Deepalaya - Enabling Self-Reliance

Deepalaya on September 27, 2007 organized an NGO consultation meet with the support of Winrock International at India International Center, New Delhi. The meet gave a wake up call to the people of the nation, the legislation and the judiciary to rise against the issue of child labor. Very aptly are justified the words of Ms. Razia Ismail present at the consultation that, “India was Shining earlier and it is Incredible now, but where are we talking about the children?

“Goods sold at a cheaper cost as a result of engaging child labor amounts to justice being denied. Child should be the center of development and not the product of development”, said Ms Razia Ismail, Co-convener, Indian Alliance of Child Rights at an NGO consultation meet organized by Deepalaya with the support of Winrock International. The meet held at India International Center, New Delhi on September 27, 2007 saw active participation of more than 40 Delhi based NGOs.

Rtn. T.K.Mathew, Secretary and Chief Executive of Deepalaya said. “As a child I too helped in the family business but was never denied my rights. It is only when the rights of a child are denied; it becomes an issue of concern for all of us.”

In India we are yet to start talking about Prohibition of Child Labor. A step by step inclusion of different sectors like child labor in domestic work and food shops (dhabbas) is being done in the Child Labor Prevention and Regulation Act. “It is not for NGOs to provide for children it is the state’s obligation”, reiterated Ms Ismail. She questioned the tracking mechanism to know what happened to children rescued under different rescue operations.

On behalf of all NGO representatives present at the meet, Ms. Ismail called for a Peoples’ Commission and said there is an urgent need of awakening of the national consciousness, a mass movement to address the issue of child labor.

NGOs like Deepalaya believe that quality education supplemented by health care and Integrated Child Development, enable a child to become a useful citizen rather than lose their childhood.

Since February 2007, Deepalaya has been implementing a project, “Promoting Advocacy Efforts for Prevention of Child Labor” in five locations of Delhi The project identifies child labor, forges linkages both with their parents and employers and extends quality education right where they are. A bus converted into a mobile school brings joyful learning to them at their doorstep. Deepalaya advocates the rights of the children with parents, employers and community at large.

10th October marks the anniversary of the notification brought by the Government of India on imminent prohibition of child labor in homes and the hospitality industry (ranging from tea-shops and dhabas to hotels, resorts and spas). The day will see many gatherings and voices across the nation and masses reinforce the concern.

Another prominent speaker, Mr Rajib Haldar, Executive Director, Prayas said, “Primarily we focus on urban areas more while discussing and debating about child labor. This is more because of the visibility of children occupied in different works. We often forget issues of child labor in rural and agragarian setup”. He added, “For a solution or a small information on children/ child labor one has to approach 16 different departments, thus there should be one commission for exclusively dealing with issues of child labor irrespective of their scale”.

About Deepalaya: Deepalaya is a non-governmental organization based in New Delhi, with primary focus on children, education and integrated development of urban and rural poor. Started in 1979 with five children and an investment of Rs. 17500/-, Deepalaya, today is the largest operational NGO in Delhi reaching out to over 40,000 children, 76 slums and close to 95 villages.
In its last 28 years, Deepalaya has initiated more than 160 successful projects through its formal and non-formal education programmes. The core issues on which Deepalaya has focused are Education, Gender Equity, Integrated Community Medicine, Institutional and Non-Institutional Care, Advocacy and Networking, Capacity Building, Promoting Self-Reliance and Inclusion of Differently Abled. It works in collaboration with governmental and non-governmental agencies to significantly contribute to the integrated and holistic development of underprivileged children, their families and communities around them.
Deepalaya believes that every child should be given equal opportunities, based on his/her ‘RIGHTS’, to reveal their calibre and aim for a legitimate and a self reliant society based on the principles of justice, equality, honesty and social sensitivity. For more information about Deepalaya log on to www.deepalaya.org

Winrock International: Winrock International is a nonprofit organization that works with people in the United States and around the world to increase economic opportunity, sustain natural resources, and protect the environment. The organization is committed to building human capacity, creating long-term relationships, managing effectively, communicating openly, and promoting teamwork. Winrock International also started, Reducing Child Labour through Education project in two CIRCLES spanning to five years. For more information on Winrock International log on to www.winrock.org

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