Child labor in the textile industry is a well-known problem in the Tirupur region of South India. Growth in this industry in recent years has also meant more child workers. Aloysius is doing his utmost to counter this.
Aloysius is director of project partner SAVE. This gentle and endearing man is truly our hero in the field of child and labor rights. He talks to the factory owners in the textile factories and saves children from the factory and the street. He inspires, is energetic and works hard to give every child a chance at education.
“The Bridge Schools run by SAVE make learning more interesting, and in a language that the children can understand. The project will bring about a lasting change, better care, good education, health and training in life skills, reducing the number of migrant children on streets. ”
A. Aloysius, SAVE
No education is not an option. He makes a difference with his right hand Mary and all other staff. Threats and false accusations from factory owners to his address are not uncommon. That does not stop him from continuing his work.
Joyful Education
In fact, his ambitions are greater than ever. With the arrival of the Green Park Smart School, he makes good education possible for all children. Joyful education, to be precise; every child should also be able to be a normal child. Cheerful colors on the walls. Many sports and games activities. Attention to the environment and sustainability. For example, the school runs entirely on solar energy.
Every child a chance
Aloysius is most proud of the Bridge Schools. The bridging education for ex-child workers and migrant children, in which we as Net4kids invest, gives him the feeling that he can give every child the opportunity to go to school. And it prevents these children from ending up behind the loom or with their little hands removing coconut in the oil industry.
SAVE projects
Project: Bridging education for ex-child workers
Children who come out of a child labor situation cannot simply be placed in the regular education system. They are lagging behind in their development. That is why a bridging year in the 'Bridge Schools' of SAVE is necessary before they can go to a regular school.
Project: Vocational education for ex-child workers
This project helps children who have been rescued from child labor situations to develop further after basic training. The vocational education center, which has existed since 2011, trains young people to become, for example, electricians or certified clothing makers. Professions that are highly desirable in and around Tirupur.
Saada: Success kid
We invest in opportunities. Ensuring that children have the opportunity to develop; to make a difference. We would like to introduce you to Saada.
Saada grew up in the poor community of Mtakuja. Our local project partner FT Kilimanjaro has given her the opportunity to develop. Thanks to a nutritious school lunch, good teaching materials, and an enthusiastic classroom teacher, Saada is now a self-reliant adult woman.
She recently returned to Mtakuja. With a diploma as an electrician in your pocket. As a 'Sales & Installation agent' of a Solar Company.
We are proud.
Together with her colleagues, she now supplies solar energy to more than 3000 households in the region. Saada makes a sustainable contribution to her community and has her own income: double profit. Her next wish is to start a family.
Our wish is that she does not have to worry about medical facilities in her village. We want to remove these concerns with the 'Mama Bus'.
As far as we are concerned, the 'Mama Bus' will be driving around her region in 2017 to provide support for the first 1000 days of her child.
