Rescue and educate "carpet kids" in South Asia

Dear GlobalGivers,

With your support of the project Rescue And Educate "Carpet Kids" In South Asia project, GoodWeave has worked for many years to rescue children from labor and exploitation to transition them to school. Eleven-year-old Maya, a beneficiary of GoodWeave programs, is one success story.  

Growing up in Nepal, Maya watched as her two older brothers were sent to work as servants to repay their father’s gambling loan of $34. Maya dreaded she’d be next, and then she was.

Maya was taken to a Kathmandu carpet factory and forced to weave rugs to pay off her father’s latest loan. There she suffered silently through taunts and beatings, stomachaches and fevers. She accepted that she would grow up illiterate, just like her brothers.

Then, earlier this year, on February 28^th, Maya was rescued by GoodWeave inspectors. Today, 11-year-old Maya is happy to have a safe home at the GoodWeave center and the opportunity to go to school. She is a disciplined and diligent student. Maya hasn’t decided what she wants to be yet, but that’s okay. Thanks to your committed support to Rescue And Educate "Carpet Kids" In South Asia project, she can now choose her own future.

With gratitude,

Nina Smith

PS. Just a reminder that on October 17^th is GlobalGiving’s final Bonus Day of the 2012. GlobalGiving is offering a match on all donations given on that day. This is a fantastic opportunity to increase the impact of your support to help end child labor and transform the lives of the thousands of children trapped in carpet work.

Also, please help us spread the word about this opportunity to your family and friends through Facebook and email.

Dear GlobalGivers,

Thank you for being a part of the movement to end child labor, on June 12^th—World Day Against Child Labor—and year-round. I wanted to share an update about how GoodWeave in Nepal commemorated the occasion earlier this summer. I promise it will make you smile.

In recognition of World Day Against Child Labor, rescued child weavers at our rehabilitation center in Kathmandu put on a talent show presenting their dancing, singing, poetry and storytelling.

The winning performance came from a young boy who choreographed an amazing routine—his break dance moves and free spiritedness are all possible because now he can spend time on hobbies and classes, rather than exploitative work. 

In addition to the talent show, this project also brought in health technicians to do a regular health check-up for the beneficiaries. Many kids who are forced to work in the carpet industry suffer respiratory disease, spinal deformities, wounds from sharp tools, and even premature arthritis. 

Without our GlobalGiving supporters, neither of these events would have been possible. Thank you for contributing to the project Rescue and educate "carpet kids" in South Asia. Hopefully, with you by our side, one day soon we’ll instead be celebrating a new day—the day we end child labor.

With gratitude,
Nina Smith

Links:

• A former child weaver's winning break dance performance.