One in Four: The Alarming Scale of Child Labor in Sub-Saharan Africa
The staggering reality of 86.6 million children trapped in labor across Sub-Saharan Africa represents one of the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges, affecting nearly one in four children in the region. This figure isn't just a statistic—it represents millions of young lives derailed from education, play, and normal childhood development. The scope of child labor in Sub-Saharan Africa encompasses various forms of exploitation. Children as young as five work in agricultural fields, mining operations, domestic service, and street vending. Many toil in cocoa plantations in West Africa, gold mines in Ghana and Mali, or tobacco farms across multiple countries. Others work as domestic servants in urban households, often enduring long hours with little pay and no protection from abuse. UNICEF's identification of poverty as a primary driver reveals the cruel cycle at the heart of this crisis. Families living in extreme poverty often view their children's labor as es...