World Day Against Child Labor

Between 2000 and 2020, the world had been making steady progress in reducing child labour. But over the past few years, conflicts, crises and the COVID-19 pandemic, have plunged even more families into poverty – and forced millions more children into child labour.

Today, 160 million children are still engaged in child labour. That is almost one in ten children worldwide.

We take a moment every June 12 to look the evil of child labor in the eye, especially among the children we serve in Thailand. Many of the children involved at Joy to the World Thailand have been rescued from abusive situations, and extreme poverty leads many parents to seek money in whatever ways they can find it -- sometimes putting their own children at risk.

What is Joy to the World Thailand doing to address and prevent child labor?

Protection Girls who come to stay at Breanna's House of Joy are coming from extreme poverty and abuse, which is the root cause of trafficking around the world.

A group of students at Breanna's House of Joy

We believe that God wants us to rescue these girls from impoverished backgrounds, so that they do not wind up in prostitution or the drug trade like so many other orphaned girls throughout Thailand.

Our goal at Breanna's House of Joy is to build into each one of our girls a sense of responsibility for the villages, their people group, and the nation of Thailand. We challenge them to give back to others what God has freely given to them. 

We also ensure that every staff person is trained in child protection, and that every girl has access to counseling and emotional support. Protecting these children is a profoundly complex calling, and we explore every avenue of protection and healing!

Education

In Northern Thailand, just 51% of hill tribe children enroll in primary education (compared to the national average of 89%), while only 1 in 4 complete their secondary education. A lack of education is a direct line to child labor, where those without skills are pushed into dangerous, exploitative work. We believe that the only proven way to provide long-term change for these children is through higher education, which leads to better jobs and more security.

The Daniel 1 Leadership Academy (D1) serves students from these hill tribe villages. This foundation values education and provides the funds and resources to support students who would normally not have the opportunity to pursue a college education or vocational training. Because of our generous donors, these students are able to complete their education with no student debt, enabling them to not only break the cycle of poverty but to provide a layer of protection for themselves and their families against child labor!

Parental Support

Working conditions for parents have a direct impact on the health, development and survival of workers' children. Hill tribe Women are particularly vulnerable to poor working conditions, with little access to healthcare and education. Finding a marketable skill can give them the independence and stability they need to succeed.

At Joy to the World Thailand, we understand the need to empower women who are the primary providers for their families. These women are desperate to provide food and clothing but have very few job opportunities, putting them and their children at extreme risk for exploitation.

Artisans from Five Tribes Fair Trade

We launched the Radiant Project in 2018 to meet this need and provide sustainable business paths. The purpose of the Radiant Project is to build strong connections with the hill tribe people and to provide education opportunities and a path out of poverty. We prioritize anti-trafficking education, teaching people about the dangers of trafficking.

Five Tribes Fair Trade launched in 2020. It gives these local artisans a place to sell their products and earn a fair wage to support their families.

Together, we are creating new pathways that will give these people groups the economic stability that they need to avoid the underground economy that is rampant with sex and drug trafficking.

A gift to Joy to the World Thailand is a step towards eradicating child labor in Thailand. Will you give today?

I want to stop child labor!