action five e.V. Bonn

​India has the highest number of child labourers in the world – estimated to be between 44 and 100 million. A hotspot for child labour is Tirupur in Tamil Nadu, where textiles are manufactured for export. 40,000 or so children under 14 slave away here, making up around 14% of the workforce. Children are a popular choice as labourers, because they are paid less than adults. The children often have to work 12- to 21-hour days. The working conditions are wholly unsuitable for children and have a detrimental effect on their health, leaving them with long-term physical and psychological damage. The high workload means that regular attendance at school is out of the question.

SAVE (“Social Awareness and Voluntary Education”) campaigns against child labour within this system that is geared towards child exploitation. SAVE aims to create a social conscience among the general public, particularly with regard to child labour and voluntary, informal training for child labourers, street children and those who have had to drop out of school.
Mr. Aloysius, the project manager uses a variety of creative methods in his attempts to convince parents, politicians and the general public that children do not belong in the factory but need education and training. SAVE makes home visits to parents whose children have to work in the factories and undertakes political lobbying (press releases, conferences, etc.).
SAVE has established several evening schools which offer informal training. For International Children’s Day, SAVE organises demonstrations of child labourers.
During school registration periods, SAVE runs campaigns to motivate children to attend school. At the same time, other public campaigns (leaflets, posters, banners, street theatre, newspaper articles) serve to highlight the importance of a school education.
Education and public relations work represent an effective strategy for tackling child labour in collaboration with other organisations.
 
SAVE can be contacted directly at tirusave@hotmail.com