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Strive for

Better
Change

(The Successful Story of Continuity)


Strive for Better Change

(The Successful Story of Continuity)

Compiled By: -
Hameed Diplai
Monitoring & Documentation Officer
Thardeep Rural Development Programme
Child Rights protection Project
E-mail: hameeddiplai@hotmail.com
Tel: + 92-2342-61-577
Fax: + 92-2342-61-379
“If you think of one year ahead
Plant a seed
If you think of ten years ahead
Plant a tree
If you think of hundred years ahead
Educate Children."
Table of Contents
¾ Withering Flowers in Thar 04
¾ The History (Carpet Industry in Tharparkar) 04
¾ The Child Labour (in Carpet Industry of Tharparkar) 05
¾ The Legislation (Regarding Child Rights Protection) 05
¾ The Rational 06
¾ The Research (Child Labour in Carpet Industry of Thar) 06
¾ The Working Conditions (of the Carpet Looms) 07
¾ The Recommendations 07
¾ The Process (Proceeding of the Pilot project) 08
¾ The Methodology 09
¾ Change in Context 09
¾ Socio Economic Changes and Benefits 10
¾ Progress in Participation 10
¾ Designing of New Project 11
¾ Aims and Objectives 11
¾ Geographical Coverage 11
¾ Target Group 12
¾ Social Mobilization 12
¾ Education 13
¾ Teachers Training 13
¾ Education Fund 14
¾ Infrastructure Support 14
¾ Micro Credit Support 14
¾ Marketing Support 15
¾ Advocacy 16
¾ The Criterion 17
¾ Challenges 18
¾ Sustainability 18
¾ Expected Out Comes 18
¾ Dream… 19
Withering Flowers in Thar
Small fries in Thar dream of continuing their studies, but they could not. As they have to earn
a living for their families. Desires and dreams take a back seat and gradually slip out of sight
for little angels of Thar. If any body would ask, “Who pushes you to rebuff your desires?”
The uncomplicated answer will be our parents! And if any interested person dares to ask
further, “Why don’t you protest against such an attitudes of your parents?” the reply… Sorry,
we can’t, because if we do so, who will go to earn for our livelihood.

Tharparkar is the land of beautiful dancing peacocks whose colours communicate the message
of life but barren sand dunes of Thar reflects the sorrows and each person in Thar is like a sad
story. If the heaven does not open their gates for the Thari folk and rain fails to fall
completely, there is no food for the Tharis to feed themselves as well as their animals, which
are also earning commodity. When drought become visible in the vicinity, a prolonged
shortage of food and fodder crop up in the area and the ultimate outcome is migration
experiences from over all the area. Every segment of the society is affected and disturbed in
days of dryness. The hunger condition in Thar indicates a grave situation. The land of
Tharparkar is well off in the minerals but in spite of that ‘Tharis’ survive in the harsh
conditions of living. But in case of timely showers, Thar presents an overview of dreamland.
The culture, music, life style, hospitality and community dynamics indicates the innocence and
simplicity of Tharis.

The children suffer in both conditions; whether they migrate along with their parents or
remain behind. Due to such calamity, children definitely have to say good-bye to education
and engage themselves in income generating activities. These children loose not only their
education but their health also deteriorates due to heavy work. Most of parents take their
children from school and engage them especially into carpet industries. In search of earning a
livelihood, these cute and poor children of hungry families loose everything; their education,
their health, their smiles, their childhood and their dreams too…

This all just for a very little salary and have to work for over the 15 hours per day. It must be
emphasized here that on all the forums of the world, as well as in our country, the legislation
regarding children, bars more than 7 hours working on children, but who cares? These little
angels of Thar are loosing their right to live and their right to childhood enjoyments.
The History (Carpet Industry in Tharparkar)
The carpet industry crept into the desert in the early 1950s through the provincial
Government Department of Sindh Small Industries Corporation (SSIC), which launched a
few weaving units in Mithi town, the district, headquarter of District Tharparkar. The
rational behind the introduction of the industry was probably to increase employment
opportunities for non-farm labourers and skill-oriented youth of this part of province. But,
as the finished carpets found a good export market, vulnerability of the very poor was
quickly exploited through moneylenders, traders and middlemen. Richer artisans and other
vested interests started a parallel network of carpet units in the private sector in Thar. Most
of the SSIC units disappeared and private units spread to other Thari towns and villages. At
present, Islamkot, Mithi, Chachro, Chelhar, Diplo and a very few villages of Nangerparkar
are the main clusters of the carpet industry. The carpet industry in Thar is not formally
registered with the Government of Sindh Labour Department. It operates in a disorganized
manner and is shrouded in a mystery. To pay off debts, parents in remote parts of Thar may
sometimes send their children to low-profile small moneylenders, who will use the child’s
working capacity, either without paying any wages or for negligible remuneration.
The carpet entrepreneurs in District Tharparkar work for the wholesale merchants and
exporters of carpet in Hyderabad and Karachi. Exporters and wholesale merchants provide
them with a design of their choice and advance raw materials and later buy their carpets.
Some of the local manufacturers have now become independent manufacturers and
exporters too. These local entrepreneurs, now about 30-40 in number, hunt for families in
the grip of economic crises that have children of an appropriate age. They make advance
payments to the impoverished family and make the head member of the family responsible
for weaving the carpet as per the provided design and specification. Subsequently, parents
involved their children either in their own houses, by installing one or more looms, or by
sending their children to a master for training. Recurrent droughts, bringing high
unemployment, have encouraged the rapid expansion of the carpet industry in District
Tharparkar. In between droughts the expansion of the industry tends to halt or slow down.
Current trends through the mid to late 90s show a decline in the industry. The reasons for
this decline need to be discovered through structured research.

