Some Innovative Initiatives taken by NCLP Purulia, and Her Excellency President's recognition
In 90 special schools under NCLP Purulia, quality education is provided to the withdrawn child labourers through participatory learning methods with the aid of low cost Teaching Learning Materials with a goal to make the special schools child friendly and to make learning joyful to the students. As a result, in less than two years, more than 1000 students have been mainstreamed, and there is not a single case of drop-out from NCLP schools so far.
Along with curriculum, some unique and innovative initiatives are also being undertaken in line with the basic and broad objectives of National Child Labour Project. UNICEF is a valued partner in most of these initiatives.
In Purulia, the instructors, the students and their parents are collectively working towards ensuring child rights at community level. Community and block level workshops are being organised and community level committees are being formed to stop child labour, child marriage and child migration. In 2009, initiatives are being taken towards making at least 150 villages/wards across the entire District free of child labour, child marriage and child migration.
All adolescent girls studying in Special schools under NCLP Purulia, are brought under universal aenemia control programme in collaboration with the Dept. of Health, Govt. of West Bengal.
Her Excellency The President interacting with Rekha, Afsana and Sunita
Under 'Child Activists Initiative', steps are taken to develop leadership qualities, power of expression and communication, and problem solving skills among the children through various workshops and trainings. Awareness on child rights and on related social issues are also being generated. The empowered students are actively working to bring about positive and favourable social changes in their respective locality and community. The children are working to stop child labour, for protecting environment and endangered migratory birds, for preventing child migration and to stop child marriage. They also publish a quality news letter 'Notun Alo' ( A New Light ) describing their activities and achievements.
Three such girls, who themselves had to fight hard for preventing their own early marriages, and who are now actively working against child marriage and child labour, were invited by her excellency the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Rekha Kalindi (12 years), of village & P.O. Bararola, Block- Jhalda-2, P.S.- Kotsila, district- Purulia, is a schedule caste girl who used to roll beedi in her home with her father before being admitted in the NCLP special school.
Rekha presenting a copy of news letter “A New Light” to The President
As stated by Rekha, her friends, and the instructors of her school, in late September 2008, Rekha's father decided to stop Rekha's study and arrange marriage of Rekha, then eleven years old. Rekha refused to get married at that early age and wanted to continue her study as she was aware of the rights of a child and the consequences of early marriage through various initiatives of NCLP Purulia. When her father was not willing to change his decision of arranging her marriage and stopping her study, Rekha along with her friends and instructors ( teachers of NCLP schools ) requested her father repeatedly to change his decision. After their lot of requests and repeated persuasions Rekha's father changed his decision and allowed Rekha to continue her study.
A Group photo of three Girls along with District Officials of Purulia at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi
As an active participant of ''Child Activist Initiative'' Rekha and her classmates, like some other students and instructors of NCLP Purulia, are propagating against child marriage, child labour and child migration etc.
On 22nd February 2009, during a foundation laying ceremony of a hospital for beedi workers at Jhalda-2 Block, Rekha Kalindi addressed a gathering of more than six thousand beedi workers of her block and appealed to them to allow their daughters to study as long as the daughters wish, and not to arrange marriage of their daughters before they attain at least 18 years of age.
Like Rekha, some other students of the
Special Schools of NCLP Purulia also refused to marry
before 18, when their parents arranged their marriage. Afsana Khatun ( 13 years ) of
President talking to Afsana
Afsana Khatun very passionately works
on the issue of child labour in Purulia Municipal area, along with her friends. On
When Sunita Mahato successfully stopped her already settled marriage, there was huge pressure on her family to stop Sunita's study as such revolt by a tender small girl was unthinkable in that locality. But Sunita was determined to continue her study. With relentless and continuous efforts of Sunita, her classmates and instructors of local NCLP school, now there are positive voices also in that locality against child marriage, and for girls' education. Local community leaders are now advocating for these causes in the locality.
President talking to Sunita
Her Excellency The President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil met these three girls led by Shri Bhaskar Khulbe IAS, Resident Commissioner, West Bengal and accompanied by Shri Prosenjit Kundu, Asst. Labour Commissioner &
Project Director, NCLP Purulia and Dr. Biswajit Panda, WBCS(Exe), Block Developement Officer Jhalda-II Block , at Rashtrapati Bhavan on
Her Excellency The President presenting Rs. 10000/- to each of the three
brave girls
(Source: ALC, Purulia)