250 million children in India are currently working to help suppor their family's meager incomes. Child labour results in lost childhood, cheap labour, longer working hours, violation of rights, deprived of even primary education. Saath aims at empowering these children through an effective and sustainable process.

Most of these children are rag pickers, domestic servants, tea stalls workers, road side dabhas, and vegetable sellers. Saath has designed a unique 4 hour non- formal education course for these children in our child friendly centers that allows students to still contribute to daily earnings. The long term aim is to mainstream these children through formal education. They receive basic nutrition, health and education encouraging them to pursue formal education . Initially, families were very hesitant but they now support the program, realizing that education is a platform to break the vicious cycle of poverty where they find themselves trapped.

Your contributions to the Child Labour Program will be used to provide educational opportunities to more children, help fund faculty salaries and to invest in new infrastructure. For example, a contribution of Rs. 1,000 would sponsor one child labourer for six months of education. In addition, your donation can help us expand our advocacy on behalf of child labourers.

For more information, please contact Chinmayi at chinmayi@saath.org.