He was tired and lost. Despite his workplace providing him an environment with fast moving machinery, life came to a grinding halt for the 13-year-old E. Suresh, who was working in a private spinning mill in Tirupur.
Taking the responsibility of taking care of the financial needs of the family at such a young age, Suresh was hopeless and had already given up. But just when his future looked all the more bleak, there was a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Coimbatore that rescued him from the mill and helped him cross miles in education.
Suresh, who is currently 15-years-old, is one of the 17 former child labourers, rescued by NCLP and had passed the tenth standard examinations. Interestingly, all the 17 students including nine boys and eight girls who had appeared for the exams under the control of NCLP had passed.
“My parents decided to stop my schooling and sent me to a spinning mill. My condition was informed to NCLP officials by a neighbour who wished that I should continue my education. Had it not been him, I would not have stepped into a classroom ever again in my life,” he said.
Having been helped by someone at such a stage in his life, Suresh wants to give back to society after his education. “I initially wanted to become a doctor. But now my aim is to finish my schooling and then decide how I can help others, for I was helped once,” added Suresh, who has appeared for the exams from the Karupparayanpuram Government Higher Secondary School in Tirupur.
The situation of A. Reshma from Sundarapuram in Coimbatore has also seen similar twists and turns and the only difference is that she was sent to work when she was eight-years-old. “My family faced such a tough financial crisis that my parents were ready to end my future before it could even start. Luckily, I was rescued and now am aspiring to become a Bank Manager,” she gleamed.
Reshma was not sent to any companies but was involved in domestic labour with her mother, who was working for a spinning mill from home. Their job was to weave cotton into threads.
Like the parents of Suresh and Reshma, most show curtains to the education of their children citing financial crisis and despite ample awareness being spread all over, children still face tough times working in mills and workshops.
“Most of the children we rescue in the Coimbatore region which also includes Tirupur District are from spinning mills. We have also rescued children from agricultural fields. Once rescued, the children are monitored by NCLP and their education is sponsored through the project,” said T.V. Vijayakumar, Project Director of NCLP, Coimbatore.