Let’s join our hands

Among adults the term “child labour” conjures up a particular image: children chained to looms in dark mills and sweatshops, as if in a long nightmarish line running from Lancashire in the 1830s right through to the South Asia of today.

In reality, children do a variety of work in widely divergent conditions. This work takes place along a continuum, from work that is beneficial, promoting or enhancing a child’s development without interfering with schooling, recreation and rest to work that is simply destructive or exploitative. There are vast areas of activity between these two poles.

It is at the most destructive end, where children are used as prostitutes or virtual slaves to repay debts incurred by their parents or grandparents or as workers in particularly hazardous conditions, that efforts are focused to stop such abuse.

Vital statistics

1. Some 250 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 work either full time or part time.

2. Almost half, some 120 million work full-time, every day, all year round.

3. Some 61 per cent of them live in Asia, 32 per cent in Africa and 7 per cent in Latin America.

4. 70 per cent of them work in agriculture.

5. 70 per cent work in a dangerous environment.

6. Of the 250 million children concerned, some 50 million to 60 million are between 5 and 11 years and work, by definition, in hazardous circumstances, considering their age and vulnerability.

7. Child labour is also common in developed countries. For example, in the United States, more than 230,000 children work in agriculture and 13,000 in sweatshops.

Take action (Do as many as u can. It’s in ur hands)

1. Education is the right solution. People who are educated and have heart, spend your time and make them aware of the value of education.

2. Adult is easily tempted to use child labor. Make them overcome this.

3. Introduce action programmes to remove and prevent the worst forms of child labour.

4. Provide direct assistance for the rehabilitation of children and their social integration.

5. Ensure access to free education.

6. Identify children at special risk.

7. Take account of girls and their special situation.

Say no to child labour....

World day Againest Child Labour June 12, 2010

June 12 – Today the world is going to observe Anti-Child Labour Day, but for thousands of children here, the day has no meaning at all. These children would be toiling throughout the day in various business establishments and some would also be engaged in hazardous jobs. Deprived of childhood, sitting in a class is
still a distant dream for them.

Slumdogs of India.
Do you know that India has the largest number of child labourers under the age of 14 in the world? An estimated 12.6 million children are engaged in hazardous occupations.

*Child labour is not working.

Children are not a short-term resource for immediate economic relief or source of income and their education

is an investment in their country's and famaly's future

Stop it.

What can we do... If I come across Child Labour... I can...

If you come across Child Labour... You can....

Take some steps »

1. As per the law, having a child under 14 work in the domestic labour sector, hotel industry and in any kind of hazardous factory or industrial work, is illegal and employers are liable to be jailed/fined for committing this 

offence. The child may be taken to a home of some kind and kept there till a guarantee (and Rs 3000) is given to ensure that the child will not go back to work.

2. In the case of domestic labour, or working at a construction site etc, one needs to find out from the mother/father if this is a temporary arrangement 

(eg. if the child is on vacation and there is no safe place to leave her/him so s/he brings the child to work) or if s/he is against sending the child to school (if so, why), or if sh/e wants the child to work (if so, why)

3. If the arrangement is temporary, it is best to ensure that the child does not work in the homes or sites where he accompanies the parent and that the child is safe and secure, since obviously that is the primary concern.

4. If the child and the adult are both reluctant to go to school, you may need to coax, share information, accompany the parent and child to the local school and help get the child enrolled. Do share with the parent the many benefits that children get when they go to school - mid day meal, free books etc

5. If the parent wants the child to work for economic reasons it is imperative that you share that this is an illegal practice and also share the way the Child Labour task force works. It may help to ensure that the adult in the family has some employment.

• You can meet 

Concerned authorities regularly to impact rehabilitation measures for child labour.

The departments linked to the issue of Child Labour and Rehabilitation of Child Labour are:

Department of Education

Department of Health

Women and Child Welfare Department

Labour Department

The Corporator, Ward Officer, Mayor and local MLA and MP are also officials you can interact with to find out the government's plans with regard to Child Labour and the rehabilitation of children who are currently Child Labour.

