News
- “Bolivia is not doing enough to protect girls against sexual violence"
- New projects against child exploitation in Ehiopia
- Government promises action against Dutch pedophiles in foreign countries
- Bangladeshi projects make headlines in Dutch newspapers
- Foundation stone for new vocational training institute in Bangladesh
- Project Partner Koinonia helps flood victims return to school
- Terre des Hommes hospital ship no longer needed
- Flood relief in Sri lanka
- Terre des Hommes draws the attention of the United Nations to the human rights of trafficked children
- The Hague Global Child Labour Conference
- For a reinforcement of children’s rights
Working children
13 year old Nandini, seen in the picture above, never went to school. She works as a weaver to supplement her family's income. Thanks to local project partner Society for Human Education (SHE) Nandini attends non formal education classes for out-of-school children. Non formal education provides working children the opportunity to study at a convenient place, pace and time. Nandini is studying for her 10th standard diploma.
Quarry Children’s Development Programme
Project code
: IN-126A
Project period:
01/10/2010 to 30/09/2013
| Programme | Exploitation | Funds needed | €0.00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country | India | People supported directly | 4106 |
| Project location | Bangalore | People supported indirectly | 1584 |
Around Bangalore (Southern India) there are over 200 quarries. Approximately 400,000 workers work 12 hour days, 6-7 days per week. Most of these workers live in rural slums and with an average income of around Euro 1.35 per day cannot afford to send their children to school. The workers live in impoverished settlements built next to the quarries. They live with their families in thatched leaved huts with no access to electricity, running water and other sanitation facilities. Their children are left to fend for themselves, there is no education for these children and they ultimately end up breaking stones from dawn to dusk.
The quarry workers are paid a very low salary, and very often half of it is taken out to repay loans to the quarry owner. They find themselves into the trap of lending money from the quarry owners against high interest, they are usually not able to repay the interest, let alone the loan. Working in the quarries and living close by causes several occupation related diseases. Many of the residents are suffering from respiratory problems and silicosis, a direct outcome of the nature of their work. One of the most common diseases that many of the quarry workers, both men and women, suffer from is tuberculosis. Many women and children are anaemic and malnourished. Care during pregnancy, and neonatal care are unknown to them. They avoid going to doctors for the fear of medical expenses involved.
In this project QWARIDS deploys various activities to empower the quarry workers and improve the standard of education and health care. QWARIDS runs early learning centres for children vulnerable to child labour, supplementary tuition centres to avoid school dropout and non-formal education centres for working children with the aim to admit them to mainstream education. The project health workers monitor the health status of women and children. To improve the social-economic status of families women are organised in self help groups through which they can access training for income generation. The self help groups are supported in accessing government resources such water supply, sanitation development schemes as well as bank loans to start small businesses.
Partners for this project
Quarry Workers and Rural Integrated Development Society (QWARIDS)