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One very common form of child labour is hand-rolling beedi cigarettes - labourers earn less than 50 cents US for each 1000 rolled
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Child labourer Sukumar, in Tamil Nadu, was bonded into slavery because his father needed $37 to thatch the roof.
Satiya, in Bangalore, went to school for just 15 days before her father’s death forced her into fulltime work.
Hasina in Karnataka stays at home to look after the family so that her parents can earn wages.
The stories of children like these form the backbone of a new report from World Vision on India’s child labour challenges.
The report reveals that, while a combination of government action and grassroots attitude change has led to improvement, many children are still working at the expense of their education.
The report, “Letting the future in: Child Labour in India” shows that greatest success has been in projects with a specific child labour focus, where communities and their children have worked on the issue amongst themselves.
The report concludes that the fight against child labour is slow but winnable. A recent survey in by community representatives in Gudiyattam revealed that the incidence of child labour had dropped by around 70%.
Akbar, a former working child in Bangalore, believes that the key to a successful fight against child labour is the children themselves. “Kids have ideas within them that need to be brought out. We need to be listened to and not just told what to do and what our ideas should be,” he says confidently.
While examples like these encourage agencies like World Vision and their community partners in their efforts, the report also reveals areas that require greater attention.
Causes of child labour are diverse and often deeply ingrained in culture. Legislation changes fall short of what is required to outlaw child labour.
Of particular concern is a widespread attitude that a girl’s education can be sacrificed if the family is poor.
Overall, though, interest and involvement in campaigns to reduce harmful child labour is growing in India and throughout the world.
In one pivotal moment last year, a group of World Vision-assisted labourers visited parliament to present a book, “My India”, to the Prime Minister and extract commitment that he would act to protect children from exploitation.
Download report "Letting the future in: Child labour in India"
More about World Vision's work in India
