Lesson 6.

1. Look at the pictures below. Do these children have the rights that are identified in the Convention on the Rights of the Child as outlined in the box?

The convention on the rights of the child In 1989, world leaders decided that children needed a human rights treaty of their own because people who are under 18 years old often need special care and protection that adults do not. The leaders also wanted to make sure that the world recognized that children have human rights too. Here are some of the rights the Convention protects: 1. All children have the right to life. Governments should ensure that children survive and develop healthy. 2. Children should not be separated from their parents unless it is for their own good. 3. Children who have any kind of disability should have special care and support so that they can lead full and independent. 4. Children who have the right to good quality health care, to clean water, nutritious food and a clean environment. 5. Children have the right to an education. Primary education should be free. 6. Education should develop each child’s personality and talents to the full. It should encourage children to respect their parents and their own and other cultures and the environment. 7. All children have the right to relax and play and to join in with a wide range of activities. 8. The government should protect children from work that is dangerous, or might harm their health or their education.

CHILD LABOUR IN HAITI Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and is situated in the Caribbean, next to Cuba. Poverty means that many parents cannot afford to look after their children. As a result, many poor parents give custody of their children to more well-off people, hoping that their children will be provided with food, clothing, shelter, education and health care in return for working as a domestic worker.	Questions to think about
	Q1. What rights does the child in the case study not have?
	Q2. Think about three different ways this can affect the child’s future?
A child worker’s story “I have lived here for a long time, about four years. I wake up at 4am to collect water. Then I wash the dishes, clean the clothes and cook for the other children in the house. Sometimes at 8 or 9pm, I still haven’t gone to bed. My employer treats me very, very badly. She yells at me a lot. Her children get to eat rice, but I just eat corn. I used to go to school but I don’t now. I haven’t been in touch with my family since I left. I would like to go and visit them. If I could, I would. If I lived with my mother, I’d have a better life. Anything I want or need, she would provide.”	Q3. What do you think the child can do about his/her situation?
	Q4. Haiti has signed the Convention for the Rights of the Child. What do you think the UN can do to help Haiti make sure all children in Haiti have their right?