Dear Nike Sourcing Director Ms. Thuy Vu,

The company you work for has allowed the use of child labor in Vietnam to make your products less expensive to manufacture. You are letting children's lives slip through your fingers, those who could be the next great inventor or the person who discovers extraterrestrial life on Mars. Many of the children live in poor conditions and have little to eat or drink. They are forced to work long hours in dangerous factories where they could be severely injured or even killed. Imagine if you, your child, or a sibling was working in these conditions. You would want to do everything you could to help them and ensure they are safe. That is why we need you to help enforce the rules and laws that have been established.

According to the film “Behind the Swoosh”, your child workers make barely livable wages, 1.25 U.S. dollars a day. The average minimum wage in the United States is 7.25 U.S. dollars an hour. That means the average minimum wage in the U.S. is roughly six times the amount of the daily wage for the children in Vietnam. Not only do they earn barely any money, they often live near sewers and share the same utilities, such as toilets, water, and food with other families. Living in these conditions can cause illnesses such as Cholera, this disease can transfer through the food and water contaminated by the infected person. Since these children barely have enough money for the bare minimum of food, water, and shelter, they cannot afford health care, leading to children of any age to get sick and die. These children could be your nieces, nephews, brothers, or sisters.

Children in Vietnam are suffering, they are trying to keep their heads above water, as not to drown, fighting against waves and currents. The waves in this situation are the safety violations in factories and the currents are poverty and lack of education. In order to stop the use of inhumane child labor, Nike should employ someone who’ll oversee that all the regulations such as pay, age, and safety will be met.

If Nike has someone who oversees the labor and enforces regulations, then it will eliminate many of the problems with child labor in Vietnam. They would be able to stop underage children from working in hazardous conditions. Nike should also be stricter on checking to make sure that the children meet the requirements and are not working over the maximum hours. If this solution is put in place, it will greatly benefit the children and their lives, allowing them to be safer and have an overall better life.

Nike is robbing children of their education, childhood, and future lives. If Nike is held responsible for their actions, it should influence them to make a change. We must end child labor one business at a time, so please, Nike, give children back their lives and end child labor. You have a choice to help children who are suffering and in need.