Children in India will be rescued from forced labor in carpet shops and enabled to return to school.

Human Rights > School for Former Child Slaves

School for Former Child Slaves

Summary

Rescue bonded child laborers working in India's carpet industry. Offer rehabilitation and comprehensive care, including education, healthcare and social services, to create new life paths. read updates from the field

How Donors Like You Helped

Thanks to donors like you, a total of $19,439 was raised for this project.

More Information About this Project

Project Needs and Beneficiaries

Approximately 150,000 children are forced to work in the Indian carpet industry—the vast majority in the Uttar Pradesh region. Rugmark was established to systematically break the cycle of illegal child labor by rescuing children from the looms and implementing an ongoing loom inspection and certification program. After rescue, the children are enrolled in a Rugmark Centre to restore their childhood through a comprehensive education and rehabilitation program.

Activities

Rescue of child carpet weavers, counseling, education, vocational training, games and sports, health care, music and art, social and environmental education, leadership building, and integration into mainstream schooling.

Funding Information

Total Funding Received to Date: $19,439

Funding Information

This project is now in implementation and no longer available for funding. Received funds will be used to accomplish concrete objectives as indicated in the project's "Activities" section. Updates will be posted under the "Progress Report" tab as they become available.

Donors' contributions and pledges to this project totaled $19,439. The original project funding goal was $30,000.

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources

Why this Project is Important

Potential Long Term Impact

By offering educational opportunities, vocational training, and a network of support to former carpet slaves, Rugmark is restoring childhood to a generation of young Indian boys and girls and providing their best chance at a bright future.

Project Message

Because of Rugmark, now I have a pen in my hand instead of working tools and a new confidence towards life.
- Narayan Tiwari, Rugmark student and former slave

Who is Running This Project

Contact

Rebecca Shaloff,
Development Officer
2001 S Street NW, Suite 430
Washington, DC 20009
United States
(202)234-9050
Email:

Project Sponsor

Skoll Foundation

Organization

RugMark Foundation (USA)
2001 S Street NW, Suite 430
Washington, DC 20009
United States
202-234-9050
http://www.rugmark.org

Learn more about RugMark Foundation (USA) and the project team.

Where this Project is Located

Country

This project is located in India and can also be found under Human Rights.

For more information about India, read the Human Development Report on India or the Wikipedia entry for India.

When this Project was Updated

Last Updated

This project was last updated on June 04, 2007.

Date Added to GlobalGiving

This project was added to the GlobalGiving project catalog on June 13, 2005.

Latest Update from the Field

Former Carpet Slaves Tailor New Lives

By Rebecca Shaloff - Development Officer, June 04, 2007 09:03 AM

In 2006, RugMark inspectors in India, Nepal and Pakistan identified and freed 144 child carpet weavers, bringing the total number of rescued children to over 3,000. Every boy and girl found working is offered the opportunity to reunite with their families and get an education. RugMark’s role is to ensure these students have the support needed to stay in the classroom and off the carpet loom and feel empowered to weave their own futures.

A glimpse into the lives of two former carpet slaves tells the true story of what RugMark, with your support, has made possible. Punil and Bhola are both from Bihar, India’s poorest state where nearly 50 percent live below the poverty line and illiteracy and infant mortality rates soar. Devastating poverty and extreme corruption have made Bihar the primary source point for trafficked children who end up working in various industries in India, including carpet weaving.

Punil and Bhola fell victim to this system of modern-day slavery and worked as rug laborers until RugMark inspectors found them in 1997 and 1998, respectively. They were both admitted to the Balashraya Center for Child Laborers, and after completing their formal education and vocational training, Punil and Bhola qualified for instructor openings in RugMark’s tailoring training program.

While much progress has been made over the past year in India, the number of children rescued from rug factories and enrolled in schools is directly related to how many Western companies and consumers care about the issue. RugMark USA's office is leading a new campaign to educate shoppers to look for the RugMark label and pressuring companies to join the certification program.

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