Field Visit to WORD by Freedom Fund & Geneva Global

From September 2015, WORD has been implementing a Project to reduce the risks of young workers in Textile Industries in 50 villages in Pallipalayam & Trichengode blocks of Namakkal District with the support of Freedom Fund and Geneva Global. The project activities ultimately provide better protections to vulnerable populations to prevent cycles of various exploitations. 

Coordinated interventions will include: 

• Engaging with communities to improve access to education, training, and employment opportunities, and reinforcing community structures and social services to reduce vulnerability among adolescent girls and young workers.

• Working with district and state-level authorities to strengthen worker rights.

• Help families develop better economic opportunities and reduce their reliability on moneylenders and enable the government assistance schemes reach them effectively.

The officials from Geneva Global, Freedom Fund and C&A Foundation visited WORD on 28 October 2015 for project site visit. They interacted the community support group and the adolescent groups in E-Pudupalayam village in Pallipalayam block in Namakkal District. 

More on this project can be found at here.

PROGRAM TO REDUCE THE RISKS OF YOUNG WORKERS IN NAMAKKAL DISTRICT

With the financial support of Freedom Fund, US and with the collaboration with Geneva Global, US a new program has been launched in four districts in Tamilnadu viz Namakkal, Erode, Dindigul and Virudhunagar district to reduce the risks of young women in Textile Industries with 13 NGO partners.

Women’s Organisation in Rural Development (WORD), Leaf Society and Donbosco Anbu Illam are the implementing partners for this project in Namakkal District.

Textile Industries are the major source of income for most families in the district. Adolescent girls, young women, and migrant workers were recruited at spinning mills where the working condition was extremely exploitative.

Though the initiatives by the government had led to improvements in labour conditions, the problem continued to exist. The problems include, working overtime, restrictions on movement and communication with others, vulnerable to various exploitations and extremely low pay.

Hence, to reduce the young worker’s vulnerability to high-risk jobs, the NGOs will work alongside local government bodies and businesses to improve jobs for young women.

The concentrate co-ordinated efforts under this project are

• Engaging with communities to improve access to education, training, and employment opportunities, and reinforcing community structures and social services to reduce vulnerability among adolescent girls and young workers.
• Help families develop better economic opportunities and reduce their reliability on moneylenders and enable the government assistance schemes reach them effectively.
• Working with district and state-level authorities to strengthen young worker rights.

      The official launch of this project for Namakkal District held on 9th September 2015 at Hotel Coastal Residency, Namakkal which was jointly organised by WORD, Leaf Society & Donbosco Anbu Illam.

     Mrs. M. Renida Sarala, Director, WORD welcomed all. Mr. A. Balamurugan and Mr. A. K. Jaleel, Program Managers, Geneva Global delivered the key note address. Mr. C. Manjunathan, Inspector of Labour, Namakkal District, Dr. Sherin Philip, District Social Welfare Officer-Namakkal, Mrs. Anita Rosalin Mary, Deputy Director, Department of Industrial health & safety, Mr. M. Selvam, District Child Protection Officer, Namakkal,   Mr. A. B. Antony Jennit, Project Director, National Child Labour Project-Namakkal delivered the felicitation note. Fr. Amalopavaraj, Director, Donbosco Illam delivered the vote of thanks. 

F

End term review learnings of Project Blooming Buds

Mr. Thangaperumal, Country Manager- India and Mr. Ezekiel Kanavalli, Program Officer from Terre des Hommes, Netherlands have visited WORD from 12-13 August 2015 to consolidate the end term review learning of Project Blooming Buds- Stop Child Exploitation Project in Namakkal.

Terre des Hommes, Netherlands have supported Project Blooming Buds from October 2007. 

They have reviewed the documents, had interactions with the staff and visited the field sites to get to know the impact of the project. Here are a few snaps from their field visits. 

Tribute to our great leader

Tribute to our great leader Dr. APJ. Abdul Kalam!!

Visit by MSW Students from Kongu College of Arts & Science to WORD

The I Year MSW Students from Kongu College of Arts & Science, Perundurai have visited the administrative office of WORD at Pallipalayam on 29 July 2015 to get to know the social developmental activities of WORD. 