Community opinion leaders were of the view that the carpet business is currently facing a
decline. They said that in villages where previously there were about 80 looms, only seven
years later the number of looms is averaging around 10. A reason they gave for this decline
was that loom owners themselves had become indebted and in order to pay off their debts
they handed over the looms to the local contractors. But even then they still owed money.
Carpet weavers, who are adept only in this skill, are facing unemployment because of the
current decline of the carpet business and they are seeking other alternate occupations that
will enable them to sustain their families.

The Child Labour (in Carpet Industry of Tharparkar)

Carpet industry is main source of income for the Thari people. Investors have invested
millions in the industry. In areas when rain fails completely and there is very little to eat,
It emerged that many children in the area can not go families have no alternative to seek loans, often from loan sharks. They are often unable to
to school due to poverty and indebtedness. Parents do pay the interest on the loans on regular basis. They are then forced to pledge their labour
not afford to pay the cost of education. Sometimes against interest payment. In order to pay off debts or simply to pay interest on debts,
parents do not realize the importance of education for families send their children to work on carpet looms. Children working in the carpet industry
their children and they ignore its benefit. The vicious of Thar are wasting their childhood due to the hard work and lack of basic amenities like
cycle is visible here: the children in the carpet industry proper nutrition, ventilation, light, seating arrangement and the allergens emitted from the
working because they are not educated; they do not go material for weaving carpets. These children contact a large number of diseases especially
to school because they are working. lose of sight and tuberculosis and there is no treatment available for them. The old workers
in carpet industry abuse the children and even sodomized them. They also learn smoking
and even become addicted to narcotics. It is a myth that young children are more suited to
perform carpet weaving than their elders are, but the myth is perpetrated.

The Legislation (Regarding Child Rights Protection)


Child Labour is an important issue in Pakistan where millions of children are involved in
work that is often full time, and to different degrees, hazardous and exploitative. The
Government of Pakistan is making efforts to address the issue and has gone beyond
legislative steps to develop a National Plan of Action to address child labour. The ILO and a
number of NGOs are supporting initiatives on child labour.

The legislations quoted hereunder from the National of Pakistan as well as the UN
Convention on the Rights of Children.
The National Assembly of Pakistan passed legislation on child labour in 1999, which
What Thardeep is? improved on previous legislation and also said “children should not work for over seven
hours per day” but the legislation does not however address the majority of working children
During this decade, Thar was under very who works on the agricultural lands and engaged in domestic services. Besides, The United
drastic and rapid process of change, the shift Nations Convention on the Rights of Child in article 32 specifies “state parties recognize the
was from barter to cash, from agrarian society rights of the child to be protected from exploitation and from performing any work that is
to a market based one, from a livestock based likely to be hazardous or interfere with a child’s education or be harmful to a child’s health
economy to waged labour economy, and from or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development”. The article 10 of the
self help basis mechanism to support International Covenant on Economics, Social and Cultural Rights 1976 states “The state
mechanisms. This process of change enforced parties to the present covenant recognize that special measures of protection and assistance
the strategy of TRDP to train poor community of all children and young persons without any discrimination for reasons of parentage or
to manage the shift in an appropriate manner, other conditions. Children and young persons should be protected from economic and
create their support mechanisms, to have social exploitation. Their employment in work harmful to their morals or health or
direct linkages with resourceful organisations dangerous to life or likely to hamper their normal development should be punishable by
in and outside Thar. TRDP started to develop law”. The Sindh Children Act 1955 provides for the care and protection of children in the
the strategies, which address the immediate province of Sindh, but all these legislations and regulations fails to protect children from the
concerns of the poor population. Access to hazardous conditions of the works.
market, freedom in enterprise development
and right to education has emerged as one of The Rational
the potential and urging needs of the
community living away for the urban centers. In most of the parts of the country, children depend upon families, thereby their parents
enforced them by their will and wish but in Thar situation a bit is different. Children in Thar
are responsible for family survival. They have no choice and voice. Though parents rely on
To evolve such mechanism, TRDP aims at
children but in spite of that they do not endow with education and health amenities. All this
strengthening grassroots institutions to
is happening because children don’t vote, they also have no any political power and
manage this change in their interest. To therefore their opinion carries little weight. The calamity with blameless angels of Thar
achieve this, it motivates people to organize points towards child mortality.
and facilitates them to develop technical and
managerial skills through training, in order to In line with above situation Thardeep Rural Development Programme (TRDP) considered
sustain their grassroots institutions and finally to build an atmosphere for hale and hearty development of vulnerable Thari children that
to contribute the mission statement, would light a lamp and offer a best possible start in life.
“Enlarging the Choices of People, with
Justice and Equality”. The Research (Child Labour in Carpet industry of Thar)
Thardeep Rural Development Programme and Save the Children UK have joint force to
address the issue of child labour in the carpet industry of Tharparkar. Apart from local
situation, they focused on implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights
of the Child (CRC).

