Project Freedom Pallavakam Village Funding Proposal to support vocational opportunities

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Project Freedom (Pallavakam Village) Funding
Proposal to support vocational opportunities

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Contents

• Introduction to Project Freedom
• History Motivation
• Budget Proposal to support employment generation
• Brick Chamber
• Recycling paper mill
• Q A

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Introduction

• Bonded labor, a clandestine activity that has
  been extensively used in rice mills
• 10,000 bonded laborers working in Rice Mills
  across Thiruvallur dist.
• Asha, along with Sidamma,started working on this
  project since Oct04
• 300 families have been rescued since
• Purpose rescuing and rehabilitating bonded
  laborers

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History

• Sidamma has been involved with the Irula
  community since the 1990s
• Irula-A tribe, mainly found in TamilNadu, with
  its hereditary occupation being snake and rat
  catching
• Irulas are illiterate and have been exploited and
  oppressed for centuries
• Sidamma setup Sarpams to help Irulas fight for
  their rights and freedom
• A lot of progress has been made so far-setting up
  of schools, providing education to children

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Motivation

• Thousands of Irulas are used as bonded laborers
  in rice mills
• Debt bondage, modern day slavery is
  internationally banned by UN and outlawed by the
  Indian govt. But such laws rarely get enforced in
  the state
• The Irulas were forced to work for 19hours and
  were paid Rs0.79/hr(.02/hr)
• Legal Min. wage Rs10/hr(.25/hr)
• Pay - one portion goes to repay debt and the
  remaining portion to cover room and board. At the
  same time the loan accrues interest at an
  exorbitant rate
• Creates a vicious cycle of bonded servitude

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Motivation Contd..

• Working conditions in rice mills are deplorable
• Confined to the rice mill premises
• No medical or emergency support
• No sanitation facilities
• Forced to work 19 hours without any breaks
• No holidays
• No formal account of remaining debt
• Women workers were sexually abused and forced to
  work till delivery and soon after childbirth
• Children of families were also forced to work in
  the rice mills

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Motivation Contd

• Some of the bonded laborers escaped and
  approached Sidamma for help
• Sidamma approached local authorities for
  assistance, but the local authorities were
  supporters of the rice mill owners
• In Sept 2004,Sidamma and other activists along
  with escaped bonded laborers staged a
  demonstration against the inhuman workplace
  conditions
• National Commission for Women also participated
  in the protest and urged immediate action by the
  govt
• The rally received extensive media coverage
  around the nation and a public hearing followed
  suit to document the observations

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Motivation Contd

• Govt finally intervened and helped release the
  families living in bonded labor
• Govt also provided land and shelter to the freed
  families
• The working conditions inside the rice mills
  became more humane, safe, respectable and minimum
  wages were paid to the workers
• 300 families have been rescued so far
• Other bonded laborers are being identified and
  rescued
• Debt bondage is still very prevalent and there is
  no exact count of the number of bonded laborers

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Rehabilitation Proposal

• Critical to support the released bonded laborers
  to help them adjust to the life outside of rice
  mills
• Children education centers have been setup and
  running to provide basic education
• Some of the bonded laborers have moved to their
  villages and the rest are in S.K.Nagar
• Food and shelter in S.K.Nagar provided by
  Bharathi Trust
• Independence and empowerment of the released
  bonded laborers requires employment opportunities
  to the freed laborers

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Rehabilitation Proposal

• Two employment generation options
• Brick Chamber
• - Support 100 families
• - 1 male member per family will be employed
• - Nature of work should fit well with men
• Recycling Paper Mill
• Support 40 families
• Employs 40 women
• Work is physically not so demanding

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Funding proposal to setup a Brick Chamber
Materials Required
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Brick Chamber Contd
Capital Investment
Production and Profits
Note Cost of manufacturing one brick is Rs.1 and
it is sold for Rs 6. Net profit Rs 5/-.
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Funding proposal to setup a Recycling Paper Mill
Budget
Current plan Employ 40 women to work in the mill
with a base salary of Rs.2000/Month Salaries of
workers 2000 40 12 Rs 9,60,000 / year