Building a Future for Brick Kiln Children in India

Our non-formal education centres situated next to the brick kilns are critical for ensuring that children maintain their education when they are migrating from their home states with their parents for work. Without this, children fall far behind their peers and unable to catch up and complete their education. This creates a cycle where the children are trapped into the same work as their parents and grandparents have done, as without education it is impossible to break free from brick kiln labouring.

When we first started working in these brick kilns, our project workers spent a lot of time regularly visiting families in the area to persuade them about the benefits of education and encourage the enrollment of their kids in the programme. After enrollment, getting the children to attend regularly was the next challenge! Our field workers had to regularly visit families to keep them engaged in the programme. Now, after 5 years of working in this community we are delighted that 98% children are coming to the centres regularly and independently and we no longer have to do weekly Saturday visits to the families.  The children are coming wearing neat and clean uniforms and their parents understand the importance of education. 

Our project has also developed an effective partnership with the local Zilla Parishad schools. The teachers from this school come once a week to teach the children alongside our own teachers. They have also supported the staff to embed a UNICEF approved curriculum for the work, using more creative methods.  We also maintain contact with the schools the children attend in their home villages, so that the children are able to transition back into learning when they return after the brick kiln season has finished.

These include children like Purnima who is 8 years old and attends our Maitri centre. Every year she migrates with her family and her two brothers so her parents can earn money working at the brick kiln. When her family first came to the brick kiln, she was not attending education and spent her days taking care of her younger brothers and doing housework.  Now, she attends our centre every day with her brothers. She is a very active student and enjoys taking part in all the lessons. She especially likes making creative projects and sharing what she has learnt every day with her parents.

Links:

• Our organisation's website