Creating awareness on child labour in Delhi

World Vision India last week held a daylong event as part of its 'Delhi Child Restoration Project' to observe World Day Against Child Labour. The event was aimed at creating awareness and encouraging former child labourers to continue their fight against the exploitative practice.

The Delhi Child Restoration project has been working towards restoring the childhood of about 5000 street and working children in central Delhi by maintaining the chief four components of Child Rights viz, survival, development, protection and participation.

The event witnessed as many as 100 children participating in different activities held throughout the day. The highlights of the event included plays, songs, quiz, testimonies by former child labourers, drawing competition and a rally. The audience comprising both children and women from SHG groups responded enthusiastically and participated actively in all the sessions.

The testimonies of five children sharing their experience as former child labourers ignited hope among many present. Dev, one of the five happily shared, "I don't go begging anymore because now I go to school. Earlier I like begging but now I don't like it anymore". Lajja, one of the parents, said "we didn't know what education was earlier. All children in my community were either begging or picking rags. But now they are all going to school."

The audience enjoyed a play performed by one of the children theatre groups on the theme 'End Child Labour'. Children were asked to draw pictures, depicting their experience of child labour. The outcome was both diverse and interesting. While explaining their drawings, children amazed the audience with their ideas and thoughts.

The children also took part in a rally from Rani Jhansi Chowk to Paharganj Police Station. During the rally children raised awareness through slogans and distributed pamphlets calling for support to 'End Child Labour'.