In countries like Laos, Thailand, the Philippines or Vietnam, hundreds of thousands of children aged between 6 and 15 years old are forced to work while also attending school.

The photo exhibition Le cartable ou la rue (A Satchel or the Street) organised by the non-profit organisation Enfants du Mékong and held in one of the hothouses at the André-Citroën Park not too far from our hotels, puts a face to some of these kids torn between the work they are forced to do to escape poverty and the promise of a better life made a possibility by going to school.

The exhibition presents 22 diptychs of children photographed by Christophe Keip, with the child working in tough conditions on the left side, and smiling and happy at school on the right.

Each diptych is accompanied by a text written by the child and spoken by a professional actor so you can learn their story. The exhibition also explains child labour around the world through a series of panels.

Entrance is free, and the event is organised by Enfants du Mékong, a charity founded in 1958.

The charity allows you to sponsor a child for around 30€ per month. You can also help by buying the 176-page exhibition catalogue for 15€ here online, while a PDF version is free to download if you give your name and email address on this page.

And if you’d like to attend the public opening party for the exhibition at 6.30pm on the 20th May (strangely, the middle of its run), click here.

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The exhibition Le cartable ou la rue is in the hothouses of the André-Citroën Park (here) from 14th-27th May 2025

Open every day form 10.30am-6.30pm

Free!

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