The small fingers of child slaves tie knots on carpet looms in India, Nepal and Pakistan, making rugs that are sold in the US for hundreds of dollars and may even find their way into your living room. Loom masters enslave children because they believe that their "nimble finges" are well suited for intricate weaving work. In India's carpet industry alone, an estimated 270,000 children are held as bonded laborers.
The children are lured or kidnapped, but parents might also pledge their childrens' labor as repayment for a loan. The childen work at the looms for as many as 18 hours a day in order to erase their parents' debt. Exorbitant fees for interest, room, board, tools, and mistakes quickly pile up, effectively preventing the children from ever paying off the debt. Underfed and overworked, many develop lung disease, physical deformities, and blurred vision.
The majority of carpets produced in India, Pakistan and Nepal are eventually sold in the West. In recent years, the US has imported roughly $200 million in hand-woven carpets from these countries. But organizations like Rugmark certify that carpets are slave-labor free. So next time you find yourself shopping for a carpet, shop smart and look for the Rugmark label.