Collaborative action for child rights at brick kilns

Aide et Action (ABA), in collaboration with Unicef, Odisha and the Women & Child Development (W&CD) department, has extended its innovative care and education model for migrant children in brick kilns to Ganjam district, following its successful implementation in Khurda and Cuttack.

- POST NEWS NETWORK

Since 2022-23, with support from the District Labour Office (DLO), Ganjam, 17 brick kiln owners have set up child care and learning centres, benefiting nearly 1,000 migrant children. Children under six are being cared for at worksites, while those aged 6 to 14 are being integrated into formal education through the Non-Residential Seasonal Hostel (NRSH) scheme under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

Initially constrained by the absence of budget provisions in Ganjam, advocacy by AEA led to the identification of 242 eligible children, prompting the Odisha government to allocate funds under the SSA’s seasonal hostel scheme for the district for the first time.