The Findings
As part of these efforts, a research study had undertaken to explore child labour in
¾ Monthly income in Tharparkar fell mostly within Tharparkar. The specific focus on this study was on developing an understanding of socio-
Rs 3,000. economic issues affecting the communities involved in the carpet weaving, determining the
¾ Out of 2766 children in the age group 5-14, 333 incidence of child labour in the carpet industry of District Tharparkar and looking at the
(12%) reported working in the carpet industry as conditions under which children (boys and girls) work. The research highlighted that “Three
weavers. Another 415, or 15%, were working as feature of Pakistan’s society and economy have a direct bearing on child labour: a high
child labourers in other types of work, including population growth rate, an educational system that can not attract and then keep children in
livestock, farmers, labour, handicrafts, local school and extreme poverty”. The impact of these factors is clearly visible in the case of
cigarette makers, 39% were working in children working in the carpet industry of Thar.
household chores, and 34% were not working.
Of the 756-working children recorded in the age
group 5-14 from all households visited, 439 were The Working Conditions (of the Carpet Looms)
boys and 317 were girls. Of the 439 boys
reported working, for example, 26% (116) were The place of work was the same as the normal housing found in the region. It was generally
in carpet industry, 7% (32) in home-based carpet a one room small hut with one small ventilator to serve as a passage for both natural air and
making and 66% (291) in other work. Home- sunlight. A single wooden bench supported by bricks underneath as a seat for the loom.
based carpet industry includes those children
who worked on the carpet looms as part of their Children were expected to work from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm with a 30 or 60 minutes break for
domestic chores, within their home. Of the 317 lunch. Children were chosen to work at the carpet looms in preference to adults because
girl children reported working 23% (74) were in their fingers are delicate and small; therefore the knots and knotting are fine and speedy.
the carpet industry, 13% (41) in home based However, this argument has been contested in national and international studies.
carpet making and 64% (212) in other categories
of work.
¾ Over 80% of population takes loans. Reasons
for taking loans included household expenses,
medicine, and health, marriages, funerals,
emergencies (such as drought), education,
purchase of and livestock and household
construction.
¾ Over 59% of population is wage labourers.
¾ 90% boys and 65% of girls reported hand
injuries due to carpet weaving
The Recommendations
Research recommended some guidelines, which would be helpful when considered in step-by-step approach. These guidelines are in three
main categories:

¾ Mitigate harsh working conditions


Improving working

¾ Conceintize child workers and their employers (as well as parents) about the rights and laws.
conditions

¾ Improve working conditions at home/work places


¾ Gradually reduce working hours
¾ Help older children to continue to work, but only with shorter controlled hours and with time for education and some
leisure.
Facilitating Access
to Education

¾ Convince children and parents of the need for education and work on improving access to education
¾ Provide some educational incentives such that children can study and play side by side with work
¾ Remove the smallest (up to nine years of age) first and induct them in primary schools
Providing micro

¾ Provide families with micro credit that will help them to break the cycle of debt with loan sharks and shopkeepers
credit
Lobbying for Legal

¾ Removal of anomalies in Pakistani laws regarding children


¾ Better working conditions for working children and restrictions on the time they can work
Support

¾ Better pay for working children, so that they can earn more by working less
¾ Education and leisure guaranteed by law
The Process (Proceeding of the Pilot Project)
“Provision of Relaxation!!”
In light of the research recommendations, Thardeep initiated the pilot project with the
Mr. Paancho lives in Kagia with his family members including support of SCUK and funding DFID. The project was aimed at facilitating a community
06 children and parents. Firstly, he took Rs. 3,000 rupees from managed process contributing towards the development of sustainable livelihood in Thar
carpet contractor for consumption purpose and started
working on carpet loom. By hard working, he made many with the purpose of phasing out Child Labour from the Carpet Industry in Three Union
assets. He constructed own house with bricks, purchased 18 Councils of TRDP work area in 30 months through advocacy and providing micro credit.
grams of gold and 720 grams of silver. But all of sudden days
turned into grief and due to death of his maternal uncle and
surgical treatment of his daughter, he was helpless to take The Methodology
more advance of Rs. 19,000 from contractor and days became
very hard. He put his children from school and engaged them
in loom. Thardeep in collaboration with PDCs documented family profiles of weaver families with
He deemed happy when social organizer from TRDP
children below 14 years age. Para (Hamlet) Development Committees, weaver families and
introduced phasing out child labor strategy through easy loans Thardeep team by a process finalized the extension of credit. The process also set out the
against contractor’s advances. He also facilitated with loan of mechanism for monitoring. Para Development Committee motivated the weaving family for
Rs. 31,646 rupees. He proudly described that when he gave the membership. Thardeep team and committee members then prepared the family profile
back an advance to contractor, he gifted him a white dress as
reward. He worked hard and during the period of first of the highlighting the size of family, age and gender groups of family members, the detail of
installment he weaved some two carpets of the size of 7x10 working children (name, age, duration of weaving and education status), the detail of
and one carpet of the size of 6x9. He sold all these three contractors, source of income of the family, monthly expenditures of the family and detail of
carpets in market and earned Rs.19, 891 rupees. By this sale,
he could save Rs.3, 663 after deducting all household expenses loan on the family. The criteria include willingness of the family for getting children out of
and installment. By working hard, he has now two looms the loom, the age of children (priority to the children below 9 years of age), gender (priority
more. to the girls) and poverty (priority to family with out assets and having looms as the sole
During the entire process, children of Kagia gathered around source of income). TRDP team then conducted credit appraisal with weaver family. It
and formed children organisation entitled “Bagh Bahar Barira mainly covered the description of methodology of shifting the ownership of loom to weaver
Tanzeem”. All working and non- working children got family and the mode of recovery. After discussion in meetings at field units and head office
membership. Master Jhaman son of Paancho was nominated
and selected as Treasure of the organisation. After few months level the final decision for credit took place.
of formation of CO, he borrowed Rs. 965 rupees through
internal lending on interest rate of 02% from organisation and
established Mini Shop. The mini shop supported the family in Changes in the Context
paying daily wages to the adult weavers. Master Jhaman is
happy to establish an asset. He look after his mini shop in
evening time. Mr. Paancho is hopeful for his children’s future
When pilot phase of the Project initiated, Tharparkar was in the grip of drought and that was
and commented “all we are free from tension, nobody can time to assess the effects of drought on weaver families TRDP was working with. Assessment
tease us for carpet weaving. We are free, wherever we sale it. resulted in two aspects; positive and negative effects of drought on weaver families.
Thardeep provided us not only credit but we feel relax now!!”
(Case study by: AHM)
Carpet Looms were assessed as alternative source of income of weaver families, because
The promotion of income can be many weavers have no agricultural subsistence option and they have only a choice of carpet
explained with two references. weaving.

