INDIA: The MVF Program

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INDIA The MVF Program
International Labor Organization
IPEC
International Program on the Elimination of Child
Labor
US Department of Labor
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Country Map
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Background

• Ranga Reddy district
• High unemployment
• Very high illiteracy
• Whole families in bondage
• Few teachers
• Poor reach quality of education

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Objectives

• MVFs goal since early 90s
• Total elimination of child bonded child labor
  in district
• Strategy of mainstreaming into formal school
  system
• Target group all children from 5 to 14

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Process

• Involves 2 different but inter-related
  processes
• Camp-based bridge course
• Community driven home to school process

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Process

• Camp-based bridge course
• Ensures children join same age group in formal
  school within 3-4 months
• For children in 12-14 age group, special one year
  coaching camp

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Process

• Community driven home to school
• Community backed
• Children of all ages

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Problems achievements

• Operation expanded in 3 villages in 1991 to 500
  in 1999
• 85 villages child labor free
• All children below 11 in formal schools in more
  than 400 villages
• Nearly 5,000 girls in school
• More than 4,000 bonded laborers released
• 15,000 working children in mainstream school
  through bridge courses

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Problems achievements

• Over 8,000 trained youth volunteers contribute
• Over 1,600 education activists participate
• Forum of 1,000 government teachers will continue
  campaign

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Lessons learned

• The camps
• Family dependency on child income broken
• Parental fears reduced regarding education
• Peer pressure among children in camps to enrol in
  school
• Visible impact against child labor

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Lessons learned

• Community driven home to school program
• Sustainable change in attitude action
• Withdrawal seen as integral part of sending child
  to school
• Greater appreciation of communities major role

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Lessons learned

• MVF program applicable where
• In rural urban areas with formal school
  infrastructure
• Strong local organization
• Monitoring can be carried out

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Key conditions for success

• Effective community based organization
• Motivated staff
• Training capability
• Organizational capacity in camps

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Key initiatives

• Develop strong rapport with community
• Demonstrate 1 successful camp
• Demonstrate full enrolment in 1 village through
  community support

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Replicability

• MVF model applied in Andhra Pradesh several
  states and cities

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IPEC International Program on the Elimination
of Child Labor