During the program, the students have interacted the staff to get detailed information on the ongoing projects. 

Mrs. M. Renida Sarala, Director, WORD explained about our history, thrust areas, management mechanisms including planning, implementation, monitoring & evaluation of programs. She also clarified their doubts. 

Appreciation for WORD

Geneva Global with the funding of Freedom Fund is about to roll out a Hotspot Program in Tamilnadu comprising Erode, Namakkal, Dindigul and Virudhunagar districts to end modern slavery practices in Textile Industries.

The implementers workshop was organised at CEEMA, Erode on 22 July 2015 in which WORD also participated. 

WORD was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for its dedication to the Community and Commitment to Stop Bonded and Forced Labour Practices within the Textile Industries in Namakkal District in Tamilnadu

Impact Evaluation

WORD implemented Project Blooming Buds with the support of Terre des Hommes, Netherlands from October 2007- September 2014. From October 2011 onwards the project focused on the children abuse and exploitation issues in poultry, power loom and brick kiln in Namakkal District with the core strategies on prevention, protection and prosecution. 

An impact evaluation has been carried out by Terre des Hommes, Netherlands to understand the impact of educational activities as a prevention mechanism against child exploitation among the project activities. 

Mrs. Joyathri Ray and Mrs. Kalpana Sathish, Consultants carried out the impact evaluation for WORD from 14-15, July 2015.

They had interactions with the project staff, met the target groups in the project sites, met the children in our short stay home for children, the network partners- National Child Labour Project (NCLP), District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), Namakkal, School Authorities- SBM Hr. Sec. School, Government Primary School- Porasapalayam, Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Namakkal as part of this impact evaluation. 

Training Program under Punarjagaran

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India has recently launched ‘Punarjagaran’- Mass Awakening Campaign for Youth Participation in Nation Development across India from 2nd October 2014. This will be held in 100 districts in our country which includes Namakkal District. 

The six day residential training program organised by Nehru Yuva Kendra, Namakkal under Punarjagaran Scheme for the youth club members of Nehru Yuva Kendra began in our training center from June 24, 2015.

‘Punarjagaran’ aims at creating awareness among youth and empower them to become active partners in nation building activities. 


The yearlong Campaign also aims to make aware and educate youth on key issues in thematic areas, provide information on the avenues for skill development, encourage and empower them with the spirit of nationalism and volunteerism. The thematic areas of the campaign are encouraging Nationalism, promoting “Swachh Bharat, Shramadaan” and popularizing the recently launched “Jan Dhan Yojana”. 

Special Yoga Training Program for Children

International Yoga Day

A special training program was conducted in the wake of 'International Yoga Day' for the children in our residential home at Namakkal today. 

The program was conducted in co-ordination with the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore through its Namakkal Chapter. 

Dr. Kavitha, volunteer from Isha Yoga conducted the training. 

The students were highly benefitted out of this training program. 

Residential Home for Children

WORD with the funding support of Terre des Hommes, Netherlands is running a residential home for children in Namakkal District from October 2007. 

The short stay residential home is situated in an beautiful ambience in Teachers' Colony of Porasapalayam on Thummankurichi Road on Namakkal - Erode Highways in Namakkal Municipality. This building was built with the financial support of Terre des Hommes, Netherlands. 

Till last academic year, 204 children were benefitted from our center. The children were mainly school drop-outs, from HIV affected families, under various exploitation and could not able to afford education from the family atmosphere. 

We have started this academic year by 5th June 2015 and this year we have 25 children. They are all studying from Class 3- 10th. 

Besides offering quality education, the children will be offered various developmental programs for their development. 

We thank SBM Higher Secondary School, Namakkal for the educational mainstreaming efforts of WORD. 

Awareness on Anti Child Labour Day

Anti Child Labour Day is observed on 12 June every year.

In Namakkal District too various events were planned to create greater awareness on Anti Child Labour Day. A co-ordination meeting held at the District Collectorate to plan various events to plan various programs on Anti-Child Labour Day in which WORD also participated. 

Today on behalf of National Child Labour Program (NCLP), Namakkal District a signature campaign held. District Collector Mr. M. Dakshinamoorthy IAS signed and inaugurated the campaign. 

WORD also participated and signed in the awareness drive.