Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA)

Battle against child labour and child slavery in IndiaBBA

KidsRights' partner Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) has been fighting against serious forms of child labour in India for over 30 years. Child slavery and exploitation are an everyday reality for millions of children in India. These children work in appalling conditions of exploitation and child abuse. BBA's work ranges from direct liberation actions to information campaigns in villages and change of national legislation on child labour.

Liberation and care for children

With the support of KidsRights, BBA is able to rescue around 1.000 children a year from bonded labour. These children are temporarily accomodated in a shelter (Mukti Ashram), where they get medical and psychological help. In addition, BBA assists the children with the legal procedures, such as applying for a birth certificate. With an official birth certificate the children will be legally recognised which enables them to claim their rights.

The goal is that all children eventually return home, if possible. Some of the children cannot return to their families, for example if they cannot attend school in their community. Depending on their situation, they stay in the family setting home of BBA (Bal Ashram), for one to several years. While living in the Bal Ashram, they go to school and prepare for a future without childlabour. Of course, the children remain where possible in contact with their parents and the parents are involved in their children's lives.

Child Friendly Villages

Besides the activities of BBA focused on the liberation and rehabilitation of child slaves, BBA has a programme which focuses on preventing child labour. Prevention through education and poverty reduction is the key to a future without child slavery.

KidsRights supports the development of 20 child friendly villages (Bal Mitra Gram) in Lakhimpur Kheri in the region of Uttar Pradesh. A village can be called a child friendly village called when all child labourers are removed from work, all children go to school and children's participation is taken seriously, partly by setting up a children's parliament. The adults of the villages also benefit, because the organisation works with them to increase employment, increase access to public services and empower the population.

The development of child friendly villages is a process that takes two to three year to complete. In the region 50 villages were mapped in the first 6 months. The 20 villages where the occurrence of child labor was highest and children’s school attendance was lowest, were chosen for the development of child friendly villages. BBA has worked two years in these villages with very good results. In these villages a total 794 children were removed from child labour and a total of 1761 children not yet attending school, now attend school. In addition, through the programme classrooms were built, clean drinking water was provided in schools and teachers were appointed.

The programme of the child friendly villages will be rolled out in several regions of India. A total of 317 child friendly villages have been formed since 2001.

Exceptional children

Om Prakash, the Children's Peace Prize winner of 2006, is one of the children who were freed by BBA and are cared for in the Bal Ashram. He has now finished high school. Another special child is Devli. She was born in slavery and did not really have a childhood until she was rescued by BBA. She now lives with her parents and goes to school with her friends. These children show the exceptional strength that children have to develop themselves, even after having been deprived of the most basic care and attention. 

KidsRights supports a part of the running costs of BBA. KidsRights does this in cooperation with partner Wilde Ganzen. Wilde Ganzen adds a substantial premium to the results of the fundraising of KidsRights which enables KidsRights to achieve more together, for the vulnerable children in India.