MGP+Hijo

​ ​  =Question: What are the causes of child labor on cocoa farms? =

Personally, I enjoy eating chocolates and sometimes coffee. In addition, I believe that many people, in fact, like eating those sweets to relish their appetite. For years, I have heard the behind story chocolate industry. The African children’s were used as slaves to pick up the beans from trees. Ironically, the children other than the African children, who have the same age as them, eat chocolate made from those beans as their delight. Realizing the unfairness around the world, I wanted to research and know better about what caused the African children to become the slaves of the cocoa farms.
 * Preface: **

My first genre is a research paper on the causes of child labor in cocoa industry. Through writing this first genre with credible sources, I was able to find the answers to my questions very well. Also, after knowing the causes step by step, I was able to comprehend the children’s position much better. ** Research Paper ** “I love chocolate!” is one of the most common phrases around the world. In fact, Americans alone spend $13 billion on chocolate annually (Fitch-Frankel ). While people around the world enjoy eating chocolate, African children suffer on cocoa farms in order to supply chocolate to the world. Although many organizations such as NGOs, have tried to end the usage of child labor, yet they have been successful. Increasing poverty and cultural beliefs are the main causes of child labor in Africa; if we find resolutions of these causes, we will be a step closer in eliminating the usage of child labor on cocoa farms.
 * Introduction 1: **

While one side of the world enjoys chocolate, African children are sold as if they were goods and being tortured for the production of this enjoyment. Before they were cocoa slaves, the children, whose ages vary from twelve to sixteen years old, were on the streets begging for food (Chanthavong). The human traffickers were able to easily allure the children because of their physical and political weakness. Most of these innocent children are from Mali, one of the poorest countries in the world ( Fitch-Frankel ). In other words most of the families living in Mali are living in destitution. Believing that sending their children will bring them the great opportunity to learn skills, they are deceived by human traffickers. In addition, as a result of inadequate jobs, families move into Cote d’Ivoire, where most of the child labor takes place (Chanthavong). Therefore, poverty leads to the exploitation of children, and in consequence, slavery on cocoa farms.

Underlying African cultural beliefs contribute to the usage of child labor in cocoa production (Foldvary,). For instance, because the farmers’ children also work on the family farm, they have trouble realizing that using children to do slave work is morally wrong ( Fitch-Frankel ). In addition, seeing children work outside of their homes is typical in Africa; 40 to 50% of children from five to fourteen years old work during the day because they don’t have enough money for education ( Fitch-Frankel ). Another traditional practice is sending their children to wealthier families so that they could acquire job skills and basic education (Chanthavong). However, lured by the human traffickers, these pitiful children, who are full of hopes, are sold to farmers, as if they were animals. The human traffickers, who promise them education and money, sell them to cocoa farms as slaves. The children work from early morning, to late night, eating corn paste as their only meal (Chanthavong). In other words, they are overworked and underfed. Also, not wanting to face the consequences of an immoral act, the farmers lock them up during the night so that they can’t escape the farms.

A boy, Aly Diabate, who worked as a slave, managed to escape and told his story to the world. When he was eleven years old, in Mali, traffickers allured him into going to an Ivorian farm. They told him that if he went, his family would receive money and he would receive a bicycle. Nevertheless, when he reached the farm, “Le Gros”, he worked more than twelve hours a day and was beaten whenever he worked slowly. Fortunately, he managed to break away from the brutal and inhuman place and tell publicize the hidden sufferings (Chanthavong). <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"> People around the world eat chocolate to satisfy their cravings or to relieve stress, sometimes buying chocolates from ubiquitous brands such as Hershey, Cadbury or Nestle. Chocolate may taste sweet, but in order to produce it, children are used as slaves. There are still at least 284,000 children working in merciless conditions ( <span style="color: #262a2c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 200%;">Fitch-Frankel ).<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> If we find solutions relating to the causes of child labor in cocoa industry, obliterating the exploitation of children on these farms will be possible in the future. Works Cited:

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"> <span style="color: #262a2c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 200%;">Fitch-Frankel, Adrienne. "Chocolate-Lovers: Cocoa Industry Still Employs Child Labor under Slave-Like Conditions." //Organic Consumers Association//. Web. 25 Oct. 2009. <http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_13233.cfm#>. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"> Foldvary, Fred E.. "Foldvary Against Chocolate Worker Slavery." __The Progress Report -- Independent Daily News__. 3 Sep. 2009 <http://www.progress.org/archive/fold201.htm>.

Samlanchith Chanthavong. 2005. "Chocolate and Slavery." __Welcome to American University, Washington, DC USA__. 3 Sep. 2009 [].

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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">Introduction 2: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"> My second genre is a fable based on the African children slaves’ point of view through animals as characters. This genre definitely helped me to understand their lives better and clearer than the first genre because in order to write a fable that symbolizes the African children in farms, I had to know what had happened to the innocent children from the beginning.