¾ The way income contributed the families The carpet market is source to cause to enhance the barter economy to cash economy. For
in maintaining subsistence in the hard time the reason weaver families did not migrate to flood plains of Indus.
of drought. The study suggested that the The situation was assessed the rate of carpet were decreased due to drought. Study having
severity of drought wasn’t uniform at all enough lights on the reasons of decreasing the rate of carpet.
the location with TRDP intervention. As a
result of TRDP credit extension, it also According to study weaver families didn’t have access to major carpet markets and for the
revealed that shift of loom ownership reason they had lack of information about market rates. Carpet contractors were exploiting
from contractor to carpet weavers has the situation and gave a cheaper amount for carpet, whereas same carpet is sold in market in
played a significant role in mitigating the high rates. The limited quantity of carpet was also a reason that’s why weavers didn’t have
effects of drought. Some 165-weaver access to carpet market. This means, a weaver could weave some two carpets in a month and
families with only a livelihood option of he needs cash money for consumption items but he cannot afford himself transportation and
carpet looms did not migrate in drought accommodation expenses to take the carpets to major market. Therefore he sells it in local
and carpet weaving supported them to market.
cope with drought. Weaving is being
upraised as a strong subsistence option of Socioeconomic Changes and Benefits
Thar, particularly in the times of dearth.
In order to monitor the progress thereafter the following indicators have been used:
¾ Weavers were getting benefit, which ¾ The increase in monthly income of the weaving family.
they were loosing earlier. The mode of ¾ The number of children enrolled in school.
exploitation was in fact variable ¾ The working hours.
compensation based on the local After working on own loom, the average income has risen from PKR 1925 per month to
understanding of measurement for a piece PKR 2983. This means PKR 1058 increase happened in their income. But this is not whole
of carpet. It was too different than the saving; they have to repay the installments to TRDP after each two months from this income.
actual market. The price, for example, for The children thus got opportunity to be enrolled in the schools since their timing in the
40 sq. ft. in market was regarded as 24 sq. looms changed. This benefit was for the two main reasons; the monitoring by PDC and
ft. in terms of compensation to weavers. relaxation due to ownership of weaver rather than contractor. Children had not to labour and
Such an approach was protecting the work hard whole day on the looms. They also had some free time to play and they got
contractors in the times of price cleanliness. Weavers had opportunity to meet contractors face to face. They also had money
fluctuation, as he was actually securing a in their pockets and they could feed their family.
whole piece of carpet by denying its price
to the weaver.
After TRDP credit intervention, when the ownership shifted to the weaver, they were able to
sale the piece of carpet on their own. Thus this access to open market gave them opportunity
to earn extra, in accordance with market trends and provided security by ensuring price full
and actual. This was main mode that caused increased income of weavers. Labourers were
also paid for original measurement and contractors sold it as altered measurement in market.

Progress in Participation

Thardeep worked with Government, Para Development Committees, contractors, Weavers


