As part of our special feature on A Better Approach to Child Work, we asked the Concerned for Working Children, an NGO in India, for help putting together a small collection of first-person testimonies from children working in India today. We wanted readers to hear their stories in their own words (albeit translated into English). These testimonies were originally gathered at an April 2021 event titled ‘Children: Ambassadors of Change’.* Speaking from New Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka, working children highlighted how Covid-19 has aggravated their situations. And, if matters are not resolved with the urgency they deserve, how they will suffer gravely as a result.
I am Rohith Sakthi, a Vidiyal Child Rights Movement member in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Covid-19 and lockdown forced us into desperation and poverty. Before the pandemic, I was doing a part-time job, but I took up a full-time job to support the family's income. When I see a child under 14 working in hazardous occupations, I report it to ChildLine, which helps children by providing suitable rehabilitative solutions. If a child must work to support their family, we ensure that the child is in a safe environment and gets adequate wages by involving a facilitating organisation.
I want my children’s movement to support both education and work. There should be a balance between both, so that the child can earn and support their family while continuing their education. The government must provide education for all children below the age of 18. Poverty is the root cause for many children taking up jobs, so the government should design programmes to eliminate poverty for children. This would help them to continue their education.
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