__** Robbie Jr.’s Unfortunate Decision **__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"><span style="font-family: '바탕','serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">In a small rabbit burrow, which was located under a tangled mess of green and rough bushes, a father rabbit, Robbie, was lying on soft cushion-like leaves. His face was very pale because he hadn’t eaten his staple meal, carrots, for three weeks. As most species know, it is impossible for rabbits to live without carrots for more than a week; however, the family was able to accumulate scraps of carrots by searching through dumpsters, which enabled Robbie to cling desperately onto life. Robbie Jr., Robbie’s eldest son and the most responsible in the family, knew that he now had to provide food to his family.

Robbie Jr. was frantically looking for a job, and since they were living in a recession, the chances of getting a job were slim to none. In consequence, there were many rabbits and other animals sitting on the sides of the pathways begging for food to eat. After a fruitless day of job hunting, Robbie Jr. was turning to go back to his home and an unfamiliar fox grabbed him by his ears. The fox had a slim body, but a hoarse voice.

“Are you looking for a job?” he rasped. “Or an opportunity to brighten your future?” These questions, especially the first question, caught the white fluffy ears. However, what he actually needed immediately was food. “Well, I need food right now for my family because my dear father is severely sick. And carrots are the only thing that can save him.” “Well, that is not a problem!” The fox said with a mischievous smirk. “We have uncountable mountains of carrots. However, you cannot have them unless you come with us”. Robbie stared at the fox with a dubious look. “Well, okay,” he hesitantly replied. “If you can promise that you will send carrots to my family, and if my leaving will help my dear father to survive, then I will gladly go. You have to promise me in the name of God.” “I promise.” The fox nodded his head unctuously. The cunning looking fox firmly grabbed the rabbit, who didn’t even have time to say goodbye to his family. He was roughly thrown into the carriage that the foxes were driving.

How long had passed? As Robbie Jr. crunched his body on the hard wooden and almost rotten floor, he thought about his family. Although he was depressed to be away from his family, he felt very proud of himself to find a way to support them. Finally, he felt a beam of sunlight touching his pale white fur. With curiosity and excitement he looked up to see only hundreds of pale looking weary rabbits miserably digging the ground. Seeing the dejected rabbit slaves in the glow of the sunset, made them appear even more crestfallen. <span style="font-family: '바탕','serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> The more Robbie Jr. grew pale, the wider the grin of the cunning fox. “It’s alright”, the fox said greasily. “You will live, unless you try to escape this wonderful field.” “When will I be able to go back to my house and see my family?” Robbie Jr. implored. “Don’t think about anything but work!” The fox kicked him to the field where all the rabbits were working. Tears were falling down, drop by drop, on his cheeks. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to go back to see his family ever again because he was now a slave of the carrot farm.

Weeks passed. Robbie Jr.’s face had become bonier and there were dark bags under his eyes. The rabbits no longer resembled any at the park; they had skeletal bodies, withered, gaunt faces and patchy, muddy brown fur. At the end of another long and strenuous day of work, he saw a group of foxes cornering an emaciated rabbit, who looked too weak to work. Robbie Jr. pressed himself back into the shadows of the wall, scared of the incident that he was witnessing. Suddenly, he was struck by an epiphany; he now knew irrefutably what had happened to the “missing rabbits”. “Please, I will work more,” the encircled rabbit said feebly. “No, you have become too weak to work and it is time to dispose of you,” the foxes smirked, saliva dripping down their chins. “No…no,” with the last of his strength, the rabbit screamed helplessly. A splash of red hit Robbie Jr.’s face. Petrified, he jumped faster than ever to his cage. Paralyzed with fear, he couldn’t move, but only grip the metal bars of his cage, looking in the direction of his home with teary eyes.

Works Cited:

Foldvary, Fred E.. "Foldvary Against Chocolate Worker Slavery." __The Progress Report -- Independent Daily News__. 3 Sep. 2009 []. Samlanchith Chanthavong. 2005. "Chocolate and Slavery." __Welcome to American University, Washington, DC USA__. 3 Sep. 2009 <http://www1.american.edu/ted/chocolate-slave.htm>.

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**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">Introduction 3: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"> My third genre is an advertisement stating that we should, as soon as possible, eradicate the incidence of children becoming slaves in cocoa farms. In order to address this statement more effectively, I had to know more about the occurrence, which let me to learn more about my question. This was my great opportunity to learn more about the other side of the world. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">

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 * Epilogue**

Through doing MGP 1,2 and 3 I now know more information about African children’s lives. Before, I only have heard the story from people, however, by doing this project, I was able to know and feel their lives though it was limited to internet. Nonetheless, this was an opportunity to know more about the other side of the world. Although we may believe that people live similarly, there are places where to get food to eat is hard. I believe that many people enjoy eating chocolate, which is made of cocoa beans. However, these beans are picked by children who are living in inhumane condition. They even do not have full rights, since they are now slaves of the cocoa farms. I’m not saying that we should stop eating food that contains cocoa beans, but asserting that we should find a way to stop the slavery. We are living in twentieth-first century, where we all try to help each other globally.