PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT
On the
Right based approach towards the Child Labour
(2 April ’07 – 31st March’08)
Project funded
ASHA FOR
EDUCATION
** IMPLEMENTED BY **
TRINITA SOCIETY FOR SOCIAL AND HEALTH
RESEARCH
19, KANKULIA ROAD
KOLKATA-700 029
PHONE: 64156653(033)
E-mail: trinita01@radiffmail.com


To
The Coordinator
Asha For Education
Atlanta chapter
Dear Sir,
Please find enclosed herewith the project completion report from 1st April 07
to 31st March 08 December for your necessary action in this regard.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
[ Shampa Roy ]
Secretary
Progress Report on Right Based approach towards the child
labour Kolkata & Bankura .
Name of the Project: Right Based Approach Towards Child Labour
Background:
Trinita Society for Social Health and Research undertaken Right Based
Approach and Rehabilitation of trafficked child labor project in tiljala, topsia
From 1ST April 2007 in close collaboration with the establishment where
100 trafficked child labourers were engaged in different forms of hazardous
work.. As a first step Trinita had conducted a comprehensive survey and
enlisted these trafficked child labourers for a Right Based Approach and
Rehabilitation project.
Please attach the table of names and other details of the said children
The main aim of the project to cover 100 trafficked children living along
Tiljala-Topsia area beside the Eastern Railway track between Dhakuria and
Park Circus in East Calcutta. These children come from different neighbour
states and district by their ostad (employer)& work in small factories 15to 18
hrs a day, where they produce and process leather bags, purses and other
allied products. All these children stay day and night in the factory with the
employers. The living condition is far from healthy. The tiny rooms serve as
their work place as well as night shelters. There are no provisions for toilets
and the children have to go outside to the rail tracks or open drains to answer
to nature’s call at any time of the day and night. Lack of safety and security
is a big problem.
The area, where these small factories are situated is itself fraught with
hazards – especially for growing children. Around 2000 families with
approximately 10,000
population live along the Park Circus railway tract. Anti-social activities
including drug and alcohol abuse and violence – especially against women
and children are rampant. The trafficked children also sometimes fall into
the grips of anti-socials.
Family Background of the trafficked children
Most of these children are migrants from backward rural areas of Sunderban
,Malda ,Murshidabad and other parts of West Bengal and from Bihar,
Jharkhand, Orissa and a few other states. The families with 5 to 7 children
each are driven by poverty, illiteracy and unemployment. In most cases the
fathers are alcoholic and have multiple marriages. The status of women and
children are abominably low, with no provisions for maintaining the basic
child rights.
Work Conditions of the trafficked children
The children aged between 8 and 14 are engaged in leatherwork for about 14
to 16 -- sometimes 20 hours, if there is a rush, each day. They do not
receive any remuneration other than food and shelter during their so-called
training period of 3 to 4 years.
The children work with Thikadars or contractors. The Thikadar organizes
the work and the child workers and provides minimal food and shelter to the
children, who are sometimes abused and tortured in many ways.
Education
Due to the grinding poverty in the families, which forces the children into
labour at tender ages, majority of the trafficked children are primary school
drop-outs, while some of them are illiterate. They are thus deprived of the
basic right to education.
Health and Nutrition of the trafficked children
Almost none of the health needs of these children of developing years is
met. They live in unhygienic and in-sanitary conditions in cramped rooms.
They wear unwashed clothes and have no proper beddings, even in winter
times. They get insufficient rest and sleep after their extremely hard work.
They have to accept any food that their employers arrange for them –
generally bread and tea at 10-11 in the morning, then a lunch of rice, dal and
vegetable between 2.30 and 3.30 p.m and again rice, dal and vegetable as
dinner at 11-12 o’ clock at night. The food and drinking water are far from
safe from contamination.
The children sometimes have to cook for themselves and their employers. At
other times they manage with cheap food from small, dirty eating places.
The children suffer from all kinds of diarrhoeal diseases, skin diseases and
are vulnerable to chronic malnutrition, Tuberculosis, blindness and peptic
ulcers.
Over and above the physical ailments these children suffer from all kinds of
mental and emotional disorders. Separated from their families, they do not
receive any parental affection and home security. They have no provisions
for play and recreations. Deprived of the fundamental rights and essential
stimulants of childhood, they often become victims of depressive neurosis.
Losing all pleasures of childhood at an early age, they easily stray towards
anti-social activities.
The Project Interventions
Goal:
The overall goal is to reduce the exploitation and promote the rights of the
trafficked children
Project objectives:
 To see that child workers are provided with services like education,
health-care and recreational facilities
 To ensure that the children have one free day a week
 To monitor the living and working conditions of the children
 To raise awareness of the community and the employers regarding child
rights.
 To see that the children are repatriated back to their families or
rehabilitated
 To skill development training for girls in village.
Project strategies and planned activities
- To select a group of dedicated and committed staff members.
