Los Angeles Times

Instead of starting seventh grade, this 12-year-old is working in Mexico's fields

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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