Learn about The Carpet Boy's Gift and take advantage of the lesson plans and other resources put together by the folks at Tilbury House and Reach And Teach.
"I appeal to you that you stop people from using children as bonded laborers because the children need to use a pen rather than the instruments of child labor." -Iqbal Masih, 12 years old, from his Reebok Youth in Action Award Acceptance Speech, December 7, 1994
Leadership comes easily for Nadeem, the biggest and oldest boy in a rug factory in Pakistan. But how can he lead the other child laborers to freedom after he’s been shamed and beaten for his first attempt? Nadeem and his fellow workers are bonded laborers, children who work day and night to pay off loans their families have accepted from a factory owner. While Nadeem and his cousin Amina take pride in helping their poor families, they feel trapped. They yearn to go to school and to have time to play. One day a former carpet boy named Iqbal Masih leads a parade in the village. New laws have abolished bonded labor! Iqbal urges Nadeem to fight for freedom and to lead the children to a new school in town. Can Nadeem summon the courage to try again? This fictional story honors the legacy of Iqbal Masih, a real boy who had escaped from a factory. Protected and educated, he worked to liberate child workers like Nadeem by the thousands. His work won him the Reebok Youth in Action award and special recognition at the International Labor Conference. When he returned to Pakistan after his trip, he was fatally shot while riding his bicycle. He was only twelve, but he had already made a difference in children’s lives all over the world.
As we traveled through Afghanistan, we met many children. The luckiest ones were those who had a chance to go to school. Despite the absolute destruction of virtually everything everywhere, each day we were amazed to see hundreds of children going to or coming from some type of school. Most of them knew how to say "Hello" and "How Are You?"
The children you see here are from a school in the Shamali Plains, an area that saw massive bombing in the hunt for the remnants of the Taliban. The school consisted of little more than tarps thrown on the ground and tarps over head to protect the children from the sun. The most precious gift members of our delegation could give any child was a pen.
This book, as well as Playing War, reminded us of our time in Afghanistan and the incredible journey we took after returning home, sharing the stories of the people we had met with children and adults here in America. We urge you to consider using this book as a launching point for discussions about our lives here and other people's lives all over the world. Like Nadeem, each one of us can make a difference if we truly understand what's going on and have the faith to know that we have the power to bring about change.
NOTE: Click to the third and last pages in this teach-in for resources and activities you can use with the Carpet Boy's Gift.
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The power of children to make a huge difference in this world is superbly demonstrated in the story of Craig Kielburger. It Takes a Child is an inspirational and educational video about Craig Kielburger (the founder of Free The Children) and the work the organization does at the international level. It Takes A Child was a gold medal winner at the New York City Film Festival. It is an excellent educational resource for teachers & educators.
"Being 12 years old is no excuse for not doing something...."
Craig Kielburger was 12 years old when child labor activist Iqbal Massih was killed in Pakistan. He immediately went on a seven-week trip to South Asia. What he learned turned him into a passionate, articulate and effective advocate on behalf of child laborers everywhere. He is determined to put child labor on the international agenda. He is 15 years old in this film.
He started a child-run organization called Free the Children, which now has 10,000 members worldwide. It directs lobbying and petition efforts at governments and big business. F.I.F.A. now won't put its logo on any soccer balls that are made with child labor. Free the Children has raised over $150,000 to buy children out of bondage and create a school for them, while raising world awareness.
Craig Kielburger has won the Roosevelt Freedom Medal and the State of the World Forum Award, and has been named a Global Leader of Tomorrow at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The Doggy Dung Disaster and Other True Stories: Girls and boys across the entire world have, through small and huge action, made this planet a more peaceful and habitable place. Some of their stories, which can inspire the children (and adults) in your life are wonderfully told in this unusually named book. This is one of our favorites and a Reach And Teach best-seller.
People who put The Carpet Boy's Gift on their reading lists will join ranks with earlier generations who have chosen to introduce children to poverty and injustice by assigning such fiction classics as Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, and The Adventures of Huck Finn.