- To provide practical and effective training to the staff members
- Awareness generation meetings and networking with local
community members regarding the hazards of child labour
- Regular interactions with the employers to sensitize them to treat
the children in a more humanistic manner, to refrain from abusing
-
them physically or emotionally – giving them some chance to
enjoy a bit of their childhood and also some better future
To open centres to provide education, nutrition and recreation to
the children
Arrange skill development training for girls at Bakura
To arrange for regular health check ups of the children and
treatment with medicines for emergencies
Arrange for a weekly rest day for the children, when they may be
taken for excursions, picnics etc
Implementation
 At the beginning Trinita conducted a baseline survey for
identifying and enlisting trafficked child workers in wards no
58,59 and 66 of Tangra Tiljala Topsia under Kolkata Municipal
Corporation and Bankura. Four field staff members of Trinita
carried on the survey in end of march 07
Table 1: Baseline survey report
No. of
Area &
children Ward No.
identified
No workshop/
karkhana cover /
house
Age group
children engaged
in type of work
25
Tiljala ,
59
9 karkhana
8-15 yrs
Bag, wallets,
shoe tailoring
embroidery
30
Topsia, 66
10 karkhana
8-15 yrs
Wallets ,bag,
chappal
30
Tangra
12 karkhana
8-15
Battery
breaking,, Rag –
picking , chappal
stap cutting
25
Bankura
House 17
8- 15
Farming &
animal rearing
The table No. 1 showing the children age group 8-15 years are
trafficked and taking employment in different small industries and
majority of the children engaged with leather sector.
The base line data is constantly updated by staff members as a part of
their daily routine work in the project area.
 Trinita set up four centers for providing services to the trafficked
working children. The employers have been persuaded to allow the
children 2 to 3 hours off from their work, so that they may attend the
centers.
All the centers remain open from 8. A.M. to 3-30 PM six days a week &
There are no public holidays.
Table 2: Details of the centres
Table No.2
Name of Centre
Teacher name
Time
No of children
attending the
program
Maruti Bagan
Shib sangha club
Sushanta Dutta
8 -30 to 1130am
25
12-30 to 3-30
pm
30
10-30 to 130pm
30
12 noon – 2 pm
20
Topsia
community centre
G.J. Khan Road,
Kol-39
Tangra Dhobia
tala , boromoni
house , KolkataBankura Chandra
Afsana Saba
Shama Roshan
Ranjana Sardar
Ashram
Along with teaching the children at the centers, the teachers’ duties
include field visits to the factories, where the children live and work
and also to the surrounding community area.
Staff Training:
A 3 days’ staff training and orientation programme was organized by
Trinita in April, 2007. Resource persons from outside conducted
training on various relevant topics.
Table 4: Details of Staff Training
Table -3
Date of
time
Agenda
Place
No.
of
staff
Resource
22.4.07
from
12noon to
5:30PM
Child labour law
Chamber of
Advocate
Gorfa Rd.
8
Biplap
goswami
Advocate
23.04.07
from
11AM to
5PM
Method of teaching
Community
Centre
Topisa
Natun Pally
Kol-39
8
MD
Alagir
primary
school
teacher
social
activities
24.04.07
Method of
motivation employer
Do
8
Javed
Nehal
Zahedi
Accountsmaintaining
Accounts
Consultant
A staff meeting is held every week to reorient the staff, so that they
gradually give up the black board method of teaching and enhance
their own capacity to take up the issues and matters, which affect the
daily life of the children. The teachers teach how to cope with the
hazardous working environment and also how to take precautionary
measures to avoid mishaps and sickness.
Infrastructure Development & Uniform Distribution:
Trinita provided the classrooms with ceiling fans and bookshelves so
that the children feel easy and comfortable and get motivated to study.
They were also provided uniforms for their daily wear in school.
These small gestures by Trinita is a way of making these deprived
children that they are also important and have the right of being happy
like other normal children.
Health:
The monthly health check ups of the children under qualified doctors
started from the beginning of the project which was supported from
other project. Details are given in table 5
(please insert table 5)
Table : 4
Date
Area
Time
No. of
children
Doctors
26.05.07
Tangra
9AM to
11AM
30
Dr. S. Roy
Child
Specialist
Tosia & maruti
Bagan
11AM to
2PM
47
Same
10AM
29
Dr. S. Ray
11-30AM to
2PM
40
Same
do
27.08 .07
Do
Tangra
Topsia & maruti
Bagan
20.11.07
Topsia &
maruti Bagan
10AM to
12-30PM
46
Dr. S. Roy
20.03.07
Tangra
1PM to 2:30
PM
28
Dr. S. Roy
24.01.08
Topsia &
maruti Bagan
10-30 AM to
43
Dr. S. Roy &
Dr. B
Bhattacharya
24.01 .08
Tangra
9-30 AM to
11-30 AM
24
2.03.08
Tangra
12-30PM to
24
Dr. S. Roy
41
Dr. S. Roy
12-30PM
Dr B . Bhatta
charya
1-30 PM
2.03.08
Topsia &
maruti Bagan
12 noon to
1-30PM
A health card for each child is maintained and filled up every month.
We try our utmost to have the concerned employer present at the
health camp, so that he realizes the need for adequate diet and rest for
the children under him.
Process of conducive environment building in the community:
Community awareness meetings have been held regularly from 8 th
April 07 with the presence of local political leaders, community
leaders, women’s representatives, social activists as well as the
employers of the trafficked children.
