on such construction sites earn Nu 15 (US $ 0.31) for every cubic feet of stone they chip.
Kunzang Nima, a class III student of Changmey primary school, is determined on crushing 4 cubic feet of stone before leaving for the day by 5:00 in the evening. He's been working at the site for the past eight days and is sure that he will be able to make enough money to go back to school once it reopens.
Pema Yangzom, a class VII student in the same school is breaking stones for the first time in her life. She needed new school for the coming year but knew her parents couldn't ever afford to buy her shoes. So she decided to earn them herself.
Sherub Gyeltshen, has been working at breaking stones for the past 4 years during his vacations. He started when he was in class VII and has educated himself with this money since then.
On an average, these children make Nu 60 (US .26) per day and use all their money at the end of three months to buy stationary, uniforms, and shoes for the coming school season.
They are not complaining. Sore fingers will naturally heal, as one child said. [Reported in Kuensel Online]