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remember the last time they ate tparents have agreed to enroll have turned out to be immensely
a nutritious meal, but when a new them in formal schooling in the beneficial, volunteers and teachers
morning comes, they are back at coming months. “I am so happy for check the school attendance
the mines with their families, doing them. I want them to study andcon- register regularly and identify chil-
dren who are enrolled but hardly
what they know best. They wriggle tinue doing so. It is important to ever attend school. They talk to
themselves into freshly-dug ‘rat complete basic education. It will the parents and request them to
holes’ for pellets and their parents help them to get other jobs and spare the children from dhibra
earn money when they grow up.
wait outside with bated breath. Their families will be benefitted in collection, at least for the school
How much scrap would they be the end. We talk to parents regu- hours. Members of adolescents
able to collect before dusk sets larly and encourage them to think groups and children’s collectives
in? Or, would they be able to come RAY OF HOPE this way,” says a happy Savita. When in the area visit door-to-door to
convince parents of the need to
out alive? The mud mounds can Eight-year-old Ramu Tudu (name CRY and its partner organization educate their children. Most of the
cave in trapping anyone inside. It changed) is very fond of her set out to work in the region about members were actively involved in
has happened in the past! At the teacher, Savita didi. He attends her 18 months ago, the objective was mica scrap collection not long ago.
end of the day, it is a question of remedial classes every day and is to ensure that the people here get Their journey of change is now
learning fast. The boy has never
money in the hand, and the fami- been formally enrolled in school. an opportunity to lead a normal, slowly starting to change mind-
lies have little choice but to ‘push’ The only friends he made were healthier and safer life with access sets Apart from education, the
other focus area is health. Families
their children into dhibra collec- at the mica mines – his parents to basic schooling, health facilities, here are completely in the dark
and alternative sources of income.
tion. Are they aware of the term and older siblings let him sit with But first and foremost, people had about the health hazards they are
‘child labour’? May be! But can they other young kids even as they to be convinced that there is hope exposing themselves and their chil-
really afford to pay heed? Caught busied themselves in collecting beyond despair and change can be dren to. As revealed in the baseline
in a vicious circle of poverty, and sorting scrap. It was Savita ushered in. Planned and sustained
ignorance and basic livelihood, who spotted him and some other programmes over the past year
this is an existential crisis that kids there and requested their or so have started to impact lives.
can be addressed only through a parents to allow them to join the Enrolment in schools has increased,
2-hour classes every afternoon.
targeted and sustained campaign, Not everyone agreed, but Ramu’s with many parents realizing that
focusing on education and health parents did. Six months on, Ramu education is necessary, even
of children, awareness of adults and some of his friends have made though they insist on their chil
and creating alternative means impressive progress. Most impo- dren working the mines for at
of livelihood. It’s a long journey, rantly, they want to study. Noticing least a few hours every day. Apart
but the seeds have been sown. their eagerness to learn, some from the remedial classes that
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