Cast in Mud: Child Laborers
of Cairo

Finlay: The boy's job is to stir up the mud and water in the pit. This is a technique that's been used for more than 2,000 years. Children stand up to their knees and thighs in the mud hole and stomp around to mix it up. Then they haul out the mixture and make bricks with it. One of the factory owners is on the left, gesturing at the boy with a cigarette in his hand.

For children who earn up to 20 percent of the family income, school can seem like an extravagant and impossible option.

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