YOUNG NICARAGUAN BOY PLAYS AMONGST ROOF TILES IN LA PAZ CENTRO, 2003-10-02 (photo)

Abdul Jose Osorio, 3, plays amongst roofing tiles drying in the sun while his older brothers (unseen) work at a brick and roofing works in La Paz Centro, 62 km (about 40 miles) west of Managua October 2, 2003. Abdul's whole family works at the brick works for a total equivalent of US$ 7.50 a day. An estimated 314,000 Nicaraguan children between the ages of 5 and 17 have worked at some stage in their lives according to a report by the Nicaraguan Ministry of Employment. According to the same report, 59% of those children were never paid for their work. Pictures of the Month October 2003 REUTERS/Oswaldo Rivas PP03100039 AW/AS