abhishreshthaa
Abhijeet S
CASE STUDY : CENTREREDA
The districts of Madurai, Dindigul and Theni, in southern Tamil Nadu, are prone to severe drought. As a result, migration and landlessness are common, and children are sent to work in the knitwear units at Tirupur to support their families. A whopping 30% of the child population works instead of going to school. They pick flowers, graze cattle, serve in the tea stalls and automobile workshops, make baskets and so on. Loans taken from rich landlords, at high rates of interest, are rarely paid back, leading to an increasing incidence of bonded labour of both children and adults. Female infanticide is highly prevalent and the sex ratio in the region is an abysmal 1000:896.
The story of Annakamu is typical. She used to get up at 4 am everyday and head for the flower fields of Nillakotai. These fields are inhabited by venomous snakes and Annakamu had lost friends to snakebites. Nonetheless, she had no option but to risk her life every morning, because her large family (nine members) needed the money she earned. She dropped out of school in standard 3, to become a child labourer.
Annakamu's life changed when CENTREREDA (Center for Rural Education Development Association) a CRY-supported project working in Nilakottai block in Dindigul, intervened. In association with 10 other NGOs in the near-by districts, CENTREREDA has formed the CBC (Campaign for Balanced Childhood) Network, which focuses on educating children and eliminating child labor. After repeated counseling sessions with Annakamu and her family, CENTREREDA were able to persuade Annakamu's family to send her back to school.
Today Annakamu is in the 5th standard and intends to study further.
The districts of Madurai, Dindigul and Theni, in southern Tamil Nadu, are prone to severe drought. As a result, migration and landlessness are common, and children are sent to work in the knitwear units at Tirupur to support their families. A whopping 30% of the child population works instead of going to school. They pick flowers, graze cattle, serve in the tea stalls and automobile workshops, make baskets and so on. Loans taken from rich landlords, at high rates of interest, are rarely paid back, leading to an increasing incidence of bonded labour of both children and adults. Female infanticide is highly prevalent and the sex ratio in the region is an abysmal 1000:896.
The story of Annakamu is typical. She used to get up at 4 am everyday and head for the flower fields of Nillakotai. These fields are inhabited by venomous snakes and Annakamu had lost friends to snakebites. Nonetheless, she had no option but to risk her life every morning, because her large family (nine members) needed the money she earned. She dropped out of school in standard 3, to become a child labourer.
Annakamu's life changed when CENTREREDA (Center for Rural Education Development Association) a CRY-supported project working in Nilakottai block in Dindigul, intervened. In association with 10 other NGOs in the near-by districts, CENTREREDA has formed the CBC (Campaign for Balanced Childhood) Network, which focuses on educating children and eliminating child labor. After repeated counseling sessions with Annakamu and her family, CENTREREDA were able to persuade Annakamu's family to send her back to school.
Today Annakamu is in the 5th standard and intends to study further.