From Child Labour to a Chance at School

CHILD FRIENDLY SPACES

SAATH designed Child-Friendly Spaces- a unique, 4-hour informal education course with an aim to later enroll the child labourers, children of construction labourers in formal education. With a steady influx of migrating families to urban settlements and poor quality of education, creating alternative education spaces for quality education has become important.

  OBJECTIVE OF THE PROGRAMME

The main and objective of this programme is to reach the child labourers and children of labourers and help them gain formal education eventually and there after making them skilled and self-sufficient. Children from the slums, child labourers as well as children of labourers on construction sites all require a strong base in education and access to quality education. Dropouts from school need to be continuously counselled and encouraged to go back to school. The education programs designed at Saath recognize this need and aims to bridge this gap.

Interns and Volunteers:

• We had 9 interns in the month of June and July from Duke University, USA. They did various activities with the children. Taught them nursery  rhymes, alphabets in English, Dental Hygiene
• Employees from Tata Capital came and spend some time with kids at the center. They did some craft activities and played lots of games.

 Donations:

• Mrs. Chandani celebrated her birthday with these children. They cut cake and had yummy lunch with return gifts.
• Mrs. Kiran celebrated her birthday with these kids, she said this was one of the best birthday she has every celebrated. She donated food and school kits to the children at Godrej Center.
• Employees of Marriott, Ahmedabad took children  for movie screening. Children had fun at the screening and enjoyed popcorns
• Saath Charitable Trust in association with Approach foundation, conducted the workshop on pot painting in one of the park’s of Ahmedabd. There children were taught how to paint pots. .
• 20+ children were invited by Marriott Hotel Children relished upon cuisines, which would be rare for them. They learnt table etiquettes including how to use spoon and forks. They felt special for the day for the special treatment and attention they received from the staff.
• Children of Saath were invited to an event organized by the Traffic Department of the city. They were transported in the department’s bus to the venue, GMDC Ground. The aim was to make children aware of traffic rules. The demonstration was followed by painting activity. All the children were then awarded with a certificate for participation. It ended with tummy full of snacks.

Teachers – Parents Meeting:

• Parents’ meeting takes place every month. Parents were apprehensive at one of the centres about their children’s progress and had pessimist thoughts about education. The program coordinator then shared progress of all the children in parents meeting.

Health and Hygiene:

• Interns from Duke University took sessions on Dental Hygiene, they raised funds and distributed dental hygiene kits to 200 kids at various centers.
• Every quarter health check-ups are done and growth record is maintained. Their height and 0weight are measured and maintained on monthly basis.
• A health check-up was conducted in July, 2018 for the children of construction workers. The malnourished children are given supplements to bring their health to normal level.
• Hand washing is a practice that is stressed upon and followed daily. Teacher ensure that each and every child when enter the class and before eating wash his/her hands

Festival Celebration

• Indian Independence Day was celebrated on 15^th August, Children celebrated the day with flag hoisting in the morning at the centers and they say many patriotic songs.

•  Raksha-bandhan festival of bond between brothers and sisters was celebrated on 26^th August. The employees of Sew Services LLP came to celebrate the festival at our Bakeri Center. Girls from center tied rakhis to the male employees and in return they gave them gifts, sweet meats. All the children were tread with lunch and both employees and children played various games and danced.

 SUCCESS STORY

Ravi (Name Changed) a 4 year old child has migrated from Bihar with his parents and elder sister to Ahmedabad for better livelihood. His parents are working as construction laborers at Savvy Swaraj construction site in Ahmedabad for last eighteen months. When his parents moved to labour colony, they got to know about CFS center. At first his parents were very reluctant to send Ravi and his sister to center. They used to leave Ravi with his sister when they go for work and poor little girl would baby sit her brother. Ravi was an active kid but then he became very weak, he would get tired very often. Last year a medical camp was organized by Saath for all the children at labour colony, there Ravi had also come for check-up. There his parents found out that Ravi is malnourished so he is becoming very weak.

Our center’s teachers took this opportunity and convinced Ravi’s parents to send him and his sister to center and there they will take care of their nutrition.

When Ravi joined he was malnourished and special nutrition was given to him. Doctors prescribed him supplements. He was given one extra glass of milk in the evening, every day with his snack he would get one egg and gradually in 8 months he started becoming healthy and today he one happy, healthy child. He has become very active in physical activities.

• Progress Report June - August, 2018 (PDF)