Child Labour Elimination Project in Tiruvallur District

The Tiruvallur CARE Society was registered on 18th of August 2003, vide Reg No. 168/2003. The society, headed by the Collector is formed for the purpose of elimination of child labour in the district.

Thiru S. Chandramohan, I.A.S., District Collector and Chairman of the Child Care Society, Tiruvallur inagurating the awareness program on child labour

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme of education department has identified 1153 children as child labourers from among the total drop outs of 6369 and 9895 never enrolled. The SSA servey is manily house-hold based. There may be migrant and non-resident still working in establishment.

Child labour being the major cause of child abuse and exploitation, elimination of child from hazardous or non-hazardous occupation is necessary. Major hazardous industries which attracts child labour in the district of Tiruvallur, are beedi making, carpet weaving, cement works, cloth dyeing and printing, construction industry, automobile repairs, brick kiln, etc.

Blocks where the child labour is prevalent in large number in hazardous industry are Pallipet, RKPet, Gummidipoondi and Tiruvallur.

Child laborers Sundari and Uma help their mother
in brick kiln for just Rs. 10/- per day

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan scheme, a comprihensive programme of education department has been also been gearing up to meet the challenge of child labour in a holistic manner. The programme is child friendly and ensures community participation. The Tiruvallur SSA has so far created a resource pool of 160 Bridge Course Center teachers covering all blocks in tune with the number of children in each block.

The society would also focus on challenging internalized impression among parents that the child is a supplementary hand to earn wages.

District Revenue Officer, Additional District Magistrate and District Education Officer persuading child laborers from kadambatur block to get enrolled

The issue of economic empowerment of the families to relieve the burden on the child is already being addressed through INDUS/SGSY scheme. Out of 1153 mothers, 291 were interviewed in a session precided by the Collector. 31 mothers were already part of local Self Help Groups. 260 mothers were identified to form SH Groups.

Tiruvallur CARES has just begun; it would grow and spread till its mission is completed.

Tiruvallur cares for its children