and Children. Along with credit extension, TRDP also provided them opportunities to
develop better working relationship and understanding regarding phasing out child labour
from carpet industry of Tharparkar. A Vigilance Committee has been set up with the district
authorities. The vigilance committee has a mandate to implement the legislative code of
conduct. TRDP in that forum also had advocacy of the approach it is working with. Thardeep
organized series of meetings with carpet contractors and weavers on regular basis. As
The economic status of the community can Children were direct target group so TRDP provided more opportunities to children like as
be defined as poor. Those, who own exposure visits, Theatre Development Workshops and role-plays in quarterly community
livestock and land, can be described as conferences. Children also conveyed their messages to protect environment and phasing out
being less poor. child labour through tableaus, speeches and singing songs. Para Development Committees
The health status of working children was also contributed a lot to TRDP regarding monitoring. PDC also provided support to prepare
generally low. Children often suffer from family profile.
stomach troubles and headaches. In the
longer term many suffer diseases like
backache, urinary tract trouble,
Designing of New Project
weakening of eyesight, TB, asthma,
jaundice, pain in joints and lung This project (new on wider scale) builds on the experience of a pilot project designed to
infections. address the situation of child carpet weavers in four villages in Tharparkar District from
1999-2001. The pilot project was preceded by a situation analysis and was followed by an
external evaluation in December 2000. Much of the learning and information gained from the
pilot project and the evaluation has been used for the planning of this project. Ms. Sheena
Crawford, a Save the Children UK’s consultant carried out evaluation. The evaluation had
found that TRDP, SCUK supported and DFID funded Project in the Carpet Industry in
Thar is developing a successful and replicable model for phasing out Child Labour. The
project must continue into a second phase with greater emphasis on the wider Child Rights
based approach and support to Education and an advocacy in the media arena. She also
suggested given below recommendation:
¾ DFID might continue funding to expand the project.
¾ Focus more attention on Girls participation in the PDC and their education.
¾ Teachers would be given training to increase girls’ enrollment in the schools.
¾ Plan a Market strategy so that weaver families get benefits.
¾ Plan and hold conferences for weavers.
¾ Use the media in positive ways to promote the child labour free industry.
¾ Link the carpet credit through to the family credit scheme.
¾ Build on the existing community organisations of men, women and boys include groups
of girls to set up participatory monitoring system.
¾ SCUK play an important role in wider advocacy development.

Aims and Objectives (New Project)


The aim of the project is “to protect the rights of over 4,000 children working in the carpet weaving
industry in the Thar Desert”. Part of protecting the rights of these children is ensuring that they
“To protect the rights of over do not suffer further from being withdrawn from the industry due to reduction in family
4,000 children working in the income. Therefore implicit in this aim is the intent to phase out children from work and
carpet weaving industry in provide them with increased access to quality education opportunities without adversely
the Thar Desert”. affecting the livelihoods of the carpet weaving families. Activities in education will go hand in
hand with a credit provision Programme, which enables weaver families to escape the debt
trap that results because of their dependency on contractors who provide loans on very
unfavorable terms, which has in turn led families to employ their children for long hours on
carpet looms.

Geographical Coverage

The project will be implemented among weaving families in villages throughout Tharparkar
District and part of adjacent Mirpurkhas District in the Sindh Province of Pakistan. These
districts are located in the Thar Desert in the eastern part of the Province. Although there are
children working in the carpet industry in other parts of Pakistan, particularly in the Punjab
Province, there is a substantial International Labour Organisation (ILO) initiative to address
this aspect of child labour in Punjab. In Sindh Province there are few, if any interventions
underway to address the issue, particularly for children in the carpet industry. The Thar
Desert is a center for carpet weaving and is also one of the most disadvantaged regions in the
country. For this reason, children involved in carpet weaving in Thar Desert are particularly
marginalized.

Target Group
The expected benefit would directly goes to children and their families involved in carpet
industry of Tharparkar. It would be addressed the root causes of the poverty and
indebtedness largely responsible for the child labour. This would also been a learning process
Social Mobilization for TRDP, Comic Relief, Save the Children UK, Save the Children Sweden and the rest of
families with children in carpet industry to translate it in different contexts elsewhere within
Objective: To mobilize community and outside of the country. The main objective of the Programme would be as the access of
support mechanisms including Para the working children to education and the stability in the income of families even after
Development Committees and withdrawing their children out of the carpet industry and drought in Thar. TRDP has been
Children's Organisations to initiated the process by identifying and phasing out the children of lower age from carpet
effectively monitor child labour in industry of Thar. The process equally involves girl and boy children and ensures school
the carpet industry and to ensure enrollment for both the groups.
greater access for children to
quality education while ensuring The Process is…
they are not exposed to hazardous
or exploitative work. The project has six key components, Social Mobilization, Education, Credit Support,
Marketing Support, Advocacy, and Monitoring. Working strategy under each of the key
objectives are summarized below.
¾ 2,118 weaving families organized in new
and existing Para Development
Committees to monitor child labour. Social Mobilization
¾ It is expected that 400 new PDCs will
be established under the project for men Social Mobilization is fundamental organ in the civil society for the pace of development. The
and women. process of social mobilization is the basic theme of TRDP, it facilitate all segment of the
¾ The number of Children's Organisations society including Men, Women and Children. This project focuses on community
will increase from 50 to 300 (Including mobilization through a gradual process of dialogue and motivation aimed at organizing the
150 girls COs) to participate in community into the institutions of Para Development Committees (PDCs).
planning, implementation, monitoring
and evaluation of activities as agreed The impact of the Project depends on the formation of viable PDCs and Children's
between TRDP and PDCs Organisations within the communities where the project is being implemented. The PDCs
will be the local level managers of the credit scheme but will also be involved in monitoring
the project impact.
It is essential therefore; those community members and the PDC members in particular have
a strong awareness of the issues of working children, of all the components of the project and
of their role in the implementation. The role of the nine TRDP Social Mobilization
Education Promotion staff is to work with other TRDP staff to ensure the facilitation
required forming these organisations and then supporting them throughout the life of the
project.