The Carpet Boy's Gift is a sensitive introduction to the subject of human rights and the complicated issue of child labor. The central characters, Nadeem and Amina, are bonded child laborers who work in a rug factory in Pakistan. Although their earlier efforts to win freedom have been thwarted, they are inspired after an encounter with Iqbal Masih to continue with their efforts change their lives for the better by insisting on their right to go to school. Iqbal Masih, a 12-year-old boy and human rights activist, became a real life hero to thousands in his short life. A particular strength of the book is that the author, Pegi Deitz Shea, depicts Nadeem's and Amina's lives in a balanced light. Readers will see that these children, like children everywhere, have both grim and joyful moments in their lives. The book's message is that all kids share the same basic needs for family and friends, and thrive when given opportunities for education and the chance to participate in games, sports, or the arts.
The Carpet Boy's Gift will help inspire classroom conversations about:
Heroes, and learning to make a difference in the your community;
The world of work (for elementary school aged children);
Rug-making techniques and traditional designs for rugs;
Culture of Pakistan and Middle East;
Consumer awareness habits;
Poverty and human rights;
The role of the UN and Universal Children's Rights;
Ethics in the global economy;
Trade issues and social justice;
History of child labor around the world (for middle school-aged children); and
The important life opportunities that schools can provide children.
The book's back pages are extremely rich in child-centered which lead to more information about child labor issues and encourage children to support companies that work to make the world a better place for all. The wonderful folks at Tilbury Books, the publishers of The Carpet Boy's Gift, have provided us with this rich set of activities and resources to share with you. Readers who locate the books and visit the Internet sites included here can learn more about the facts of Iqbal Masih's life, examine their own consumer habits, explore what schools are like in different countries, and develop new ideas about "human rights." These resources will also lead to valuable discussions about acceptable and unacceptable work for children in a global economy.
Resources
Child Labor In Depth International Labor Organization If you are curious to know more of the facts about child labor, this kid-friendly site will help you learn more about how much child laborers earn, what work they do, and how much time they spend at their jobs. There are also links to many other useful sites on child labor, and some ideas of actions you can do to make a difference. http://www.ilo.org/ilokidsnew/index.html
Time Magazine Discover the facts by reading articles on the issue of child labor online. See what other children's news organizations write about child labor today. http://www.timeforkids.com
Scholastic News Zone This news site has lots of information including a map of children in the labor force, country close-ups, voices from the field and ways to help. http://www.scholastic.com
Listen to Us: The World's Working Children by Jane Springer. Groundwood Books 1998. This balanced photo essay looks at the hazardous work children do in developing and industrialized countries. Ages 9-12
Stolen Dreams: Portraits of Working Children by David L. Parker. Lerner, 1997. Photographs and essays tell the stories of young rug weavers, prostitutes, and migrant workers in Bangladesh, Thailand, Pakistan, the United States. Young Adult
Free the Children: A Young Man's Personal Crusade Against Child Labor by Craig Kielburger. HarperCollins, 1999. This book is a call to those who want to end abusive child labor and poverty. The author has gone on to develop Free The Children, a powerful organization in support of kids’ rights. Young Adult
The Kids Guide to Social Action: How to Solve the Social Problems You Choose And Turn Creative Thinking Into Positive Action by Barbara Lewis, Pamela Espeland, and Caryn Pernu. Free Spirit Publishing, 1998. Young Adult
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Issues and Activities
The activities selected here are intended to help encourage problem-solving skills on the part of readers as they examine complex social issues that are raised in The Carpet Boy's Gift. We hope adults will be able to help place this particular story in a larger cultural and historical context.
Learning to be Part of the Solution! It's important to give children hope that they can help to make the world a better place.
Making a Difference: Create a display which celebrates the lives of hero's who have dedicated themselves to making life better for others.
Why do this activity: As children investigate stories of others who have made discoveries and sacrifices, they learn that they too can make a difference in the world, as Iqbal Masih did.
International Aid: Build a class directory with information in it about the different programs of charitable organizations to help children and families in developing countries.
Why do this activity: Since not everyone can be a hero, this activity will show some alternative approaches to making the world a better place. This activity will result in better understanding of groups that make a contribution to their community.
Education: a Universal Right of Children? Conversations about basic human rights as well as rights of children need not be distant or abstract.
The Carpet Boy's Gift: Write and produce a play which envisions Nadeem and Amina's future where they attend school. Encourage the children to write the dialog, and develop dramatic scenes.
