News that Matter

I read the story in The Economic Times about the rescue of over a 100 children from Som Distelleries in Madhya Pradesh by activists from Bachpan Bachao Andolan - India (BBA). A short blurb from this article:

Wearing jeans and tee shirt, 14 year old Vineet sits with a slight stoop at his home. He says he dropped out of school. Instead of going to class, the thin boy would reach the distillery at 8 am and work till 5 pm. After a long day of strenuous, hazardous work, he would go home with Rs 350. He saw the hands of his friends had turned white, the skin had peeled. “It could have been the chemicals,” he says. He worked there only for a fortnight, before he was rescued. On June 15, a team of officials of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), a nonprofit founded by Kailash Satyarthi, rescued 59 children—39 boys and 20 girls—from the distillery.

First, I'm glad that mainstream media is finally carrying such stories. And yet, why is this a Page 5 story and not front page? Is this not more important than Zepto's latest funding round or the India Russia summit?

I was fortunate to spend my early professional years working with such organisations, which has shaped my approach to life and work and acknowledge my privilege. And I'm writing this as my attempt to get more of us to reach out to donate your money, time/skills (at least once in two weeks?) and connections.

They don't have PR budget or media skills that we see commonly in Corporate India. Here I'm sharing some of the work done by my favorite organisations:

1. Bachpan Bachao Andolan - India has been working for more than 40 years to prevent child labour, child trafficking and child marriage. The images I share below are from 2014 of one of the hundreds of Bal Panchayats that they have facilitated where the children are advocating for their rights with the local govt leaders. 

2. Apne Aap Women's Collective works to eliminate sex trafficking since 25+ years, working with the women in areas such as Kamathipura in Mumbai. Years back when I interacted with the women from AAWC, I was struck with their thinking and how activiely they sought help from AAWC so that their children go to school and have a better future.

3. CORO INDIA is one of my favorites, who over the last 25 years are helping women through adult literacy and civic education to solve for their own issues, issues such as domestic violence.

4. Magic Bus India Foundation uses sport, mainly football activities to help children from marginalised communities learn key life skills such as self confidence and resilience.

5. Arpan NGO addresses the taboo issue of child sexual abuse through policy advocacy and by training teachers, parents and children to speak up and seek help.