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DIVE INTO THE OCEAN OF KNOWLEDGE!

From Editor's Desk

Once I read the three qualities for Training: Great Faith, Great Doubt, Great Efforts. Faith builds channels of trust and affection but it’s the positive influence, motivation and inspirations that stir the soul. There is great doubt when one is not sure of his own mission but once the goal is in vision, efforts to grab the moon land to catch the stars. It is on these three qualities that one can also think on humanitary grounds for the human and community development. In the process of thoughts, at least some action can be channelised and in process of action, the deprived and poverty stricken children can come out of the trauma of misery, illiteracy and neglect. We cant change the world but sure, we can make a little difference by our action to Stop Child Labour.

Kidsfreesouls stand beside people who are concerned and bring ‘parivartan’ in the lives of deprived kids. Send us your concerned views, activities, competitions, etc. to Stop Child Labour. Kidsfreesouls may also send your poems  expressing your feelings for the deprived children.

ilaxi

World Literacy Day Observed on 8th September 2003. Spread the word "Education without Exposure and Experience is Incomplete"
Get Literate - Stop Child Labor.

As we say of World Literacy Day, the first thing that comes in mind is that "Education without Exposure and Experience is Incomplete!"

The growing technicalization of society has brought increasing demands for literacy which the schools educationists are hard pressed to meet in present times. Schools are sure to a headway run into a profession rathar than educational institutes imparting education! A higher level of literacy is need in business and industry too, in the armed forces and even in every day life. Today's education is on threshold - more degrees, more percentages but lack of moral values.Better Education leads to better understanding, to lead a private and social life in a healthy way. Lack of knowledge leads to disasters, morally and mentally - a breakdown, leading to misunderstandings, lack of unity and harmony. Also more poverty, destructive minds, chaos and confusion, imbalanced minds and the like! It is the need of the hour to understand that Education is a process complete with Exposure and Experiences and Experiences afterall, are the best teachers in Life! The most important factor is developing reading habits which is almost neglected part in the life of a student as he mugs his way through the lessons to get the scores.The reading ability needed to comprehend materials important to daily living such as income tax forms and newspapers has been estimated to be as high as the 12th grade level. As such, to be illiterate is lack of ability to read and write. Words and printed symbols carry the message that a person understand as their eyes move across to read the written matter. As such, with the latest technology development such as computers, people sort for learning of computers but forget in the process to be literate and update with latest information and lack awareness. The basic literacy is must for any person. In 1971, some 780 million people over the age of 15 were illiterate. The 25 poorest nations of the world have rates of illiteracy in excess of 80 percent. Now, as years roll, the illiteracy rate is getting lower but yet, there is dire need esp. for the children who labor for money work wee hours without getting any education. It is a fundamental right to be literate for modern development and democracy. As such, the Gujarat Govt. has given priorities with the promotional campaigns to spread Literacy which has been effective through the newspapers, TV media and other sourses.

"Beware! Don't brand yourself as an Educated Idiot!"

If you are literate, educate at least one child who needs to learn the basics or at least one can try to encourage and cultivate reading habits among children who are lost in textual lessons.
Be a HIP (Home Instructional Programmer) with Blossomsmile ilaxi's Swagat Children Library Worksheets online! Help kids - wherever you live!

“To the West, to the West, to the land of the free
Where mighty Missouri rolls down to the sea;
Where a man is a man if he’s willing to toil,
And the humbles may gather the fruits of the soil”

In the United States, a civilization was carved out of the  wilderness by the labor of the people. A powerful, modern nation emerged through the toil of its pioneers and the work of its industrial force. Working conditions have not always been what they are today. For many years, the tremendous wealth and power of the few men combined to make virtual slaves of the workers in industry. But the self-respect of these workers gave birth to the world’s first large-scale organizations of labor.

At the suggestion of Peter J. McGuire, a leader in two labor organizations, ‘Labor Holiday’ was first celebrated in New York on Septermber 5, 1982, to honor ‘the industrial spirit, the great vital force of the nation’. In 1894, the United States Government honored the labor unions, the workers and the dignity of work by proclaiming Labor Day, the first Monday in September, a National Holiday.

However, all credits for the Labor Day went to Sameul Gompers, the soul behind the justice sort for workers, nicknamed ‘The Grand Old Man of Labor’. He knew the distress of the working man and his devotion to what he called 'the holy cause of labor' made a common working class lot get their human rights at the work place.

