There have always been a necessity for children to work throughout history. Every parent sees the need for children to help with washing up etc. as a learning experience. Kids stayed at home from school to help with the harvest, kids sold newspapers to help the family finances in many western countries until recently. This was common and only stopped when society recognised that these things should be stopped. Same as slavery and other social evils. These kids are doing this work because it is economically advantageous to someone to allow it. When society recognises that this is unnacceptable and puts into place a system which does away with the neccessity for such jobs, this will end. It is ludicrous for children to be working in countries with huge unemployed/underemployed people. It is great that the impetus for this change is coming from people in the West who are prepared, by buying fair trade products, to help change the system. However in the countries involved only education and the development of a socially concious state will result in real change! People, care about your neighbour and this will be a thing of the past!