Presented bySanjeev Rai

Save the Children India

Between Power and Poverty : Story of Children in Brick kilns

An overview of Brick Kilns in India

India’s brick kiln industry is the second largest in world after China. It has more than 1,00,000 operating units producing about 140 billion bricks annually

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An Overview of Brick Kilns in IndiaThe Gangetic plains of North India accounts for 65 % of the total brick production. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal are major brick producing states in this region

Brick making is a traditional, unorganized industry confined to rural and peri-urban areas

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Children Engaged in Brick Kilns

•Over 12 million children in India work in hazardous labour- the largest number of child labourers under 14 years

•About 8.57 lakh children are presently engaged in child labour in West Bengal alone (according to State Plan of Action)

•The top three industries in which children are employed are agriculture, brick making and domestic work.

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Emerging Trend Around Kolkata, West Bengal

Rajarhaat, near Kolkata, is Bengal’s IT hub and hotspot for real estate investment

Rajarhat has become hotbed of real estate investment with companies like DLF, Keepel Land, Unitech, Singapore-based Ascendas, Vedic Reality establishing operating units

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Result- Increased Demand for Bricks Increased Child Labour in Hazardous Sector

1,60,000 migrant children in West Bengal’s Brick kilns

Every year thousands of children, invisible and unheard arrive into approx 4000 brick kilns situated across West Bengal

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Vulnerable children are at Risk

•Children are trafficked from extremely poor rural areas

•Some children are taken away forcefully from states such as Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal (source areas) or organized syndicate of traffickers who tell their families they are taking them to a better life in the city

•Migrant families are often forced to take their children with them to work so they don’t end up living alone

•Contactors/ Labour Suppliers pay some money in advance to the labour families for next year’s contract

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Concerns

Brick Kilns are least regulated by law as this industry falls into non- formal sector

Not many NGOs/ INGOs are involved advocating for rights of these child labourers who remain quite invisible to society

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Exploitation Cycle

•All the children who end up working in brick kilns , suffer terribly

•Suffer from poor health, live and work in terrible conditions and are exposed to abuse, harm and exploitation

•No access to Education which is fundamental right for 6-14 years age group

•These children move from brick kiln to brick kiln feeling permanently isolated and without any hope of a better future

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Child Labor- Cheap and Easy to Hire and Fire

•Child labour is cheap, easily available

•Paid less as they come with their parents and assist parents

•Most of the skills are learnt on the job by children

•Children are not unionized, do not have a voice

• Easy to hire and fire, regulated least by labour legislation.

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Save the Children Approach Below 6 years of children : Early Childhood Care and Education

6 to 14 years: Compulsory withdrawal from work and mainstreaming in formal schools

14 to 18 years: Gradual withdrawal form work through vocational skills building

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Strategy Child Rights Programming Direct Intervention: Bridge Course Centre, Creche, mainstreaming with formal schools and anganwadi centre

Community Capacity Building: Sensitize community; parents, teachers, Panchayat members , brick kiln owners and government officials on child rights and protection

Networking and alliance building: Advocating with duty bearers and NGOs /INGOs on implementation of child rights

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Pillar 1

Pillar 2

Pillar 3

Save the Children’s Intervention in Brick Kilns

• 70 Day long Child Care Centers/Learning facilitation Centers established

•Volunteers appointed along with ‘community mothers’ to provide early childhood care and education

•Volunteers take care of learning and linking children with schools/Aganwadis centres in the neighborhood villages

•Community Mother take care of younger children while their mothers are working to avoid risk of burning/falling

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Achievement

•Excellent relationship has been established with brick kiln owners, government authorities and local authorities

• A total of 4555 children 3 to 5 years have been mainstreamed with anganwadi centre in last five years

• 7248 children 6 to 14 years have been mainstreamed with government schools

•Currently 4000 children are being facilitated

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Children in Action

Volunteers facilitate early childhood care

and education to children below 6

years by engaging them with range of

activities

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Achievements•3 Aganwadi Centres have been established by the government in Brick Kilns

•Immunization, helath check ups and nutritional support have been ensured through Aganwadi Centers in these 70 centres

•Safe Drinking Water and Hygienic Environment for Children

•Networking with Department of Women and Child Development Health, Education department, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Brick Kilns Owner Associations

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Achievements

• 27 brick kilns out of 70 have been declared ‘Child Labour Free’

• The brick kiln owners have set up boards in 20 brick kilns stating following services -

• Children of 0-6 years will access early childhood care and education through crèche and anganwadi centre

• Creche volunteer will provide assistance in enrolling children in formal schools

• Safe drinking water facilities are available in brick kilns

• Medical and Sanitation facilities for children

• It has resulted in creating an enabling environment for children below 6 years for their overall development in brick kilns

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Challenges

To ensure early childhood care and education at source

Language barrier for migrant children in anganwadi centres

New sets of children coming every year

Tracking of immunization and health needs

Support from government/Brick Kiln Owners

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Challenges

• Mainstreaming migrant children with anganwadi centres

• Non availability of Teaching Learning Materials in anganwadi centres

• Irregular supply of supplementary nutrition

• Frontline health workers not equipped to provide quality services to children, pregnant women and lactating mothers

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Initiatives in Jharkhand

We had a consultation meeting with Social Welfare and Labour department at Jharkhand to ensure early childhood care and education to children of migrant workers

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Thank You

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