Instead of starting seventh grade, this 12-year-old is working in Mexico's fields
by Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times
Aug 30, 2020
4 minutes
ZOMAJAPA, Mexico - This month Bryan Metzhua was supposed to begin seventh grade.
Instead, he woke up each day at sunrise, pulled on a pair of ripped jeans and work boots, and began the steep hike toward his father's field.
The soft-spoken 12-year-old passed his days bent toward the earth whacking weeds with a machete, stopping only to wipe sweat from his brow.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of children across the world, but it has especially hit those living in poor communities.
With so many families struggling economically, children have become a crucial source of labor, raising the specter that even when
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