San Francisco, CA, Nov. 11--Sweat shops aren't just rampant in the clothing industry. Some of the world's finest rugs are made by child slaves, but there is one label that doesn't use any forced labor at all, according to KRON4.com.
An Emmy award-winning HBO documentary exposed the cruelties of child slavery and carpet making. Millions of children have been kidnapped and forced into this work--it's become such a problem the Nepalese and Indian governments started Rugmark 10 years ago.
"It's the best assurance that there is no child labor involved and the label says Rugmark and it has a unique number on it... and all the people who worked on that rug--you can find out who wove the rug," Stephanie Odegard of Odegard Rare & Original Carpets says.
All of the children who work for Rugmark-approved carpet makers have to go to school, work reasonable hours and get paid for their labor.
Stephanie Odegard, the United States' largest importer of Rugmark carpets, recently visited San Francisco's Alexander's Decorative Rugs, one of the retailers she works with. Odegard says Rugmark is about to celebrate its ten year anniversary, yet so many people don't know about the carpet industry's dirty little secret.
"Someone told me the other day, 'what you are doing is just a drop in the ocean.' It might be a drop in the ocean, but at least it's a drop... we have to start somewhere," Odegard says.
Rugmark has about 1,200 students in its programs so far, but there is an estimated 20 million child slaves making carpets.
"People have to ask for it and beware of the problem," Odengard says. "The consumer awareness will encourage the industry to join."
