The referee blows the whistle, indicating that the match is about to start. As I help my 10-year old son put his goalie gloves on, I recall the time he asked me about children working with dirty hands.

It was five years ago. I had just returned from a field visit to an ILO project in Camarines Norte, Philippines. As I was unpacking, he saw some pictures I had taken of children working in gold mines.

“Why are those children working with dirty hands, Mama? I have clean hands and a nice watch but they don’t. Why are they not in school?”  Continue reading →