Farm work threatens Egyptian boy’s dream of becoming an engineer

CAIRO (ILO News) – Islam wakes up before sunrise in rural Egypt and bends over the soil with a shovel in hand. At the age of 14, he earns 50 Egyptian pounds a day (US$1), supplementing his father's daily wage of 200 pounds (US$4).

Exhausted from tilling fields, Islam still attends school despite the strain of physical labour. "I wake up in the morning to help my father on the land," he says. "I do my best to focus on my studies so that I can join the engineering college and achieve my dream.”

Of the 138 million children in child labour worldwide, 83.4 million work in the agriculture sector, which accounts for the largest share of child labour. Islam is one of the millions working in the sector.

Strain on studies and dreams

"I work and get tired, and it surely affects my studying because I go to school very exhausted. My family will be proud of me. I will complete my education to the end," Islam says.

His father acknowledges the pressures the family faces. "I do all I can, but circumstances force me to work with my son to help with the family income," he explains.

Islam's story has been documented in a short film commissioned by the International Labour Organization (ILO) ahead of the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, to be held from 11 to 13 February 2026 in Marrakech, Morocco.

© Mohamed Khirala

© Mohamed Khirala

Egypt advances against child labour

There are 1.3 million children in child labour in Egypt, equivalent to 4.9 per cent of all children in the country. Children in rural areas are twice as likely to be in labour as those living in urban centres. Globally, 61 per cent of all children in labour are in the agricultural sector, according to the ILO-UNICEF 2024 Global Estimates of Child Labour report.

The ILO is committed to ensuring that children are in school and not in labour, and it is working in partnership with the Government of Egypt to strengthen social protection, support family livelihoods, and raise awareness of child labour laws, so that children can stay in school while adults access decent and sustainable work.

Egypt is advancing efforts to eradicate child labour through its National Action Plan for Combating the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Egypt and Supporting Family (2018-2025). The year 2025 was a key milestone for reviewing progress and shaping the next phase. Egypt is currently drafting the second generation of the National Action Plan (2026–2030) to continue its fight against child labour.

Voices of Action: documenting the reality of rural labour

Islam’s story is captured in Islam’s dream: From agricultural labour to an engineering future, a short film commissioned by the ILO as part of its Voices of Action global series. The series features work by journalists producing impactful stories on child labour from around the world and was released ahead of the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, to be held from 11 to 13 February 2026 in Marrakech, Morocco.

The film was directed by journalist Mohamed Khirala and published on the Al-Ahram Gate website.

"Islam's resolve amid exhaustion underscores the hidden toll of agricultural work. These stories propel us towards Marrakech's urgent commitments," explains Khirala. The upcoming child labour conference in Morocco will focus on agriculture as a priority sector requiring dedicated action, including sectoral compacts that integrate prevention and remediation into agrifood systems and value chains. Key preventative measures that will be discussed in Morocco include universal education and social protection, decent work and living wages for adults.

Through commitment-tracking mechanisms and targeted interventions in rural economies, the conference aims to translate this regional momentum into measurable progress aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 deadline.