Today's Slaves
They work as camel racers, prostitutes, servants and field hands. They are some of the estimated 1.2 million children forced into indentured servitude around the world every year, and Sharon LaFraniere chronicles their plight in Sunday's New York Times with "Africa’s World of Forced Labor, in a 6-Year-Old’s Eyes." LaFraniere personalizes the numbing statistics by taking us to Ghana and describing how 6-year-old Mark Kwadwo spends his days sitting in a canoe in his underwear and Little Mermaid T-shirt, bailing water for a brutal fisherman. This is a heart-breaking story that deserves the world's attention. Be sure to check out the accompanying multimedia "Interactive Feature" for a powerful slideshow with Joao Silva's stunning photos and LaFraniere's narration of how she reported the story.
Two Sunday's ago, the Times had another strong story exploring the lives of children. "Living With Love, Chaos and Haley" by Pam Belluck shows us how a Massachusetts couple struggles to live a normal life with their mentally ill daughter.