Vocation during vacation

Updated on: Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Chennai: He is barley 10 and lurches about on the sands of the Marina with a shiny stainless steel in his hand, calling out 'sundal, sundal'.

He chatters with low a voice enticing passersby and sitting down to buy sundal and that he still hasn't opened his account business as he pleads to a couple seated on the sand dunes to buy one.

As he puts the five-rupee earning into his shirt pocket, his blue and white-checked shirt suddenly evokes attention that he is a school student of class IV.

He says that he would sell sundal throughout these holidays to support his mother.

In another instance a small boy works at a grocery store, delivers drinking water cans and says he is forced to the situation as his father is no more and mother not doing well. He expressed willingness to go to school, but wasn't able to due to his situation.

Another 8-year-old boy and his friends, all in class VII deliver newspapers in the neighborhood once a week, who is hardly five feet tall and earns Rs 400 a month through this small employment.

However the shopkeepers keep it low saying that they are visiting their uncles and they would like to earn sum bucks in hand during this summer and so they are here.

On the other hand, when children are planning about hill-station holidays and many other exciting ventures, it seems to be employment time for some like this during the two-month scorching summer vacation. Suddenly many children are seen in teashops, petty shops, restaurants and stores.

Ms. Rajaraman, the director of the Child Labour Elimination Project says that while raids help identify such employers, only persistent attempts to create awareness and sensitise people to the importance of schooling will bring the change.

Admitting to the increasing numbers of child labourers in the city during the holidays, a senior official of the Department says steps are on to initiate action against those employing children.

For more information visit : www.kalvimalar.com

Vocation during vacation

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