Meet Jennifer Garay, 16, of Paraguay

	Jennifer Garay

Jennifer has worked for a living since she was 8 years old. She first sold small meat pies called empanadas on the streets. She worked as a domestic worker, cleaning houses for two years. Now she works in a restaurant. She came to the UN special session to advocate for the rights of child workers.

"We are struggling for work," she said. "Work allows us to survive to grow to have our rights. It's through work that we can have education or health. These things cost money. Government does not provide for us. We struggle to have good work, to have rights, to have dignity."

She wants the government in Paraguay to provide workshops for children so that they will learn their rights and cannot be exploited. She says they should be paid fair wages, and given an opportunity to go to school.

"The government must guarantee good quality education and basic services of children," she said. "We must work to end poverty. Poverty is the main cause of child labor."

Photo: Suzanne Freeman