Table5
Date
28th April
07
Time
2PM to 330 PM
Venue
Topsia
community
centre
No of
participant
24
Agenda /
Content
Facilitator
Necessary of
health &
education for
every child
Dr. Sudhendu
Mukherjee,
Chairman of
NGO Forum
Councillor of
the ward
Shehanshu
Roy
28th
Apri07
4PM to
6 PM
Tangra
27
Same
Dr.
Mukherjee
local political
leader Md.
Tariquee
26th April
07
3PM
Bankura
21
Same
School
teacher
26.08.07
2PM to
4PM
Topsia
Community
centre &
maruti bagan
48
Child right
Mr.Tarun
& motivation Satpati &
of employer Shampa Roy
26.08.07
4-30
PM to
6PM
Tangra
23
19.08.07
2PM to
4PM
Bankura
16
Same
Topsia &
Maruti
Bagan &
Tangra
43
Child health Dr. P. K
motivation
Mukherjee &
ofcommunity Dr Barun Bha
9.03.08
3-30PM 6PM
Same
Same
Local NGO
Activist
There has been a remarkable impact of these meetings. Community
leaders, especially women leaders are forcefully persuading the
employers to send their child workers to the centers run by Trinita for
at least 2 hours every day. There have been cases somewhere
motivated employers along with local youth club secretary have
sensitized other employers .
Sight Seeing & Annual Sports
A whole day picnic at the Diamond harbour of 24 parganas on the
17th February , 2008.For the program 2 CTC buses were provided by
The Hon’ble Minister of Transport & Sports .
The whole programme was arranged by Trinita, whose staffs had
picked up the children and their employers from the different work
places.
It was a great enjoyment for everybody especially children as they got
a break from their daily hard work.
Trinita organized whole day annual Sports on 3rd March From 10 AM
to 4 pm . 67 child Labors were present and they participated in
different games. The total no of participants in the program were
182.This was supported by Punjab National Bank( Salt Lake Branch)
& Canara Bank ( Hatibagan Branch)
.
Table 6
Place
Date
Time
17 .02 08
8-30 am to 7 –30 Diamond
pm
Harbour
10 am to – 4 pm
Park
circus 67
Moidan
03 .03 .08
Number
Children
Participated
72
of
Future Action Plan
After working on the Rights Based project for all this time we feel
that our achievements have been small, but significant. These may act
as pointers to further activities for the enhancement of the status of
life for the unfortunate children
The overall picture of Child Labour is far from hopeful. Today’s
consumer society and the sheer greed for profit on the part of the
employers have caused a considerable increase in the number of
working children and the hours of their labour.
On the other hand our activities in the project work area, by their bold
innovativeness, have attracted considerable support from well
meaning persons in the communities – including some employers,
who have come forward to help us in various ways. We have a
committed team of workers, who are ready to do their utmost foe the
trafficked children.
Acceptance by the local community and support from local elected
members, youth clubs and committees are also our strength. We are
convinced that with sufficient resource mobilization we can build on
these strengths and conduct a more comprehensive and effective
project in the future.
For further enhancement in quality and effectiveness of the
programme we want to concentrate on the following:
 The interactive processes with the local community leaders,
women’s groups, youth leaders and the local administration should be
strengthened. Every one must take a specific role to see that the
children get a better deal from the employers.
 Lobbying with the employers must be taken up on a regular basis.
The employers should be involved in group meetings, one-to-one
counseling as well as open discussions regarding the status of the
children. They have to give more and more space to the children to
develop physically and mentally. The employers should be made to
allow the children to attend the centers set up by Trinita to receive
education and vocational training.
 Local clubs will motivate the employers and facilitate their forming
clubs, where they will have provisions for some education, recreation
and exchange of thoughts to widen their visions, so that they have
more beneficial ideas about their employees.
 Education of the children: each child should have access to basic
elementary education. He should also be equipped with knowledge,
skills, values and rights that would help him achieve personal
development. This education should give him an insight into the
socio-economic circumstances, which have led his family to send him
to lead a life, which is little better than that of a bonded labourer. He
should also learn to aspire for a better future for himself, his peers and
his family.
 Vocational training for the children: As it is, the children are being
forced to learn special skills for doing the kind of work they are
engaged in. They should now be given some technical know how to
perform better. They should also learn the other aspects of the trade –
accessible and affordable sources of material, costing, marketing etc.
These will enable them to carry on the trade on their own later.
 Provision for funds: At the end of a child’s stay with his employer
some money should be allocated in the child’s name, so that it can be
invested for his future. A monitoring process should be in place to see
that the money is used properly
 Visits to the children’s families should be more regular and cover
more and more families. Help should be sought from locally based
NGOs and the Childline facilities. Income generation programmes
through establishing Self Help Groups for the families or any other
ways have to be facilitated. Regular counseling of the parents has to
be done by competent and committed persons.
 Networking with other organizations and agencies – Government and
non-government engaged in similar work is an absolute necessity.
Dealing with child labour is an extremely difficult and wide ranging
job. We must have all the help and co-operation we can access.