SDG 8 · Decent Work and Economic Growth

138 million children are still in child labour.

Eco Heroes turns that fact into a story an 8-year-old can hold onto: His Mother's Gaze, book 8 of 17 in the SDG Library.

Unlock all 17 books, first month free → Read SDG 1 free

The target, in plain language

What the UN actually promised

Target 8.7

…and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.

These are the last words of a longer target. The 2025 deadline has now passed and it was missed, even though 20 million fewer children are working than in 2020.

Target 8.5 aims for decent work for all women and men, including young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.

Why it matters

The number behind the story

138M

children remain in child labour Almost 8 per cent of all children worldwide, doing work that takes time, safety or school away from childhood.

Source: The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026, UN DESA. Figures as published in July 2026.

The story

His Mother's Gaze

Written by Ricardo Alcántara (Premio Lazarillo) · Illustrated by Jordi Vila Delclòs

Book 8 of 17 in the Eco Heroes SDG Library, one illustrated story for each UN Sustainable Development Goal. Unlocked with any Eco Heroes plan (families from €79 a year), and every plan starts with a free month. Published in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Catalan.

Bring it into the room

Talk about it, try it

Discuss

One question to ask after reading

“What makes a job a ‘good’ job? Is it the money, the safety, the respect, or something else?”

Try it: 15 minutes

Interview a grown-up

Spend ten minutes interviewing an adult you know about their first job: how old they were, what they earned, what was hard. Share one surprise with the group.

Seventeen goals, seventeen stories

Every SDG gets its own illustrated book, its own facts and its own activities. SDG 1 is always free. The rest unlock with a family, school or hotel plan.

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