ASSIST, an NGO working for the development of poor and marginalised communities in rural areas, has reported a significant improvement in school attendance as a result of its programs directed at reduction and elimination of the use of child labour by tobacco growers. The project undertaken by ASSIST in collaboration with Philip Morris International (PMI) on “Prevention of Child labour and Rural Development in tobacco growing villages of Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka” is focused on school infrastructure development to promote school attendance, income generation activities and building awareness.
As of now, the program has resulted in children from 62 communities in 57 villages attending school regularly. Around 13400 have started attending school regularly, thereby moving out of the farm workforce. Awareness programs have reached out to over 4530 children through child-to-child workshops. Awareness rallies and cultural programs involving over 12650 children have sensitized around 78000 villagers against child labour. Conducting ‘after school’ programs during peak growing season in over 45 schools have discouraged farmers from involving children in the farms.
India has a large number of economically active children, estimated at 4.35 million (5-14 years) by the Census of India in 2011. Worldwide 60 per cent of all child labourers in the age group 5-17 years work in agriculture, including farming, fishing, aquaculture, forestry, and livestock. The majority of child labour are unpaid family members.
New Delhi, November 19, 2020
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