Bettalasur in North Bangalore is home to granite quarry workers. The children accompany their parents to work and are forced to stay around the granite quarry, being exposed to the hazardous conditions there. The children, exposed to dust and chemicals from the quarry, are also susceptible to injuries because of falling/broken stones. They are deprived of early child hood care and exposure to schooling and learning environments.
India Literacy Project presented a proposal to the BEA foundation and was awarded a grant to provide care for children as the women are working and unable to provide required care for the children. Establishing and running these centers aligned with BEA foundations goals of providing basic services to children, providing a safe and supportive environment for children to grow and develop and increased availability and quality of early care for children. The Early Childhood Centers also ensure that the children are ready to start formal school education at the right age.
Paraspara Trust an NGO and long time partner of ILP was chosen to implement this project. It was decided to start child care centers at Devanahalli in Bettalasur village. Locations for four centers were identified with the help of the community and classes started in them. Four huts were arranged for running the centers in these locations. Teachers and helpers from the same locality have been employed and trained in preparing appropriate learning materials.
Opening of child care centers
The opening of these centers in June 2007 marked happy moments for the parents and the children. The parents were enthralled about their children being in safe surroundings, and the children eager to spend their days learning and playing in these centers. The first phase of the project is supporting around 120 children in the various centers. The population of 1500 in this area is largely composed of migrant workers from the neighboring states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
There are 25 to 30 children between the ages of 2 and 7 enrolled in each center. The centers are operational from 9.30 am to 4 pm and they also provide nutritional lunch for the children. Each center has a teacher and a helper. The children are exposed to music, arts and drawn into the world of alphabets and numbers. Assured that their children are protected from the hazards of the quarry, provided nutritional food and provided with an opportunity to learn and educate themselves; the parents proceed to their daily jobs after dropping of the children at these centers.
