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This is a disturbing yet all too familiar sight of child labour
that one can see in almost all the cities in India. It is no
different in Bangalore. At an age when young hands should be
holding crayons, their young fingers, blackened with the grease
of motor lubricants, are wielding tools in garages. Instead of
flipping the pages of story books and text books, young hands
are working as rag and waste paper pickers on busy roads.
With the mission to eradicate child labour, the Government of
India launched the nation wide National Child Labour Programme
in 2001. Vidynikethan counselled the parents about the
repercussions of child labour on the future of their children
and encouraged them to reinstate them in school. This programme
was implemented in Avalahally, a sub-urban area of Bangalore
South, with the financial support of Department of Labour
through the Child Labour Society. More than 35 young children
(boys and girls), mostly from the minority community, were
rescued from their respective work units, and given addmission
in schools. While many of the rescued children were school drop
outs with limited literacy skills, there were several others who
had never entered classrooms.
As there had been a gap in their schooling, the children were
coached in different subjects so that they could once again
become familiar with the process of studying and refresh the
basic concepts. These children were subsequently mainstreamed in
the Government schools of the area. Although the project is not
being implemented by Vidyanikethan, the eight years of intensive
implementation of the Child Labour School transformed the lives
of 30 children. Many volunteers from Accenture, a reputed IT
company, interacted with the children to enhance their exposures
through learning journeys and provide opportunities for
entertainment through recreational activities.
These children were taken regularly to the health camps
organized under the Rural Poor Development Programme for general
check ups. This included testing of sight, weight, and ENT check
ups. Many of the ex-child labourers are now studying in schools,
and having put their past behind them. |