Education
Education
It was emerged that many children in the area do not go to school due to poverty and
Objective: To improve the quality and indebtedness. Parents also do not afford to pay the cost of education. Sometimes parents do
access to education (particularly for girls) not realize the importance of education for their children and they ignore of its benefit. The
through, support for teacher training, vicious cycle is visible here: the children in the carpet industry working because they are not
provision of infrastructure support and educated; they do not go to school because they are working. These children are denied
strengthening school community relations access to education, because the quality of education is very poor, there is a little incentive for
by establishing a community managed families to send their children to school. In some cases, there is no school or no teacher in
education fund. the village, particularly for girls.
¾ 4,236 weaving children (including 1,800 girls) It is estimated that over 4,000 children are working in the carpet industry in Thar Desert.
enrolled in primary schools by the end of Year 3. These children are from some of the poorest families who are continually in debt to carpet
¾ 90% of all weaving children enrolled and retained contractors who provide them raw material and looms and buy the carpets. Poverty has led
in primary schools by end of Year 5. weavers to put their children to work on the carpet looms. Thardeep in light of finding of its
pilot project, conceived to ensure quality and access to education.

As the social mobilization and education activities are closely linked. The Social Organizers
are responsible to work with the communities to encourage higher enrolment rates of girls at
the primary school level. It is also important that project focuses introducing non-formal
education system for those children (especially girls) who would not be fit in formal education
system. Besides, vocational education would be one option and existence of mono technical
college in Tharparkar is an opportunity. The project focuses on secondary education, because
dropout occurs after primary education and this is the issue of whole country. Positive and
remarkable thing that would be supportive and helpful is that Government is going to
introduce elementary system of education where primary teachers will take the classes up to
the 8th class.
Teachers Training
Teachers Training
As it is discussed in above paragraphs that children are denied access to education, because
¾ 400 primary school teachers will be trained in
the quality of education is very poor, there is a little incentive for families to send their
improved child friendly participatory teaching
children to school. In order to improve the quality and access to the education, TRDP deems
& learning methodologies by end of Year 5.
necessary to develop Teachers Development Programme.

Teacher Training is the core activity of this component and the most critical in providing
sustainable improvements in the provision of quality of education. Initially, in collaboration
of an international and reputable training institute, TRDP have conducted training to
establish a cadre of “Master Trainers” (MTs), who will keep continues the teacher training
throughout project life.

Education Fund
As, research highlighted that parents do not afford to send their children to school. In light of
Education Funds this finding, it seems essential to establish Education Fund Management Committees that has
set up as part of the Social Mobilization work. The funds will be generated from the service
¾ 291 Education Funds established in schools charges, which will be repaid form the weaver families so it will vary with the size of the
for the educational and recreations needs of weaving communities.
weaving children.
¾ Formation of 291 Education Committees to The Education Fund management Committees is being formed within the village. 13% from
manage the Education Fund and to monitor the total 18% of service charge goes to the Education Fund. The funds are decided to be
the implementation of the Terms of used for the betterment of the students. Especially for provision of scholarships, because due
Partnership (ToP) agreed between TRDP to the poverty and non-availability of the fees, children drop out of the school, therefore
and PDCs. scholarships and exposure trips may also be the good use of the education fund. Education
¾ 291 individuals (at least one person from each Funds are proposed to be managed by a Committee with each member having an equal share
Education Committee) trained in Accounts in the decision-making and comprised of representatives from Children and Parents involved
and Bookkeeping by the end of Year 5 in carpet weaving, teachers and PDC members. It is highlighted that School Management
Committee (SMC) is the government set up that already exists in the village and TRDP would
strengthen the forum. A total of approximately GBP 50,000 is expected to be made available
for the Education Funds over the life of the project from the service charges.
Infrastructure Support
Infrastructure Development
During the pilot phase it was observed that there are some schools without buildings. This
¾ The construction of up to 50 traditional component of the project is designed specifically to provide low cost school buildings in
"Chonra" schools (as required) primarily for communities where girls do not have access to education due to lack of a school in the area.
girls in villages without a government building These buildings would be constructed with local materials with community labour and
and placement of an equal number of government are the most appropriate design for the Desert environment. These schools will be recognized
teachers in these schools. as Government schools.
Female teachers for the girl's schools will be hired through the Department of Education
through liaison with the Department. In villages that have no school, Chonra schools are
decided to construct for both boys and girls. The PDCs will oversee the community labour
for construction with design support.

