Reviving lost childhood

Visakhapatnam: The coronavirus has invariably thrown life out of gear for scores of children, pushing them to shoulder extra responsibilities.

Mounting economic crisis has put many of them at a greater risk of slipping into child labour, leaving an everlasting impact on them.

For a majority of children belonging to weaker sections, life has turned topsy-turvy as they are yet to cope with the sliced income and lost jobs at home. Eventually, they had to bear the brunt of the economic distress the vulnerable families continue to grapple with.

The recent survey carried out by Dharani, a voluntary organisation that works to protect child rights, indicated that the number of child labourers has increased during the pandemic, especially among those aged between 14 and 18 years. Of the 283 families surveyed in Visakhapatnam, 10 child labourers have been identified.

As a part of the intervention mechanism, two national child labour project schools were set up near Dayananda Nagar and Kancharapalem in the city. Through the platform, children were engaged in games and a host of vocational training sessions. "Having left with no other choice, many children were forced into child labour. Family compulsions made them opt for even hazardous jobs. Some of them were spotted at the workplace and brought back to schools. So far, 100 children were enrolled back in the nearby schools," says B. Hari Venkata Ramana, secretary of Dharani.

Founded in 2006, the organisation creates awareness about child labour and its implications. Dayananda Nagar, Rammurthy Panthulu Peta, Kancharapalem, Paidimamba Colony, Rajiv Nagar Colony are some of the neighbourhoods in the city where child labour and exploitation remain rampant.

Partnering with CRY (Child Rights and You), the organisation armed with a team of social workers and trainers provide workshops on consequences of child labour using artwork, cartoons as teaching tools. Campaigning over social media platforms, the organisation hands over books and facilitates tutorial classes free of cost. "A larger focus is paid to slum areas. Through counselling sessions, parents will be nudged to readmit their wards to schools. Also, our fight includes facilitating payment from the respective management for the child labourer engaged in hazardous industries," Hari Venkata Ramana adds. Three years back, the issue of pending payments to be given to child labourers was brought to the notice of the National Commission for the Rights of the Child. However, the issue remained unresolved.

Ahead of the 'World Day against Child Labour' observed on June 12, the organisation representatives mention that their fight to protect the rights of the children will continue.