Follow up visit for Project Freedom (Bonded laborers)
District: Nagapattinam
Site visit made: On 29th August 2005
Asha Volunteers:, M.Sathya Priya, L.Dhanalakshmi,N.Raj Jeba Durai, Biju and Pranati (Asha Assam) along with Siddamma
The Bonded Labour School was in Pallavakam in Thrivallur and all the bonded labour families or in one village before they were in different villages but the government had allotted the land for the bonded labour families so all the families have been shifted in one place more that 130 families are there and the total children are 142 in that village.
In Red hills area there are 650 rice mills, the RDO officer have revised and checked all the rice mills and and 650 families was released sofar. And 130 families have received the release certificate and also the composition amount of Rs 1000 has been given. And also after the investigation of the government each family gets 20,000Rs from the government. And also with the help of government they have given the land for 49 families in pallavakkam. The government has provided the water facility and the bore well was also done. And also the minister of labour department has pledged to give the connection for electricity and the road for that village people and also they are planned to give ration card for that families. And there was a troop from the bonded labour families who have been trained for the drama and skit they go to various rice mills and play a drama about the bonded labour the group consists of 20members.
Now the familes are very happy and we can feel the happiness of the families and all the children are also happy
(1)How the project going?
Yes the project going very well and also he village which the government have given is good and sidhamma is planning for the model village for the bonded labour and she is working hard for the irula community and also they are very happy.
(2)How is the condition of people and children now?
The condition of the children and the people are improved than before they have the confident in there faces but the problem is they need to shift for some other job because to earn there livelihood, so Sidhamma is planning for there jobs and they have various ideas of work so the process is going on the children condition is also fine but they don’t have a school building yet, they have been teached with two teachers in a thatched hut, but as per the government rule they should do it. But they don’t have the building so they are planning for that also.
(3)How are they feeling for the current situations?
The feeling for the current situation was good but they need a alternative job for there living, so Bharathi trust is working on that I think with in a particular time they all will be settled in some other way they can.
(4)Why there isn't a permanent school building set up till now in spite of funds reaching Bharati Trust long time back?
There was no permanent school building because the money is not sufficient for them to build the school So far Rs80,000 have been sent to Bharathi trust but the nutrition for the children and the teachers honorarium and for the cooking helpers this funds have been utilized so there is no permanent school building.
(5)what is the current status?
The current status all the children was put in one hut and they have two teachers no school building and the class is going on and all the students looks bright they played a drama and told us the stories and they sing a song to us and all of them looks good and they have no good dress to wear I am working with some volunteers to provide clothes for them and also more over there all more small children from the age group of 2 to 6. and also the education is must for the kids to take them out from the bonded labour So I personally feel only the education can change there mind than any other .
(6)Any other issues you found.
There is no such issues as such, but we need to work on the education for the children, and we told very clear that the children should not work with the parents they have to go to the school, and also I personally see there are no issues but the government Is doing a great job in this, and thecollector of Thrivallur are taking immediate steps in this issues, and also all the work is been done through the government officials and this Place is named and registered as SK Nagar that is Sidhamma and Krishnan Nagar Krishnan is a leader of Irula Sarpam sangam working with Sidhamma for past 10 years amnd more he is a person working with the government people and taking care of this project. And he was a board member of the district government committee.
(7)I saw in a video Siddamma saying that they can be joined in government school which is a bit far away. Why do they need to join a govt. school which is far away when we sent some money for building a school?
The money which we have sent so far is Rs 80,000 and it have been used for nutrition for the children and teachers honourarium so Sidhamma have given a new proposal for building the school so it has attached below please take a look at this.
