In Bihar, one of the poorest states of India, bonded labour of children is particularly widespread. Far away from home the children often work as cheap employees in the brick or carpet production. Workshops are supposed to help the village community to find a way out of poverty and to protect their children against bonded labour.

Madhubani and Araria, two districts in Bihar, suffer from overpopulation and poverty like the entire federal state. Besides, there is hardly any industry in Bihar. Many parents feel impelled to give their children away to the agents of the carpet and brick producers, who regularly come to their villages, to work for them. Then the children live in distant federal states in bonded labour where they have pledged their rights and services to the employer and often have to work for years under abusive conditions, without any prospect of education. To support the village communities in the fight against poverty and this worst form of abusive child labour, together with local project partners Label STEP has set up trainings and informational events. Workshops were held in 16 municipalities. During those seminars the population was sensitised about saving groups and micro-credits as effective means to fight poverty. The education of parents about what bonded labour means for their children in particular was central.

Children are reintegrated

In the course of the project more than 70 children could be released from bonded labour and were brought back to their villages and families. It was important to Label STEP that after their return the children were especially cared for and could attend a school. Since the beginning of the project no more cases of bonded labour were announced in the region. Even more so: The families whose children worked in bonded labour have taken them back and from the region where the project ran no more children get into bonded labour. Meanwhile, the adults have organised themselves in 15 support groups which enables them to raise credit. The village communities were strengthened considerably. After the expiry of the project duration the successful programme could be handed over to the local government for continuation and thus its sustainability could be ensured.