Between Power and Poverty : Story of Children
in
Brick kilns
Presented by
Sanjeev Rai
Save the
Children India
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 India
The 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
Pillar 1
Pillar 2
Pillar 3
Networking and alliance
building: Advocating with
duty bearers and NGOs
/INGOs on implementation
of child rights
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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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