FUNCTIONS & ACTIVITIES  >  Children in Domestic Work

The Movement strongly feels for children in domestic work. The Ban on Child Labour clearly indicates that children less than 14 years of age are not permitted to work in any establishment including domestic labour. Yet, the Ban is far from being implemented. Children in domestic work are hidden from society and it is difficult to get behind the closed doors of private households. But the Movement will continue to strive and rescue, rehabilitate and repatriate these children.

The following activities are carried to aid children in domestic work:
Surveys are conducted and other domestic workers and social conscious people in society are identifying children in domestic work.

  Importance of Education

• Awareness programs are conducted for domestic workers to help them understand the importance of providing mainstream education for their children.

• Bridge courses or non-formal education are conducted for children in domestic work to enable them to get into mainstream education

• Mainstreaming children into schools and following up on those already admitted

• Skills training to enhance the skill of older children

• Creative arts and competitions to develop and boost the talents of children.

• Training of community leaders to play a role in motivating and sustaining children in schools and preventing child labour.
   

  Empowering and Capacity Building

• Rallies, Street Plays and Cultural programmes to boost their self-esteem

• International Day of Hope/ Golem festival

• Children’s Day

• Christmas celebrations

• Anti-child Labour Day
   

  Networking for Justice

• Network and Collaboration with national and local programmes to create awareness of a child friendly society

• Lobbying for the rights of children

• Child to child approach in empowerment of children through children from other schools.
   

  Crisis intervention

• Personal attention to children in crisis and intervention

• Medical and legal aid

• Trauma counselling: NDWM in collaboration with St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore has established the Hope Center in Bangalore. This Centre will look into trauma counselling for victimised children. We strongly believe that it is not enough to rescue children, they require to be put back into mainstream society as healthy individuals. This Centre will give them Hope for a healthy and fulfilling life.