“I came from a broken family and stopped education while in a primary class. One day, the field staff of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP), who came to my village noticed me roaming in streets, took me along with them, offered new clothes and admitted me in the Special Training Centre (STC), run under the NCLP. Thanks to the project, which gave me a fresh lease of life, now I completed my MBA,” says Nagamani, who is searching for a job.
Another girl, a domestic help, Rama Lakshmi, who completed SSC and also a vocational course, is running a lamination centre at a bank, and is leading a decent life. She recalled how the NCLP officials helped her complete school education and imparted vocational training.
Likewise, there are many children who completed intermediate, graduation, lab technician, engineering and other courses. Now, they settled in their lives and secured jobs in different companies, while a few have set up their own business, says NCLP Krishna district Project Director (PD) D. Anjaneya Reddy.
“In the last 10 years, more than 1,000 children were mainstreamed and admitted in the regular schools and colleges from the STCs. The NCLP is providing a stipend of ₹400 per month for each student and implementing Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme,” the PD says while thanking the district administration for the support.
Vocational courses
"We focus on imparting vocational training for students along with academics. Vocational courses are a must for all students in the NCLP Schools (STCs) and separate instructors have been appointed under the project in all schools," says Mr. Reddy.
“We introduced painting works, bouquet making, pottery, interior decoration, phenol and surf making and other courses in our schools. The courses have good demand. Collector A.Md. Imtiaz, who interacted with our students complimented them for their talent,” says NCLP coordinator B. Prasanna.
Focus on girl child
About 50 % of the students of the NCLP Schools are girls and most of them are from poor and broken families. The students have been picked up from slums, nomads, disturbed families and beggars. NCLP has set up schools in their localities and rural areas, the PD says.
“At present, 450 students are studying in 16 STCs. Our students are participating in ‘Badi Pilustondi’, ‘Badi Bata’, ‘Ammaku Vandanam’, ‘Manam Vanam’, ‘Awareness on Amma Vodi’, ‘Jagananna Kanti Velugu’, ‘Girl Child Literacy’ and other government programmes.”
The response for vocational courses is overwhelming. Children from Yanadi, Yerukala, Chenchus and Gujarati and Sindh communities are enrolled in the NCLP Schools. Meetings are being conducted for better teacher-parent coordination, according to vocational teachers K. Padma and K. Aruna.
