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Project Freedom (Pallavakam Village) Funding Proposal to support vocational opportunities. Contents. Introduction to Project Freedom History & Motivation Budget Proposal to support employment generation Brick Chamber Recycling paper mill Q & A. Introduction.
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Project Freedom(Pallavakam Village)Funding Proposal to support vocational opportunities
Contents • Introduction to Project Freedom • History & Motivation • Budget Proposal to support employment generation • Brick Chamber • Recycling paper mill • Q & A
Introduction • Bonded labor, a clandestine activity that has been extensively used in rice mills • 10,000 bonded laborers working in Rice Mills across Thiruvallur dist. • Asha, along with Sidamma,started working on this project since Oct’04 • 300 families have been rescued since • Purpose: rescuing and rehabilitating bonded laborers
History • Sidamma has been involved with the Irula community since the 1990s • Irula-A tribe, mainly found in TamilNadu, with its hereditary occupation being snake and rat catching • Irulas are illiterate and have been exploited and oppressed for centuries • Sidamma setup Sarpams to help Irulas fight for their rights and freedom • A lot of progress has been made so far-setting up of schools, providing education to children
Motivation • Thousands of Irulas are used as bonded laborers in rice mills • Debt bondage, modern day slavery is internationally banned by UN and outlawed by the Indian govt. But such laws rarely get enforced in the state • The Irulas were forced to work for 19hours and were paid Rs0.79/hr($.02/hr) • Legal Min. wage – Rs10/hr($.25/hr) • Pay - one portion goes to repay debt and the remaining portion to cover room and board. At the same time the loan accrues interest at an exorbitant rate • Creates a vicious cycle of bonded servitude
Motivation Contd.. • Working conditions in rice mills are deplorable: • Confined to the rice mill premises • No medical or emergency support • No sanitation facilities • Forced to work 19 hours without any breaks • No holidays • No formal account of remaining debt • Women workers were sexually abused and forced to work till delivery and soon after childbirth • Children of families were also forced to work in the rice mills
Motivation Contd • Some of the bonded laborers escaped and approached Sidamma for help • Sidamma approached local authorities for assistance, but the local authorities were supporters of the rice mill owners • In Sept 2004,Sidamma and other activists along with escaped bonded laborers staged a demonstration against the inhuman workplace conditions • National Commission for Women also participated in the protest and urged immediate action by the govt • The rally received extensive media coverage around the nation and a public hearing followed suit to document the observations
Motivation Contd • Govt finally intervened and helped release the families living in bonded labor • Govt also provided land and shelter to the freed families • The working conditions inside the rice mills became more humane, safe, respectable and minimum wages were paid to the workers • 300 families have been rescued so far • Other bonded laborers are being identified and rescued • Debt bondage is still very prevalent and there is no exact count of the number of bonded laborers
Rehabilitation Proposal • Critical to support the released bonded laborers to help them adjust to the life outside of rice mills • Children education centers have been setup and running to provide basic education • Some of the bonded laborers have moved to their villages and the rest are in S.K.Nagar • Food and shelter in S.K.Nagar provided by Bharathi Trust • Independence and empowerment of the released bonded laborers requires employment opportunities to the freed laborers
Rehabilitation Proposal • Two employment generation options : • Brick Chamber - Support 100 families - 1 male member per family will be employed - Nature of work should fit well with men • Recycling Paper Mill • Support 40 families • Employs 40 women • Work is physically not so demanding
Funding proposal to setup a Brick Chamber Materials Required:
Brick Chamber Contd Capital Investment Production and Profits Note: Cost of manufacturing one brick is Rs.1 and it is sold for Rs 6. Net profit Rs 5/-.
Funding proposal to setup a Recycling Paper Mill Budget : Current plan: Employ 40 women to work in the mill with a base salary of Rs.2000/Month Salaries of workers : 2000 * 40 * 12 = Rs 9,60,000 / year