Scholarships and learning materials to pursue education were handed over to poor children and former child workers at a function organised by Udhavum Ullangal, a Chennai-based service organisation, at Kalaimagal Higher Secondary School, Tiruthangal, on Sunday.
The ‘gift of education’ was presented to former child workers recovered by the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) by C. Ramasubramanian, State Nodal Officer, District Mental Health Programme, and B. Ramachandran, District Educational Officer. T. Narayanasamy, Project Officer, NCLP, addressed the gathering.
The children, who received the scholarship, included those who had scored high marks in this year’s public examinations.
B. Shankar Mahadevan, founder, Udhavum Ullangal, said that the organisation had been providing assistance to children from underprivileged background to pursue education for the last 15 years. In Sivakasi, the focus had been on former child workers. Mentorship sessions were being held in Sivakasi once in two months to guide the children. Sessions at these classes were handled by those pursuing higher education with assistance from Udhavum Ullangal.
Mr. Shankar Mahadevan pointed out that two women, who were rescued from child labour by the NCLP, were now working as nurses in Tirunelveli, after qualifying themselves in nursing with Udhavum Ullangal assistance. The award of scholarship could be extended further with assistance from philanthropists of Virudhunagar and Sivakasi, he said.