To know more about the role of the government vis Child Labour you can visit 

http://labour.nic.in/cwl/ChildLabour.htm

 • You can research 

And study schemes and issues connected to the issue of Child Labour. 

Read and Understand Schemes that enable children and their families to access their Rights. 

To begin with here are four schemes that directly impact children’s right to education, health, and against exploitation:

1. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

2. Mid Day Meal

3. Integrated Child Development Scheme

4. Child Labour – Regulation and Prevention- Act

Do share your learnings and perceptions with us! 

• You can interact with families of child labourers to know their problems, inform them about various schemes implemented by government for the privileged and persuade them to send their children to school.

Format/guidelines for Case Study

1. Personal Details

Name:

Age/ Date of Birth:

Education:

Occupation:

2. Family Background

How long has the family lived here?

Have they migrated from elsewhere? If so, why and from where?

3. Present situation

- Issues/problems - Primary

- Secondary

4. Reasons for the problems 

(put down your own perceptions as well as those of the person you are speaking with)

5. How are the government/ respective authorities tackling the issue? 

- Who are involved: directly –indirectly (stakeholder analysis) 

- Different mechanisms

We're Back

I have a taste for photography....i take pics wherever i go...A day back i was lookin @ my collections when i came across this pic....

it brought back all the memories which i had with this organization.the very first day when i entered a class and children wished us 'Good morning anna',the happiness on their faces when our Prez or our HR made them play games....the silly issues children used to bring out...the cheer on every kid's face when he/she won a prize in the competitions we conducted...n lot more beautiful moments which would stay with me for life...But due to my so called education or some other T/Coffee issues,I was not able to involve myself in the organization's activities.

I attended some 9-10 sessions in all,but the satisfaction it gave me every time i came out of my class waving the students was immense..had i given much more time it would have been better.

Apart from occasional calls from my Prez i missed all this joy...

the previous year was good...Let us make this year better...let us hope that there will be no more hiccups in our action plans.Hope i give my best to the organization along with my counterparts.

-A Volunteer

I missed SAHAYA in hoildays like this..

"If we taste the sourness of separation, then only we can enjoy the sweetness of unification."
  
    All these days I not only missed the students, but also missed the core team members who take right decisions  up front in critical situations, I like their decision making ability, their smart work and many more..I missed many more .The eager looking students, their doubts (good & some silly too).I also missed the enjoying sessions of telling stories to them.

     We are happy that our students are delivering the thing in their exams by practicing & keeping the points in their mind which we said them in the last sessions .we were glad to know that tips for exams, the map pointing classes were very helpful to them.

     Recently the SSC results are up and we are very happy to know that our students backed good marks I made many volunteers as my friends and missed them too I am happy that I will be meeting them as soon as the sessions of SAHAYA start

      After a couple of days of my exams its my birthday and I was surprised to receive a phone call from the PRESIDENT of SAHAYA himself. He wished me and arranged a meeting in the evening and a surprise party too. In that session I came to know about the internal work that has been done. I was very glad to all that changes and improvisations.

     Now I am eagerly waiting to execute them and after all ultimately desire to excel the life of the students and we will strive for it all the time.

Something to think about

Only thing that a human heart can sing,

Is the joy that the children bring.

Their bed must be a sailing ship, but not a broken boat.

They must be bright stars in the dark clouds.

Cruel words to them are the scars on their innocent hearts,

For, to jump, giggle and smile are their properties.

Let them come into the nation forward.

Let their voices in a group be heard.

I wish to see those little hands write and draw,

I wish to see their twinkling eyes carry hope for tomorrow.

To make them so, give your might.

It wasn't the reward that mattered or the recognition you might harvest. It was your depth of commitment, your quality of service, the product of your devotion -- these were the things that counted in life. Energize yourself and give your best purely and completely.

-Nabeena SK