INDUS CHILD LABOUR PROJECT

Background:
            With the joint venture of ILO (International Labour Organisation) and Government of India  (Ministry of Labour), a programme on elimination of child labour is being implemented in the Mumbai Suburban District. Under this programme, 5 districts of Maharashtra are selected:

      1.      Aurangabad
2.      Jalna
3.      Amravati
4.      Gondia
5.      Mumbai Suburban District 

This is a time bound programme of 2 years for elimination of child labour. Under this project an institute – Balkamgar Punarvasan Prakalp Sanstha – is formed under the Socities Registration Act, 1860, under the chairmanship of the District Collector. All heads of the other departments specially Labour department, Education department, Social Welfare department and Trade Unions are members of the above mentioned society.
            Under this project, there are 40 special schools, called, TRANSITIONAL EDUCATION CENTRES, comprising 50 children each are enrolled and already started in the M (East) / M (West)  Municipal wards of Chembur of Mumbai Suburban District. The objectives of this Project are as follows: 

  1. 1000 children from 5-8 age-group are to mainstreamed into formal schools.
  2. 2000 children from 9-13 age-group are to be enrolled in the transitional education centres which are started in the Project in the target area.
  3. 1000 children from 14-17 age-group are to be provided vocational training according the trades as per market survey.
  4. 500 families of the child labour children are to be formed into Selp-Help groups in order for income generation purposes and dissuade child labour.

PROJECT COMPONENTS

  1. Identification of children working in hazardous industries.
  2. Withdrawal and provision of Transitional Education Centres.
  3. Vocational Education Centres for adolescents.
  4. Income Generation Alternatives for families of child labour.
  5. Strengthening public education.
  6. Monitoring and tracking
  7. Social Mobilisation
  8. Training and Capacity Building
  9. Raising interest towards action on hazardous child labour in the other states.
  10. Knowledge Management.

Status:

Under this project, 40 Transitional Education Centres are established and out of 40, 36 are functioning. In 36 Transitional Education Centres about 1625 children are learning in different TEC’s managed by 8 NGO’s. There are about 80 teachers are appointed and 20 community workers are appointed for supervision and effective working of the Project activities.