Summary
In Zimbabwe, young children are picking scrap metal to earn money for their families. Despite child labor laws, these children work in risky environments, collecting metal to sell for small amounts of money.
Key Facts
- Children as young as six years old collect scrap metal in Harare, Zimbabwe.
- The children work in Siyaso Market, a place known for steel fabrication.
- They sell the scrap metal they collect to traders for 10 to 20 US cents per kilogram.
- The boys sometimes earn more money for brass- and copper-coated scraps.
- Zimbabwean law prohibits child labor for those under 16 years old.
- The work these children do involves health and safety risks.
- An adult waste-picker recalls getting injured as a child while picking scrap metal.
- The International Labour Organization (ILO) highlights the dangers of such work for children.