As a kid, words of one of the cobbler worker lodged in his brain "God, I've no work to do. My wife, my kids want bread, and I've no work to do"

At ten, he worked as apprentice to a shoe-maker and as his father was in Cigarmakers which had society, he joined the Cigarmakers job. When Civil war broke,out of starvation, Sam and his father left England for America. There he started work Cigarmaking but threat came when a tool was invented for molding cigars and the craftsman skill was not needed. The workers thought that the machines would destroy them but Sam thought that to destroy machines, wheels of progress will stop. But soon depression paralyzed the industries and through blizzards of Winter, Samuel Gomper saw the lines of men outside the free-soup kitchens. The answer of this cry was forming of permanent strong unions till there continued development with Unions fighting for worker rights.

Children with Lost Dreams !
- Kidsfreesouls
As Labor Day is observed on 1st September, its all 'Thanx' to Sam Grompers who started the movement and gave working class a voice. He fought for worker's welfare and trade unions flourished. Labor problems occur all over the world and child labor has become a great concern esp. in India.Child Labour Day was observed in Ahmedabad some time ago in June 2003. As quoted by Ravi Saxena, Secretary of the Dept.of Social Justice and Empowerment, "The definition of street children covers destitute, orphaned and neglected children. It becomes very difficult to determine the numbers of such children. We work with the NGOs as there has been estimated 18 million street children in India."
Estimated 40 Million in Latin America and over 100 Million world wide.  How many are there in Ahmedabad? No figure can be concluded. However, as per the survey of NGOs, the number could be 3600 plus (on average 300 plus children are covered under NGOS). On many cross roads in city, a glimpse of struggle, abuse and humiliation of kids is found.  The traffic personnel are already over-pressed with problems of traffic violation and attempting to discourage these children from begging at traffic signals. Keshav Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police, promises to look into this serious problem and has many plans on the shelves for the betterment of the street children. In unity with 'Prayas', an aid center, he plans to work for upliftment for such kids.   In association with Govt. & NGOs, Education, Vocation, Training & Health are prime key areas of development work for kids. Meanwhile life on street goes on which speaks of struggle, exploitation and often sexual and physical abuse.Inspite of Mid day meal schemes by govt, children are found eating from plastic packets and off the road, begging for a piece of bread!  In the year 2002, out of 3000 children under examination, 70 percent were found illiterate and  48 percent kids were infected by STD (Sexually transmitted diseases). The NGOs efforts are praise worthy in Ahmedabad and the many of them cover up education & creative activities for the deprived kids. The NGOs reach them their way providing education, rehabilitation, healthcare and counselling.

List of NGOs
Indian Council of Social Welfare
Rachamak Abhigam Trust
Ayush Foundation
Akhand Jyot Foundation Trust
Andh Apang Kalyan Kendra
Disha Darshan Seva Trust
Ahmedabad City Social Group
Maninagar Balkanji Bari
Sarjan
Pantni Sheri Seva Sangh
Manav Sadhna

Children - A Distress Call

Child Labor is widespread in India - Why India? Almost all over the world! The poverty has become a compulsion for many families that a child carries the work burdern instead of school books so as to earn the bread and butter for a living. Policy makers think that Child labor is a harsh reality that it is inevitable for poor children to work. So they concentrate on the more 'exploitative' aspects of child labor. Shanta Sinha, the Ramon Magsaysay Award winner for Community Leadership, founder of MVP helped over 2.41 Lac village children get regular education only in Andhra Pradesh. They introduced the unique concept of community teachers who double as child labor activisits, thus ensuring children's attendance at schools. If all support such activities, more children over the world would not be facing the trauma of illiteracy. Child labor is seen as private issue. Girls are more vulnerable because Indian value system has a gender bias. But counselling can convince and break the pattern of their thinking. Government concentrate more on exploitative aspects of child labor and the employment emphasis attention on industries like carpet weaving, glass and match factories, agriculture, etc other than hazardous work. At International Conferences, Policy makers often argue that there are limited resources so they focus on the worst affected children. It should be made a compulsion that all Children must go to school at least for 2 to 3 hours per day or even per week whatever occupation they and their parents are doing and the poor should be taught free. Groups of educated adult groups engaged in social cause may be motivated to teach such kids and their parents too. The Distress Call is alarming when the age of technology advances and if delayed, no wonder could be a day when culprits can be traced in every nook and corner.Many people getting jobless, poverty to rise, beggars nuisance on Indian streets - no wonder kids can be the 'Target victims' for want of a morsel of bread.

E-mail Me your views, comments
or tales of kids hooked up to child labor - Their experiences, your thoughts, their parents plights. Kidsfreesouls is 'Listening'