Micro Credit Support


The economic status of the Thari community can be defined as poor. Those, who own
livestock and land, can be described as being less poor. As, it is mentioned above that when
Micro Credit rain fails completely in Thar and there is very little to eat, families have no alternative to seek
loans, often from loan sharks.
Objective: To facilitate weaver families
in securing sustainable livelihoods They (families) are often unable to pay the interest on the loans on regular basis. They are
through provision of credit on more then forced to pledge their labour against interest payment. TRDP’s research recommended
favorable terms than are currently that provision of micro credit to the weaver families on more favorable terms than currently
available through contractors. available through contractors will help them to break the cycle of debt with loan sharks and
¾ £201,150 will be disbursed through revolving shopkeepers. The Credit Scheme manages on a day-to-day basis by representatives of the
loans to 2,118 weaving families in four Talukas PDCs and along with PDC, TRDP team monitors the process An estimated 2,118 weaving
(sub district administrative units) of Thar families in over 300 villages will obtain credit over the life of the project. The number of
through an estimated 200 men's and 200 villages actually reached will be determined based on the number of weaver families identified
women's Para Development Committees in each year.
(PDCs) by the end of Year 3.
¾ An estimated 2,118 weaving families in over Selection of weaver families for credit is based on the evidence that children are being
300 villages will obtain credit over the life of the employed on the looms as well as level of debt to contractors. Initially the criterion is a loan
project. of Pak Rupees Rs 25,000 or greater owed to the contractor. Over subsequent years criteria
will be lowered until all weaver target families are reached. The project will initially focus on
the families most deeply in debt and then continue supporting additional families with smaller
debts to the contractors.
Marketing Support
According to a study, weaver families don’t have access to major carpet markets and for the
Marketing
reason they do not have information about market rates. Carpet Contractors exploit the
situation and gave a cheaper amount for carpet, whereas same carpet is sold in market in high
Objective: Providing them access to the
rates. In light of such situation, Ms. Sheena Crawford, a Save the Children UK’s consultant
market in addition to the knowledge of
who carried out the evaluation, suggested Planning Market strategy so that weaver families get
new designs and parkways.
benefits.
¾ Meetings of Weavers and TRDP with the
Carpet Export Association and Export
In light of the findings of the pilot phase of the Child Rights Protection Project, TRDP with
Promotion Bureau of Pakistan. These
the support of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) established Marketing Research
meetings will cover marketing issues related to
Unit and considered providing them access to the market in addition to the knowledge of
hand knotted carpets, export promotion, new
new designs and parkways. TRDP has planned to open lot of avenues along with provision of
trends and designs, and marketing avenues for
credit to carpet weaver to generate the income. For the purpose, it was considered to facilitate
the weaver families.
the weaver family to compete with international market. Marketing Unit of TRDP does not
¾ Workshops of carpet weavers: These brief
perform as a middlemen but unit arranges and identify the exhibitions and organize
workshops will be organized by TRDP for
workshops with weaver families regarding new designs and trends of the market. Unit also
carpet weavers to provide information on new
collects the demand and locates the selling points for Thari carpet. Carpet
designs, marketing strategies, quality control
promotion and publicity.
Manufactures Association (CMA) also desired to develop direct links with weavers and
¾ Carpet exhibitions: These will be
Thardeep would construct a bridge between CMA and weaver family. Behind the scenario,
organized by TRDP to provide an
TRDP also perceives that after two years when PPAF support will be completed, the CMA
opportunity to the Thari carpet weavers to
and Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) will be potential partner for Marketing Research Unit.
exhibit their carpet work to national and
The proposal is also under consideration that after completion of PPAF funding, marketing
international buyers. Promotion of the carpets
unit will be registered as non-profit company and start working for welfare of the working
as being produced where interventions to
children.
exclude exploitation of children in the industry
will enhance the value of the carpets to the
Regarding working strategy, Marketing Unit collects weaving orders from Karachi and other
buyers.
big carpet markets and conducts dialogues with weaver families. In case of willingness of the
weaver family to work with TRDP, orders are being placed. Marketing Unit also facilitates the
weaver family with advances. The purpose of advances is to provide subsistence to the
weaver till buyers of the carpet will make payments. The advances are being adjusted from
repayments. Marketing unit also facilitates the weaver family with designs and raw material.
Unit has hired a skilled person who ensures the proper usage of raw material and weaving
process after placing the orders.

Advocacy
Advocacy Two things are most important for sustainable and replicable project that is research based
document and media coverage. TRDP is planning to sensitize the journalist community on
Objective: To demonstrate through the child labour and potential approaches to address the issue in Thar Desert. For the
documentation and advocacy, that a purpose, TRDP plans to organize journalist's visits to the field sites. Through this approach
right based approach to child labour Journalists would be motivated to write articles on Child Labour issue in the print and
interventions provides better electronic media.
outcomes for marginalized children
and that this approach can be Besides, Community Conferences and theater for Development are the basic tools for
replicated to address the rights of advocacy with community to sensitize them to take their out of Carpet Looms and sent to
working children in other areas. School.
Existence of Vigilance Committee at District level is an opportunity for Thardeep to inform
¾ Two policy dialogues held in Year 2 and its viewpoint on the child labour and promote the approaches tackling the issue of child
Year 4 at the provincial level to raise labour. The provincial government few years back formed vigilance committee and the main
awareness on the issue child labour and to objective of the committee is to monitor the child labour situation in the different districts in
encourage government's involvement in Sindh Province. Also committee is responsible to provide legal support to children those who
dealing with issues around child labour. are engaged hazardous and exploitative work. The Deputy Commissioners headed vigilance
¾ Two national level policy workshops held in committees with the members from Community, Civil society organisation, Judiciary, Police
Year 3 and Year 5 to promote project and other Government Department. Since devolution plan took place the district level
learning at national level and to seek structure had changed, now elected representatives who are called Nazims heads the district.
national support to effectively tackle the Currently the department of Community Development is the secretariat of vigilance
issue of child labour in Pakistan. committee but no funds are allocated so far the committee is inactive. Since the TRDP is
¾ Publication and dissemination of social member of the committee, TRDP takes responsibility to take initiative to make it active and
monitoring reports, conference outcomes, and will take responsibility of secretariat and organizing regular meetings in TRDP office.
periodic evaluation reports to national and Vigilance Committee can play major role to influence different actors at district level. The
international stakeholders. project document and approaches can be shared with VC members and support can be
mobilized to the project and convince education department, Judiciary and district
government to support this project. In addition to that vigilance committee can help TRDP
in advocacy at provincial and national level.

