Yesterday was the World Day Against Child Labour:

Childhood cheated...

Senali S.Perera

A child in discolored clothes, pouring sweat at his brow, handling a task that is too heavy for his small form. The sight would arouse sympathy in anyone's heart.

But has it ever occurred to any of us just what a vast problem this has become in the world? Child labour.

The sympathy that was felt at the sight of the working child may fade away with time, but the question remains. Why has the society come to this? Why is the suffering child deprived of adequate education, health, leisure and basic freedom? Why have his rights been violated? Not just one child. Hundreds of millions of them. All around the world.

A large number of children are engaged in paid or unpaid domestic work in the home of a third party or employer. They may be working away from their homes, isolated and their work is most likely to be hidden from the public eye. More often than not, these children are abused physically, emotionally or sexually.

"When compared to other countries, in Sri Lanka, child labour utility is very low," says Anoma Dissanayake, Chairperson of the National Child Protection Authority. "There are problems that we need to attend to. And we are working on eradicating child labour from our country."

Raising awareness

The world brings together governments, employers and workers organizations, civil society as well as millions of people around the globe on June 12 every year to raise awareness on the situation of these children and to highlight the extent of child labour. The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World day in 2002 in order to bring this matter into light.

The World Day Against Child Labour is a good opportunity to gain support of individual governments and ILO social partners, civil society and others including schools, youth and women's groups and media, in the campaign against child labour. It also appears as an opportunity to remind the world that every child has the rights to a free public education, protection and good health.

The ILO estimates that around 215 million children are trapped in child labour. More than a half of these children are involved in hazardous pursuits that sometimes amount to slavery, armed conflict, drug trafficking and other illegal activities.

In 2013, the World Day Against Child Labour provided a spotlight on child labour in domestic work. On this day, the ILO calls for reforms to ensure the elimination of child labour in domestic work, the provision of decent work conditions and appropriate protection to young workers in domestic work who have reached the legal working age, and for action to strengthen the worldwide movement against child labour.

Lack of basic necessities

"According to Sri Lankan law, children must receive education until they reach age 14 at the very least," says Dissanayake. "But despite this, some children are forced to work underage due to their poverty." She also points out that children without guardians or elders who refuse to take care of them are also prone to be involved in child labour. Lack of basic necessities such as food, clothing, school stationary; parents' attitude toward education are also common reasons for children leaving school at an early age.

When rescued from child labour, "they are produced to courts and the money they earned is put into a savings account under their name. They are sent back to their parents and it is made sure that they receive a proper education," says Dissanayake. If the child is about age 14, he or she is to receive a different education where they have prospects of becoming skilled workers when they grow up. The National Child Protection Authority has launched the ChildLine Sri Lanka, 1929 which you can call regarding any issue that concerns children.

Every child deserves hope for a better future. They deserve to be loved and taken care of. It is your responsibility and mine to make sure that the future generation of our country grows up unscathed so they can accept the future of this country into their hands. As human beings, as proud Sri Lankans, let's be guided by our morals before we steal a child of his innocent childhood.

Geraldton:

A perfect tourist destination

Rupa Banduwardena

Western Australia is blessed with an array of exquisite locations. Geraldton is one of them a beautiful city set on the stunning western coast with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. It did reminds me of our colonial past. The grandest colonial era is visible in its public buildings and institutions which stand in tact along the roads such as churches, museums, grand hotels, old shopping centres and numerous other buildings very much similar to our capital city Colombo. It is the second largest city in Western Australia renowned for its past colonial glory. Many of the old buildings here depict a bygone era. It has served as a popular place with its eye-catching landscapes, beautiful scenery, calm, quiet and serene homely life in its lovely surroundings. Above all it is of great strategic significance. It is a strange location with a white sea cover. Being a coastal city, it is rich in many things known to the world as a uniquely beautiful spot. There is plenty of sunshine being ideal for those seeking relaxation. They love the foreshore - definitely something that everyone should experience.

Water playground is the ultimate fun in the sun enjoyed by the Aussies. Little ones spend a lot of time down at the water playground. With the city's superb location by the sea, a relaxed country lifestyle is visible throughout as they are captivated by the environment. They enjoy living close to the ocean taking advantage of the swimming, surfing, snorkelling, fishing and diving. It should also be mentioned here that they pay much attention to beach safety. Senior Patrol teams and lifeguards offer their voluntary services to supervise the beach and its first aid procedures to reduce the risk of danger. Geraldton has much to offer with regard to adventure enthusiasts as well as the quiet lifestyle for those wanting to rest, relax and enjoy.

Geraldton port

Gerladton Port is of great strategic importance. With the industrial hub situated close to the Port, it has become a busy place for commercial activities. Geraldton products are sent across the globe from its port. Ships travel from here taking mostly mineral sands, wheat and numerous other products. It acts as a very appropriate outlet for the WA's thriving mining and wheat industry.

Luxurious touring ships do arrive here. 'Celebrity Century' is the first tourist ship to port in Geraldton this year. The cruise passengers were invited to an official welcome to the city followed by entertainment and exhibition programmes. They were well received by the Geraldton port authorities particularly those from the USA who had never seen anything like the city before. Super passenger liners based here undertake shore tours and excursions to major cities in the western coast. It is said that you could view the sea lions, dolphins and whales from the cruise.

There are sports complexes and family parks located in the city. Multi-purpose recreation facilities which cater for activities including soccer, hockey, netball, basket ball etc. This is supposed to be particularly beneficial to children.

There are plenty of physical benefits designed for them. "Exercise is medicine" is their view. They say it helps maintain a healthy weight range, improve your heart health, immune system and energy levels. According to their lifestyle, breakfast always include whole grain high fibre cereals. They eat plenty of fruits and veggies also including low fat dairy. On the whole a well balanced diet gives the body the required nutrition. There are organisations to boost awareness about health problems as it is ill health that is mostly responsible for absenteeism and loss of productive hours. University research centres for health have found many solutions for inactivity and lethargy. There is the Geraldton family gym and well equipped fitness centre providing quality services.

Must-see spots

There are shopping centres and super markets well located in the city. Geraldton's textile shops, jewellery stores, hotels and restaurants (Mc Donalds and Hungry Jacks) are conveniently located to serve the population, approximately forty thousand residing in the city and suburbs. There are number of must see spots in the city thanks to the state for witnessing a very high level of improved health system provided from the regional hospital and also there are well organized private institutions and many more like the Geraldton Medical Group and Mid West Aero Medicals to name a few.

Housing with a emphasis on safe environment is one of the many essential services that Geraldton could be proud of. The government and the country's premier builders with a reputation for home building cater to your individual requirements and our budget. The old and the newly built houses are well spaced with beautifully landscaped gardens filled with roses adding beauty to the locality. All the residencies are nicely built to suit the rural, coastal and suburban environment. The wild flower areas in the suburbs are amazing. Rich is history Geraldton Museum and the Art Gallery are wonderful store of treasures preserving their heritage. There are shows, exhibitions and artwork of display open to the public in the Art Gallery. Most sightseeing excursions are done during the holidays. Transport used for sightseeing is not filled to capacity to ensure comfort. Holiday touring is mostly done by caravans. In short, Geraldton is a perfect touring destination with wonderful sea views serving as an ideal place for meeting people with diverse backgrounds. I had the privilege of spending a few months in this beautiful city. Hence this article.