Iqbal Masih
Another great trait of the teen activists is persistence. One teen activist that shows us that is Iqbal Masih. He was a Pakistani boy who fought for the rights of children who had to suffer child labor. This was one of his quotes: “Children should have pens in their hands, not tools.” According to UNICEF, it is an estimated 150 million kids engaged in child labor. That is a lot of kids. Iqbal himself was a child laborer, but he escaped and went on to spread the message of no child labor. He persisted all through his life and he made his point clear. So clear in fact, that he got assassinated on April 16, 1995. According to Moral Heroes, he was shot in the back by a 12 gauge shotgun. The police say that it was a accidental shooting by the farmer, but many people think that this was the work of an agent who worked for the Carpet Manufacturer Mafia. That was the company he labored for. Even though he was shot, he inspired people to keep on taking action. His entire life, he just persisted. Even though he knew he was in danger, he returned to Pakistan to finish what he started. This is what he said when he was asked why he was going back: “I need to finish what I started”. He went on to carry out his goals even when he was in danger. That is true persistency.