Thardeep is also considering advocacy at the international level to highlight the approach
being used in this project, as access could be possible to the international consumers.
Thardeep also is considering organizing a national level policy seminar to share lessons
learned from the project and promote wider use of the approach with Government,
International Non-Governmental and Civil Society Organisations, Donors and United
Nations agencies.
Difference between Child Labour and
Child Work
The Criterion
Child Labour!! Child Work!!

¾ Always organized in ¾ It is not paid work. Thardeep executes this project in collaboration with PDCs and initially family profiles of
a specific place. ¾ There is no weaver families with children below 14 years age have been documented. Family profile
¾ There is immediate highlights the size of family, age and gender groups of family members, the detail of working
remuneration for the punishment, if it is children (name, age, duration of weaving and education status), the detail of contractors,
work. not done properly. source of income of the family, monthly expenditures of the family and detail of loan on the
family. Para (Hamlet) Development Committees, weaver families and Thardeep team by a
¾ Labor is output ¾ There are no rules.
process finalized the extension of credit. The process also set out the mechanism for
oriented within a set ¾ There is flexible
monitoring. Para Development Committee motivated the weaving family for the
timeframe. time frame.
membership. The criteria require that weaver families must meet two main criterions: -
¾ There are set targets. ¾ There is no chain of
¾ It is collective, not exploiters
1. Willingness of weaver families to have alternative source of income.
individual and
2. Weaver families should be agreed to enroll their children in school.
involves the mixing
of different groups of
Besides, project management recognized some more selection criterions that are mention
people.
below: -

a) Must have a child less than 14 years of the age.


b) Carpet weaving should be the main source of income.
c) Family must be gripped in debt to a carpet contractor.
d) Weaver will not take any more credit from carpet contractor.
e) Working conditions will be improved.
f) Weaver family will maintain record of production and selling.
Challenges

Thardeep expects that at the initial stage of the implementation may some wasted interests
create obstacles and problems. TRDP is taking them as challenge and working out to handle
such problems mention below.
¾ Weavers might use the opportunity to become mini-contractor themselves.
Article 32 ¾ Weavers may cheat by saying that their credit to the contractor is higher than
actual.
1. States Parties recognize the right of the ¾ Weavers may provide wrong information about their family
child to be protected from economic ¾ Weavers may enroll their own children in school but hire others to work
exploitation and from performing any
¾ Weavers may remove children from the loom but engage them to work elsewhere
work that is likely to be hazardous or to
¾ PDC may not blow the whistle on their own members
interfere with the child's education, or to
be harmful to the child's health or
Thardeep envisages working with PDC as an opportunity to overcome and handle the
physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social
problems and challenges mentioned above.
development.
2. States Parties shall take legislative, Sustainability
administrative, social and educational
measures to ensure the implementation of
The long-term impact of this project has been considered in the design of the components,
the present article. To this end, and
particularly because it is essential in any intervention to support working children. Without
having regard to the relevant provisions of
such planning, there is little chance that the working children or other children from the same
other international instruments, States
community will not end up working in unacceptable conditions.
Parties shall in particular: (a) Provide for
a minimum age or minimum ages for
One of the key elements, which will help ensure sustainability of the project benefits, lies in
admission to employment;
the strength of the implementing partner organisation. TRDP is well established as the
(b) Provide for appropriate regulation of leading NGO in Tharparkar District and has achieved a level of financial stability and capacity
the hours and conditions of employment; to continue its work well beyond the project period. The PDCs are not just a part of this
initiative but also a fundamental aspect of TRDP's ongoing Programme in Thar. These PDCs
(c) Provide for appropriate penalties or will continue as self-sustaining village level organisations which will be in a position to
other sanctions to ensure the effective continue support to weaving families as well as other members of the community. Experience
enforcement of the present article. has shown that, while PDCs tend to continue revolving loan funds, they do not require
financial inputs in order to continue functioning. They continue to work because the
community members see the value of local organisation in providing benefits for the
community.
The credit component of the project is based on the experience of the pilot project. It was
demonstrated that weaver families who received credit were able to eventually own their
looms and earn substantially higher profit by escaping the credit terms imposed by the
contractors. This is clearly a sustainable benefit that will help ensure children do not need to
work as carpet weavers but can learn the skill working under improved conditions while still
attending school full time.

Expected Out Comes

Part of protecting the rights of children ensures that they would not further suffer from being
withdrawn from the industry due to reduction in family income. Therefore the intent to phase
out children from work and provide them with increased access to quality education
opportunities without adversely affecting the livelihoods of the carpet weaving families is
implicit in this aim. Activities in education will go hand in hand with a credit provision
program, which enables weaver families to escape the debt trap that results because of their
dependency on contractors who provide loans on very unfavorable terms, which has in turn
led families to employ their children for long hours on carpet looms.
Dream that can be made true ------------
Our dream is to have families and communities with smiling faces of girls and boys. All children are
given equal opportunities to flower and flourish. If many of us have this dream and we do something to
make it come true, things WILL be changed. Scientists say that when a tiny butterfly flutters its wings, it
has an impact on the surrounding atmosphere. Collective action by all of us will surely bring about
changes in our surroundings.

Lets to join hands of each other and fight for better change.

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