Visit to: Concerned for Working Children, Karnataka Visited by: Aparna Lakshmiratan Visit date: 17 Dec 96 Contact at CWC - Mr. Lakshapathy phone 5297370 CWC phone - 5272111 SUMMARY: I met Mr. Lakshapathy who is the one following up on the funds we gave CWC last year. Spoke to him about the project and progress and gave him the review form with my contact address. He will send it by the first week of Jan 1997. General Report. 1. Banashankari projects: CWC has started 7 training centers in the slums in Banashankari (a suburb of Bangalore). Banashankari has a large muslim population in the slums. One of the main features of this community is that the girls dont go to school and do not work either due to ojections raised by the community. These girls sit at home all day and take care of domestic chores. In the past few years, the agarbathi factories in the area have been employing this women/girls in the slums by giving them agarbathis to roll on a unit price basis. This way the girls get to work at home and the factory gains by not giving them factory benefits that regular employees get. The girls are also underpaid and many of them (especially the younger ones under 12 yrs) end up with TB, bronchitis etc. CWC has started training centers in this area to help convince the community that the girls can get an education in a safe environment which will be more beneficial in the long run than having the young girls roll agarbathis at home. The training centers have 1. Montessory style education 2. Nutritional snack - egg, fruit, pulses etc once a day 3. uniforms as an incentive for parents to send the children here. Parents are also informed on the dangerous consequences of having the young girls work with the agarbathis which will prevent them from being useful when they reach their earning potential at 16-18. Uniforms make parents think it is a serious educational institute which differs from the existing corporation schools that they believe to be of no use to the children. The parents are also willing to send girls to training centers rather than local schools for safetly reasons. The centers also have vocational training opportunities for girls > 15 yrs. The vocational training programs are with insititutes in the area for tailoring, typing etc. Comments: the program has been well received so far. The 7 centers have 300 children enrolled so far. Part of our money has been used for these centers+fees etc for some of the vocational training insitutes. Detailed accounts will be provided in the review. 2. South kanara project South Kanara region in Karnataka has a number of villages with craftsmen like potters, weavers etc who are out of jobs. CWC is trying to revive these jobs by forming task forces and encouraging cooperative work. Many kids from families of these out of work craftsmen come to Bangalore to work in the hotel industry with the dream of becoming a hotel owner some day. These kids are 10-12 when they leave home. CWC is encouraging the villagers and the kids to work with the panchayat in order to improve conditions and facilitate education in schools and also make kids aware of the terrible working conditions in teh hotel industry and the dangers of leaving home at that age. CWC is facilitating education by 1. making schools more accessible (building bridges etc) 2. Anganwadis for young children so that the older kids who generally take care of their younger siblings can go to school. 3. Training teachers to help educate kids more effectively with group work and creative projects using the exisiting syllabus and infrastructure provided by the govt. 4. Kids > 17 come to centers for information on jobs and to learn vocational skills of their choice regardless of the particlar craft community they come from (eg weavers or potters etc) Goal is to provide basic education for 7-15 yr kids, inform the kids of their options and give them vocational training at 16-17 if they want and help them get started. Effects so far: 1. Dropout rate has decreased 2. More kids want to go to school 3. Govt wants to start more centers 4. Kids parents participate in panchayat meetings and this leads to effective chnages being introduced in the village. DIRECTIONS to CWC: phone - 5272111 Airport Rd after airport take a left at the HAL P.O (on the left) you will see signs for CWC and Saroj Fern Valley apts as you turn left Follow signs for Saroj Fern Valley Apts Go straight down that road across dead railway crossing Road veers right take dirt road and enter L.B. Shastrynagar (will see a bakery, tailor shop etc) Go straight until you see the Saroj Fern Valley sign take a right and go straight till the deadend-CWC building is at the end.