After school, 15-year-old Soni Khatun starts knocking on doors at the “EJC basti” in Kolkata, looking for children like her, speaking to them, asking whether they go to school or if their families are planning to get them married. Armed with an old notebook, she carefully notes down the replies. Soon, Soni’s neighbour Saraswati Dhanuk, also 15, and 13 other children from the slum join in, stopping at automobile workshops to find out whether children are employed, again noting names and responses in that notebook.
Soni and Saraswati are part of Shaktiman, a group of children, once school dropouts themselves, now busy fighting child labour, stopping child marriages and sending children back to school.
Such good work can be replicated elsewhere too. May be a little guidance from some elders can help.
Read more of this in a report by Ravik Bhattacharya published in The Indian Express...
