SMART has been running literacy centers for children of migrant labour in the Brick kilns or Bhattas of Mewat, Haryana, since January 2011. Out of the total of 89 Bhattas, SMART has centers in 21 of them. The literacy program at the Bhattas is sponsored by the Department of Education, Haryana, under the aegis of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan( SSA) or Education for All. In an innovative practice, the Haryana government decided to target the children of the migratory workforce that sustains these kilns. However, imparting education, in extremely hostile conditions, to children of a rapidly moving labour force is fraught with all kinds of problems and challenges.

Largely from the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and even West Bengal, these workers usually work for six to eight months on the kilns and with the onset of monsoon return home or look for fresh pastures . Except for the labour from Rajasthan, rest move with their entire family and their meager belongings from one place to another. One labourer can earn around Rupees 600 to 700 per day , though only if his entire family contributes in his work even the young children! Even though it is punishable by law to allow children in the age group of 6-14 years to work , this law is followed more in violation. Difficult economic circumstances compel the entire family to work.

Workers live in sub-human conditions. They live in temporary shelters made out of bricks in which even the basis amenities are not provided. There are just one or two hand pumps to be shared between 50-75 families. Workers are paid on the basis of the number of bricks they make in a day, which puts enormous pressure on them to start their day very early - leaving no time for rest in even extreme weather conditions.

In Haryana, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been tasked to run this program and centers and they find many of the poblems daunting and forbidding. Nature of brick kilns or Bhattas is such that there is no covered place to run the centers. Classes have to be conducted in the open, under the blazing sun. Most of the kiln workers are never keen to send their children to the center as they see no purpose of this education. For them earning a few hundred rupees is the only reason why they migrate, and sending their older children to study means a loss in their daily earnings. With the implementation of National Employment Guarantee Scheme, Bhattas have been seeing a significant fall in numbers of the migratory labour force as they can now earn more money in their villages. This has resulted in increased mobility of labour even in Mewat to get the best wages. It is a norm to find labour moving out from one Bhatta to another, for just a difference of a few rupees.

May be a provision of mid day meals for the students could bring about a positive difference in attendance and participation, but the Mewat administration is yet to implement the scheme.

SMART has been working in Mewat since the last 10 years in the field of education and women empowerment. Recently, it launched Its community radio station, Radio Mewat , which runs regular programs on the importance of education,hygiene, thrift etc. In an innovative practise, SMART is using Radio Mewat to reach out to the workers of Bhattapathshalas and convince them about the importance of education. With the radio becoming very popular amongst Bhatta workers , SMART is confident that more and more parents will send their childen to these education centers.

Looking forward to connecting soon, with more news from dusty Mewat.

Happy Holi

Archana Kapoor
and Team of SMART