Why do this activity: Challenging children to visualize the school experiences of students in other parts of the world will help build greater awareness about the value of education for all children.
Schools Rule: Travel the Internet to learn about different schools around the globe.
Why do this activity: Schools vary greatly from country to country and continent to continent. Children will benefit from learning about the ways that schools are alike and different especially in the resources and rules they have. Older children may want to reflect on whether all "educations" are equal and what they think the value of education is for them.
Exploring the Rights of Children: Brainstorm a list of "rights of child" then compare with the U.N.'s own declaration on the Rights of the Child.
Why do this activity: Children have strong ideas about how they think they should be treated, and this is a valuable conversation to have in today's world where there are many differences of opinion.
Introduce students to what it means to work with and without wages. Explain that The Carpet Boy's Gift depicts the realities of oppressive child labor. Ask readers to discuss what types of work are acceptable and unacceptable for children. Discuss the idea of a living wage.
Why do this activity: To help children begin to understand that work can give people a sense of dignity, or it can deny that sense and make people feel demeaned.
Want more info? http://www.behindthelabel.org (Look for the photo gallery of children working in sweatshops over time.)
Re-inventing Labor Day: Plan a class celebration to honor the different chores that members of the class do in their homes, and that honors the different types of work that parents do in and outside the home.
Why do this activity: Children in our society generally know very little about adult work. This activity will build awareness and decrease the sense of isolation and separation between the worlds of the child and the adult.
Looking Back at Child Labor in the U.S. Research the impact of early photographers such as Walker Evans and Louis Hines on the movement to end child labor in the U.S.
Why do this activity: This activity will build historical awareness about and help children see that social change is possible.
Middle East Cultures: Traditions & Transition:
Exploring the traditional arts: Build a gallery and display student watercolors of rug designs. Assign children to research the history of different rug designs used in the Middle East.
Why do this activity: The rich history and beautiful work of these rugs has made them treasured for hundreds of years. Learning more about the designs and manufacturing techniques of rugs and the influence of Western buying habits will provide a lesson in "market economy."
Food Rituals: Discover Middle Eastern foods that are now served frequently in the West.
Why do this activity: Children will enjoy sharing their favorites with classmates and be inspired to try new foods as they celebrate being together
What to Wear? Finding Faces Behind Fashions, Blowing the Corporate Cover
Old-Fashioned Clothes: Design or purchase simple sewing patterns and have children work together to sew one or more clothing items of their choice.
Why do this activity: Sewing will help children develop an appreciation for the hard work and skill involved in being a tailor.
Made in the USA? Map the sources of clothes you wear.
Why do this activity: Survey the clothing labels to find where clothing is manufactured. Locate the major assembly places on a map. Compare the pros and cons of buying clothes made in places where the labor practices are questionable. This information may help children become thoughtful consumers.
The Ecology of Fashion: Create a series of fashion system collages.
Why do this activity: Develop several models that illustrate what's involved in the production and delivery of popular clothes to consumers. The activity will help children see the faces behind the trends so they can look at the big picture of popular fashions.
Visit a Local Resale Store: Organize a field trip to a local business.
Why do this activity: This field trip will provide children with the opportunities to learn about how clothing can be recycled, and who benefits from doing so.
Leadership comes easily for Nadeem, the biggest and oldest boy in a rug factory in Pakistan. But how can he lead the other child laborers to freedom after he’s been shamed and beaten for his first attempt? Nadeem and his fellow workers are bonded laborers, children who work day and night to pay off loans their families have accepted from a factory owner. While Nadeem and his cousin Amina take pride in helping their poor families, they feel trapped. They yearn to go to school and to have time to play. One day a former carpet boy named Iqbal Masih leads a parade in the village. New laws have abolished bonded labor! Iqbal urges Nadeem to fight for freedom and to lead the children to a new school in town. Can Nadeem summon the courage to try again? This fictional story honors the legacy of Iqbal Masih, a real boy who had escaped from a factory. Protected and educated, he worked to liberate child workers like Nadeem by the thousands. His work won him the Reebok Youth in Action award and special recognition at the International Labor Conference. When he returned to Pakistan after his trip, he was fatally shot while riding his bicycle. He was only twelve, but he had already made a difference in children’s lives all over the world. 