The Proposal Given By Sidhamma on the visit
S.No / Work Item / S.K Nagar / Total1. / No of children / 142 / 142
2. / School building construction / Rs.250000
3. / Conveyance for teachers / Rs.24000
4. / Nutrition / 142 children x 28 days x Rs.7 per child x 12 months = Rs333984 / Rs.333984
5. / Vessel for cooking / Rs.35000
6. / Teaching materials / Rs.50, 000
7. / Health Care / Rs.20, 000
8. / Playing materials / Rs.20, 000
9 / Teacher Training Programme / Rs.10, 000
10 / Enrollment expenses / Rs.26000
11 / Teachers Salary / 1500x2x12months / 36,000
12.Helper Salaries / 600x2x12months / 14,400
Total / 8,19384
Amount Received So for 80,000
Amount Spent on Nutrition and teachers honourium
The Number of children in bonded labour School
NameSexAge
1.NagarajM11
2.AjjinM12
3.VijayM06
4.VijayM08
5.SanjayanM10
6.Vinoth KumarM09
7.VenkatashM07
8.SanthanamM05
9.ChinnarajM06
10.SrinivasaluM09
11.ChellaiyaM05
12.PrabakaranM11
13.KaniyappanM15
14.KumerasanM12
15.AjithM07
16.SanthanamM07
17.VeluM05
18.PoyunuF09
19.AnjaliF07
20.DhanalakshmiF05
21.ShanthiF10
22.AmasaF11
23.GovindammalF09
24.AllamaluF09
25.DhanalakshmiF05
26.NarithiniF09
27.ShanthiF09
28.SangaviF11
29.SumithraF05
30.VijayashanthiF06
31.DeviF08
32.NathiyaF07
33.MariammalF06
34.NathiyaF17
35.KalaivaniF05
36.ArvindM02
37.GangaduraiM10
38 GovindaswamyM12
39.chinnarasuM04
40.MunnuswamyM09
41.NagappamM04
42.MagendranM05
43.RajeshM05
44.KokashM03
45.DineshM02
46.RajeshM04
47.ManikandanM04
48.RajeshM04
49.GovindarajM05
50.ManikandanM08
51.VinayaamM07
52.ManikandanM03
53.SathivelM11
54.SuriyaM02
55.ManikandanM12
56.ThirumurthyM15
57.PoomaniM02
58.RaviM02
59.BhaskarM03
60.ParasuramanM02
61.SekharM10
62.SivaM08
63.VijayM09
64.BoopathyM04
65.LakshmiF02
66.SivaM13
67.SimbuM02
68.SenjiramanM04
69.RajeshM03
70.SanjaykumarM13
71.KanniyappanM01
72.MunuswamyM12
73.ChallamuthuM02
74.SasikumarM14
75.PrakashM02
76.NagarajM02
77.MarriyappanM05
78.SaravananM05
79 ManikandanM03
80.MageshM10
81.GangaF04
82.MageshM03
83.SreeramaluM02
84.VijayM02
85.SivaM03
86.KanniyappanM03
87.KumerasanM02
88.ParavathiF06
89.SangeethaF06
90.EllammalF11
91.JoythiF03
92.DeepaF02
93.GayathiriF04
94.MuthuammalF09
95.NagammalF11
96.DeviF12
97.DeviF01
98.NagavalliF06
99.ValliammalF03
100.PriyaF02
101.ValliF06
102.AnithaF02
103.VasanthiF09
104.BharathiF04
105.MeenaF03
106.LavanyaF09
107.MaheshwariF02
108.SanmugapriyaF09
109.JoythilakshmiF12
110.KoysalyaF03
111.kalaF02
112.KavithaF02
113.NanthiniF04
114.ManjuF01
115.ChandraF02
116.MalliswariF10
117.EllamalF09
118.SeenjiammalF02
119.ManjulaF03
120.SoundarayaF02
121.MuthaammalF03
122.ChitraF04
123.LalyaF02
124.JayalakshmiF02
125.AmuthaF06
126.ParthipanM12
127.JayanthiF08
128.VasanthiF06
129.MarimuthuM05
130.SangeethaF06
131.MariammalF12
132.SivaM08
133.NanthiniF07
134.LakshmiF06
135.SangeethaF06
136.NanthiniF09
137.AlayaF06
138.NagamaniF13
139.MarimuthuM11
140.RajeshwariF09
141.ArunachalamM06
142.NagavalliF05
There have been more students than before and the proposal have been changed because they are put in one village and also there is no building facility for the school they are working with the government for the school building also.