SPONSORED EDUCATION PROGRAMME (SEP)
The Sponsored Education Programme is the most popular and highly demanded program of the NGF that works to prevent children from entering the carpet industry as a child laborer. Hundreds of children are at carpet factories with their families, helping their parents or guardians in daily chores such as cooking, washing dishes and taking care of younger babies or doing nothing. Many of them are of school-going age but are not necessarily enrolled in schools due to the lack of funds to pay the school fees. These children, if not sent to schools, are highly at the risk of joining the industry sooner or later in order to contribute to their families economic stability or for their own survivals.
The NGF sponsors the children who meet the programme criteria, focusing on their potential future involvement in child labor activities. The NGF works directly with parents/guardians of GoodWeave's Licensee Factories, forming a one-on-one agreement detailing expectations on both sides before enrolling children at nearest available schools.
The NGF has been sponsoring the education of carpet workers children since 2001. Currently, 206 children are studying at different levels i.e. from nursery to the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) level at schools nearby the factories.
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT WITH DAY CARE CENTERS
The NGF's Early Childhood Development programme supports carpet weavers with young children between the age of two and six years, who would ordinarily keep their children with them while they are working, by providing a day care centre service. Having young children present in the factory, the working environment can not only be dangerous for the children, but it may also cause a distraction for the parents and their working performance and earnings can be hindered.
Each centre involved in this scheme provides the weavers' children with a safe and child-friendly environment where children can play, learn and interact with their peers under the supervision of adult caretakers. Workers drop their children at these centers in the morning before going to work and pick them up again in the evening. This gives the parents, particularly the mothers, an ability to work freely with more attention and without worrying about their children. In addition, children become accustomed to a school-like environment and parents are encouraged to continue the education of their children into the future.
The NGF implements this programme through partner NGOs in carpet cluster areas. Total 160 children have been enrolled in this programme. Two partners NGOs including Education Protection and Help for Children (EPHC) and Children Welfare and Community Development Services (CWARDS) are the implementing partners. Currently, under the support of NGF, EPHC has 100 children and CWARDS in Dashkin Dhoka has 60 children. Each of these organisations offers quality care and education to the young children of workers in the GoodWeave licensee factories and/or their suppliers. Here, children learn through play in a nursery setting, supervised by trained play leaders. When children reach the school-going age, many also qualify for the Sponsored Education Programme (SEP).
|