VEDANTA KHUSHI - THE LITTLE SPARROWS OF “KHUSHI” ANGANWADI CENTRES ARE BACK

Care for the underprivileged children is very close to the heart of Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta Group. “No child in India should remain malnourished and be deprived of nutrition, health and primary education” is what he has envisaged. In this process, Vedanta initiated adoption of government run Anganwadis in the year 2008. The intervention was for a limited period, benefiting children in age-group of 0-6 years.

Last year in 2015, Hindustan Zinc signed the MoU in association with Government of Rajasthan for the adoption of 3055 Anganwadis in Rajasthan under its project “Khushi”.

Anganwadi Centre at Khanpura is one such Anganwadi where initially 20 children were enrolled and looked after Asha Coordinator, Anganwadi Mitra and “Khushi” team. But during the start of the session this year, parents of some of the children withdrew their names from Anganwadi Centres and got them admission elsewhere.

“Khushi” team, Asha coordinator and Anganwadi Mitra took it as a challenge and decided to strengthen the Anganwadi and re-enrol the children in the centre.

The team invited parents of the children who left for the meeting at Anganwadi Centre to sensitize them and create awareness about the role-play of Anganwadi Centre in development of the future of their children. Parents were then briefed about the facilities and benefits that an Anganwadi centre would provide to their children.

The efforts of “Khushi” team and Asha Coordinator paid off.

Parents understood the importance of Anganwadi Centre and how it will help in grooming and overall development of their children.

They re-enrolled their children. Now there are 22 children enrolled at Khanpura Anganwadi Centre and the smiling faces of these Little Sparrows say it all.

“Khushi” has been creating awareness towards care for the underprivileged children – their health, education and nutrition.

A KHUSHI DATE WITH CHILDREN OF BEDAVAS

Over 125 children of different age-groups gathered around us to horde the basic items we brought for them towards their hygiene. A set of toothbrush, toothpaste, comb and soap was all that took for them to ascend in huge numbers”, Devika Gupta a member of Khushi Group

If I ask you, ‘What is the most important thing to you?’ The answers would range from family, well-being, good health, contentment and happiness. The one thing which is not a mainstream priority in our check list but is something that is omnipresent, for which all of us are running is - happiness. How you interpret happiness and how others might can be completely different while the essence of it remains the same.

‘Khushi’, literally translated as happiness, is an initiative by Hindustan Zinc, a company of Vedanta Group, which is aiming to spread smiles in deprived and underprivileged children. Other than inciting beaming faces, it also realizes the importance of the age old saying – ‘health is wealth’. Building up on the three most important pillars for a child’s welfare, Khushi believes in ‘health’, ‘nutrition’ and ‘education’ to such children.

India is a home to a third of the world’s total malnourished children and also houses 18 million kids who work on the streets. In such an unfortunate scenario, with such enormous and harrowing statistics ogling at us, there remains little hope that gives us solace for a better condition of these kids who are a part of the country’s future. Though India might be a growing economy with progressively emerging riches in the society, it still has around a fifth of the population below the poverty line that can barely afford minimum means of subsidence. That being said, I do not mean to bring you down or make you feel guilty, but to draw your attention to those who do not and might never get a chance to enjoy the lap of luxury that we intend to.

Now in our daily lives with busy schedules, where we are working hard and saving up for the future and our children, we do feel for those who cannot afford it. Here is where project Khushi steps in. It is said that ‘charity begins at home’, thus Khushi decided to spread happiness in a slum called Bedavas in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Over 125 children of different age-groups gathered around us to horde the basic items we brought for them towards their hygiene. A set of toothbrush, toothpaste, comb and soap was all that took for them to ascend in huge numbers. These kids were overjoyed to see us and could not wait 2nd July which is when the nutrition and education aspect would be taken care of by distributing fruits and teaching the kids to write their name.

2nd July is now enthusiastically awaited.

A KHUSHI DATE WITH CHILDREN OF BEDAVAS

“Over 125 children of different age-groups gathered around us to horde the basic items we brought for them towards their hygiene. A set of toothbrush, toothpaste, comb and soap was all that took for them to ascend in huge numbers”, Devika Gupta a member of Khushi Group

If I ask you, ‘What is the most important thing to you?’ The answers would range from family, well-being, good health, contentment and happiness. The one thing which is not a mainstream priority in our check list but is something that is omnipresent, for which all of us are running is - happiness. How you interpret happiness and how others might can be completely different while the essence of it remains the same.

‘Khushi’, literally translated as happiness, is an initiative by Hindustan Zinc, a company of Vedanta Group, which is aiming to spread smiles in deprived and underprivileged children. Other than inciting beaming faces, it also realizes the importance of the age old saying – ‘health is wealth’. Building up on the three most important pillars for a child’s welfare, Khushi believes in ‘health’, ‘nutrition’ and ‘education’ to such children.

India is a home to a third of the world’s total malnourished children and also houses 18 million kids who work on the streets. In such an unfortunate scenario, with such enormous and harrowing statistics ogling at us, there remains little hope that gives us solace for a better condition of these kids who are a part of the country’s future. Though India might be a growing economy with progressively emerging riches in the society, it still has around a fifth of the population below the poverty line that can barely afford minimum means of subsidence. That being said, I do not mean to bring you down or make you feel guilty, but to draw your attention to those who do not and might never get a chance to enjoy the lap of luxury that we intend to.

