While we are eating our delicious chocolate bar and watching TV, we cannot imagine that little children are risking their lives to pick the cocoa beans that make that chocolate. It is not only unfair, it is horrifying that little kids are being taken away from their family so that they can work with a knife, eat one meal a day, get beaten and not even go to school. These children are working in the Ivory Coast in Africa. This Child Labor has been going on for around 1919. Yes, this IS a reality and unfortunately 2 out of 25 people are trying to stop it. But this is not enough.
To begin with, the owners of the cocoa bean farms are also trafficking children. The traders lie to parents of families that are in need of help. They tell them that they will take the children to school and give them the opportunity to have a career. The parents want to give the best opportunity to their children and they accept the farmer's deal. The traders sell these kids to farmers. The farmers take them to the cocoa bean farm where they will work and live. All these farmers do not care about the pain these little angels feel of getting away from their family so they can work.
Secondly, the farmers are very abusive . Imagine a 4 year old holding a knife taller than himself. The children are being asked to bring a total amount of beans, normally one or two thousand, if they do not have that amount by the time the farmer wants it, the children get a terrible beating. These children have scars all over their body. Scars that can be cured but farmer are too “busy” worrying about making money. The kids stay in the same clothes and do not get a second pair.
Finally there are many of American chocolate companies that are engaged with child slavery. Three of the richest companies, Hershey's, Snickers, Nestle , are involved in child labor. The companies that do not engage in child slavery are called ethical