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"Child Labor - Living by the Railroad Track"
In recent years, the prevalence of child labor has become a serious problem in many poor developing countries. Bangladesh, being one of the poorest and one of the most densely populated countries in the world; the problem of child labor is huge. It is estimated that there are 4.9 million working children between the ages of 5-15 in Bangladesh. That is 13.4% of the total work force in the country. Most of these children have no other options. Some are orphans growing up on the streets while others are forces to work due the economic hardships of their family. There is not much future for these children growing up and living in poverty and deprivation. Few will ever have the opportunity to an education or to learn skills to ensure a better life for them in the future. But just banning the use of child laborer in industries is not a permanent solution to this problem. In fact, this step is useless if the government and NGO’s do not ensure the economic and social securities of these minors. 40% of the 166 million people in Bangladesh make less than $1 a day and spend 80% of that income on food. With the rising cost of fuel and food prices, more and more children will be forced to work to help support their family and put food on the table.
Biography: International award winning photographer Dr. Larry Louie is an optometrist in Canada and also a travel & humanitarian documentary photographer. On his travels, he is exploring the lives of remote indigenous people, documenting social issues and ultimately seeking to adjust people's view of the world. Over the last couple of years, Larry has used his photography as a platform to highlight the work of different charities around the world. He hopes his photographs will be able to tell the stories and make a difference, and to reveal light that is found in the darkest of places.
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