Fair Play
Ten years ago, about 17,000 children were sewing footballs in Pakistan. Many of them worked at home. They had to work because their families were poor and their parents didn’t get paid enough money.
A lot of adults wanted to change this and so they convinced the big sports companies - like Addidas, Nike or Puma - not to buy footballs made by children under 14 years old. To stop people sewing balls at home, sewing centres were built. Children are not allowed to work in sewing centres.
One year later, in 1997, many companies signed an agreement to say that they would only buy footballs made by adults. Now, sports companies have to buy balls from the sewing centres, where children are not allowed to work. The good result: there are no children working in the sewing centres today!
So the question is: what are the children who used to sew footballs doing now? Don’t they have to work any longer? Do they go to school now? Yes, more children go to school now.
Unfortunately, many families are still poor because they don’t get paid a fair wage for the footballs they sew. Their children still have to work so that the family can survive. They aren’t allowed to sew balls any more so they help make carpets and bricks.
In Fair Trade workshops people sewing footballs get 10 rupees – this is about 13 pence – more than the other people. That makes a big difference for the families.
Imagine, if the grown-ups got a fair wage for nearly all of the balls they sew, they could buy everything the family needs to survive.
Like Musin’s family.
Do you want to know where to buy Fair Trade balls in your town? Click here.