Now in our daily lives with busy schedules, where we are working hard and saving up for the future and our children, we do feel for those who cannot afford it. Here is where project Khushi steps in. It is said that ‘charity begins at home’, thus Khushi decided to spread happiness in a slum called Bedavas in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Over 125 children of different age-groups gathered around us to horde the basic items we brought for them towards their hygiene. A set of toothbrush, toothpaste, comb and soap was all that took for them to ascend in huge numbers. These kids were overjoyed to see us and could not wait 2nd July which is when the nutrition and education aspect would be taken care of by distributing fruits and teaching the kids to write their name.

2nd July is now enthusiastically awaited.

VEDANTA KHUSHI - WILL YOU TAKE A STAND??

Don't accept tea and food from children at Dhaba (road-side shop)

We were travelling and wanted to have a good cup of tea on a Dhaba.. As I was driving with family the first clean Dhaba we saw and we decided to have tea there. The owner of the Dhaba was shouting for supplying tea and food to customers. We saw few children in the age group of 10-12 years serving tea to customers. 

Our conscious did not allow us to have tea from such a small child. Giving order to a small child was hurting our inner conscious. My child of 10 years was sitting next to me and his obvious question was why they don't go to school. I could see him very uncomfortable.

With some thought I spoke to the Dhaba owner and asked him about how many child labour work in his Dhaba and why they work. Kishan, the owner, was quite annoyed and he asked me to have tea, pay the bill and leave. If I don't want to have tea, he is still fine with it. He did not like my questioning him.

I preferred not to have tea..my conscious did not allow me. I thought, will my refusal do anything... my refusal was supported by 4 in the family.. We all travel and we all eat at Dhabas. 

If we all decide not to be selfish and not to support such Dhaba owners and refuse to take anything from such children.. may be after few weeks or months, these children would go to school or do something constructive.....Just think about it

Pavan Kaushik

VEDANTA KHUSHI - BUSINESS STANDARD - PUNISH PARENTS FOR FORCING KID INTO CHILD LABOUR, HC TOLD

IANS  |  New Delhi  August 16, 2014

The Delhi High Court has sought a response from the central government on a plea seeking directions to prosecute parents who force their minor child into the labour market.

A division bench of Justice G. Rohini and Rajiv Shah Endlaw issued notice to the labour ministry and ministry of woman and child welfare and fixed Oct 29 as the next date of hearing.

The court was Wednesday hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocates Anu Mehta and Rubinder Pal Ghumman seeking formulation of guidelines for handling cases of child labour to ensure that every offender, including a delinquent parent, be dealt with sternly.

The plea said guidelines were required to create a state of 'zero tolerance' to stop child abuse.

"Children are immature, tender and incapable of guarding in situations of economic and physical exploitation as they lack the understanding, maturity and strength to protest against exploitation wrecked at the hands of parents," it said.

It also sought measures and comprehensive mechanisms to deal with child-related laws and crime against children as, the advocates claimed, there was an inherent flaw and lacunae in the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act and Children (Pledging of Labour) Act.

No punitive action was directed against erring parents who actively exploit their children, the advocates contended.

"State mechanism must be created to investigate the role of parents in child abused otherwise the government will not be able to reach the root of the problem and the recovery of children subjected to trafficking will be re-routed to the erring parents," the plea said.

It said it has been seen in a growing number of cases that parents actively push their minor children into the labour market, acting with collusion with exploiters and child traffickers and thus have "active role in participation in perpetrating crimes towards their own children".

View the Link:- http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/punish-parents-for-forcings-kid-into-child-labour-hc-told-114081600553_1.html 

Vedanta Khushi : Main Azad Hoon

Vedanta Khushi received this story from a village in Uttar Pradesh which is known for making mud-bricks. The bricks are made from mud and than heated in the 'bhatti' and several people from the nearby villages come and work in extreme conditions.

It was raining heavily and Yogi and Dharmu who work in a brick making small unit in Uttar Pradesh in Gajraula was coming back home from his daily work. Yogesh and Dharmu were quite drenched in the rains. As their house was still quite far, they decided to put-stay below a nearby tree. They saw a big tree, where many people were already hiding from the rains.

Amongst many people standing was a small boy of 8-9 years with a turban on his head which was bleeding with the colour of mud and his hands were also full of mud. His knees were swollen and his elbows also bleeding.

Yogesh asked this small boy about his condition and whether he has taken some medicine or is he going to the doctor. The child sounded a little stubborn , "I am alright and these are small wounds and i will be alright". Dharmu was not convinced and he felt the child is in pain and is sounding brave. He started checking the wounds of the child and realized that the child must be working in a brick making factory and while lifting bricks he has got himself injured.

"How come a 8-9 year old child work like this. And how come the owner of the brick making factory employ these child labours", Dharmu asked Yogesh, who had no certain answers. Dharmu asked the child where he was working and the child in innocence disclosed the name of the factory. It was not far away from the place Dharmu and Yogesh were working.

The rain stopped and both of them went ahead for their homes. Dharmu happened to know a social worker in his village who used to work for the welfare of children. He approached him in the night and next day, the government officials went and conducted a surprise check at the premises of this factory. Not one, the owner had engaged at least 10-12 children in work. To same a small petty amount, the owner had taken the law for a ride. The owner arrested and the children were set free. The factory was sealed.

Dharmu was quite happy and so was his friend Yogesh. While going back, Dharmu recognized the child, he was smiling and jumping. Dharmu asked his name and he said "Main Azad Hoon". "My father now cannot force me to work. Ill go to school from next week", he was shouting with his friends. The child name was 'Azad', but he rightly said, "Main Azad Hoon".

NOTE : When Vedanta Khushi campaign was launched, very little we knew how much impact it would bring in community. KHUSHI believes, sensitivity in people towards critical issues is increasing and people of all walks of society are taking steps forward for the prevention and also towards the cure.