Eliminating Child Labour

The Mamidipudi Venkatarangaiya Foundation (MVF) was established 1981, in memory of educationist and historian Prof. Mamidipudi Venkatarangaiya. Beginning as a research institution on social transformation issues, it is now building capacities in rural and urban areas for abolition of child labour by universalizing school education.

The website (www.mvfindia.in) lists following as achievements:

• 6,00,000 child labour mobilised out of work and into fulltime, formal, government day schools.
• 50,000 child labourers have been put through Bridge Course Camps and 30,000 Education Activists mobilized to liberate children.
• 80,000 youth volunteers and members of CRPF protect child rights.
• 25,000 adolescent girls in schools and 8000 child marriages stopped.
• 1500 Gram Panchayats are child labour free.
• 1500 Gram Panchayats review child rights through the health and
• education subcommittees.
• 50,000 children mainstreamed to formal schools through RBCs.
• 25,000 bonded labour released and sent to schools.

Their Charter : The Non - Negotiables:

• All Children must attend full-time formal-day schools.
• Any child out of school is a child labourer.
• All labour is hazardous,and harms the overall growth and development of the child.
• There must be total abolition of child labour.
• Any justification perpetuating the existence of child labour must be condemned.

Amen!