Long working hours is now history for fourteen-year-old Ruby. Motivation and support has made this girl child labour from O.Kovilpatti village, Virudhunagar district (India) reach high school.
The year 2007 was a turning point for Ruby, who at one time was forced out of school because of impoverished situation.
When children stopped going to school, World Vision staff, M.Palanichamy thought, “Ruby needs to go back to school”.
At 9, Ruby lost her father and poverty forced her to stop school and start to work at a local match factory, while her mother struggled to make ends meet for Ruby and her brother.
Until a year ago, Ruby had to paste chemical paper in matchboxes and arrange matchsticks for long hours from morning to late evening. “It was very tiring, after work, I would sleep and could not play or chat with my friends like other school going girls. My dream of schooling spoiled” – says Ruby.
World Vision’s constant motivation, support provided to renovate her damaged house and notebooks, uniform and tuition fee given to her proved to have changed the world of this aspiring, girl. “Now my dreams have started sprouting” she smiles. At school, Ruby is seen as obedient, helpful and team player. Ruby’s mother admired with Ruby’s future plan to become a doctor and believe in her daughter’s education.
Parents believed that sending the girl children to the school is waste of time, and wanted the children to earn. With the child’s earnings they want to fulfill the commitment of marriage expenses and dowry. Now in the community, girl’s education is a priority.
Education has started to positively change the life of the child labour families in 30 villages, where Virudhunagar Child Labour Prevention Program works. As a result of behaviour change programs carried out in the villages – people have started to send their children from work place to schools.
Women were working in unorganized labour sectors. Now they have started to organized in to civil societies, taken up entrepreneurial activities with World Vision’s financial assistance, save, lend & revolve among the members with the savings and relieved from the burden of moneylender’s exploitation. They have started think of “Education – The Basic Right of the Child”.
In the child labour endemic Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, known for its match and fireworks industry, more children are pulled out of work and are enrolled in school by Virudhunagar Child Labour Prevention Project.
Education is a clear barrier against child labour and World Vision promotes total school enrollment, educating families and communities on importance of education, awareness camps for children, strengthens day care and preschool for children below six years (ICDS), capacity building for school teachers and promoting access to higher education.
In 30 villages in this region, World Vision creates livelihood options/alternatives, enhance the accessibility to education and rehabilitate & reintegrate the child labourers.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation working to create lasting change in the lives of children, families and communities living in poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, caste, race, ethnicity or gender.
