#Migrant Labour

[icedsodapop]

Baskar Kalithash, a 32-year-old married Indian national, embarked on a journey to Singapore with dreams of providing a better life for his family. Like many migrant workers, he faced the challenges of living away from home, working tirelessly to support his loved ones. However, his life took a devastating turn on the night of May 26th, 2024.

Baskar had fallen from his room on the 4th floor, suffering severe injuries. Paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived promptly, and he was rushed to the National University Hospital (NUH) at 1:17 am. The extent of his injuries was grave; Baskar had sustained multiple fractures, including a spinal injury, and his life was hanging by a thread.

Emergency neck surgery was performed immediately on May 26th to address his life-threatening injuries. For more than 18 days, Baskar remained in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), fighting for his life. The medical team worked tirelessly to stabilize his condition, and on June 11th, he underwent a second surgery, a tracheostomy, to assist him in breathing.

Despite these efforts, Baskar’s journey to recovery is far from over. He was shifted to the high dependency ward, unable to talk or walk. The doctors have determined that his spinal injury requires at least six weeks of intensive rehabilitation. The road ahead is fraught with challenges, but Baskar remains resilient, holding onto hope for a better tomorrow.

The cost of his extensive medical treatment has been staggering. As of July 11th, 2024, the hospital bills have soared to SGD 180,000. For a migrant worker like Baskar, this amount is insurmountable. He and his family are facing an overwhelming financial burden, unable to bear the weight of these expenses. His insurance coverage only covers SGD 60,000 and that's not enough to help Baskar.

Today, Baskar needs our help. He has given so much in pursuit of a better life, and now he needs us to stand by him in his time of need. We are reaching out to you, compassionate hearts, to extend your support to Baskar and his family. Your generous contributions can make a significant difference in covering his medical bills and supporting his rehabilitation journey.

[benjaminallhope-fulltimemind]

This is disgusting and disheartening, these people have entered our nation legally and yet are treated no better than slaves. The federal program is rife with loopholes and a severe lack of oversight and enforcement that allows these abused and exploitation to be widespread. For example employers can provide food at a cost but it must not charge the workers beyond a certain amount (around $11 or $12) yet these employers flagrantly ignore these regulations and charge up to $200 which can total half a paycheck from supremely subpar food. Employers are also supposed to allow workers access to stoves and fridges for the purpose of cooking and storing food yet pictures and videos have circulated of locked fridges and cabinets in these farms and labor camps. If a worker tries to report violations or speak out retaliation is common, a simple punishment is abusing the worker to another camp or simply discharging them from the program often without legal recourse or ability to challenge the actions. and to the people who go 'well they aren't US citizens so why should we care?' this is almost no better than slavery, to condine inaction or resisting reform is to invite an 'acceptable' form of slavery which pollutes and rots our nation just like it did during the 18th century. Plus it also creates economic disadvantages for American labor, this isn't a mandatory program these farms and the national associations that help run this program simply want dirt cheap labor that they can exploit and abuse with little hassle. If they could they would enslave fellow US citizens to do the labor for free, that's why it's imperative to end the loopholes and make sure everyone in our nation citizens or not aren't being exploited!!

[underthewingsofthblackeagle]

In this interview, Nellie Chu elaborates on the interplay between the fast fashion industry, urban villages, and migrant labour in Southern China. The discussion provides a comprehensive examination of the post-socialist transformations in China, shedding light on the unique labour practices, land dynamics, and personhood transformations that shape the global supply chains of fast fashion. Through an exploration of urban villages as key facilitators of low-cost manufacturing and entrepreneurial ventures, the interview offers valuable insights into the evolving landscape of labour and production in the region. This academic perspective opens new avenues for understanding the complexities of the fast fashion industry and its socio-economic impact on Chinese society. Moreover, the interview explores the influence of key factors like the Covid-19 pandemic and digital media on the evolving dynamics of labour and production in this context. Nellie Chu discusses the following questions: 1. How do the unique characteristics of urban villages and the influx of migrant labour in Southern China, particularly in Guangzhou, contribute to the functioning and dynamics of the fast fashion industry? 2. What is the significance of small-scale household workshops, or "jiagongchang," in global fast fashion supply chains? 3. How do household workshops challenge the assumption of mass production and the “Made in China” label? How do they influence the perception of labor as a stepping stone to entrepreneurship, while also exposing workers to risks and precarity? 4. In what ways does the "Hukou" household registration system, along with gender dynamics, influence the perspectives and work dynamics of migrant workers who remain tied to their rural origins despite being employed in metropolitan regions far away from their homes? 5. Could you briefly discuss the broader impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and strict lockdown measures on the fast fashion industry, as well as provide insights into how these circumstances have shaped the perspectives of migrant workers? 6. In your upcoming book, you delve into the realm of digital media and explore the impact of live streaming within the fast fashion industry. Could you provide us with further insights into your research? Nellie Chu is a cultural anthropologist specializing in the anthropology of post-socialist China and the ethnography of global supply chains. She received her Ph.D. degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her B.A. in International Relations from the University of California, Davis. Inspired by the classic ethnographies of Margery Wolf, her research focuses on transnational capitalism, migration, counterfeit culture, gendered labour, industrialization, and urbanization. Her current book manuscript examines how Chinese, African, and South Korean migrant entrepreneurs in Guangzhou, China synchronize their life trajectories and changing subjectivities of labour with the cycles that link the global commodity chains of fast fashion. Her work aims to demystify the globally recognized "Made in China" label and shed light on the proliferation of small-scale and informal garment workshops and wholesale sites that connect China with other countries across the Global South. She emphasizes the importance of finely tuned historical and ethnographic analyses in understanding the spatial and temporal intersections between China's post-socialist transformations and the emergence of transnational subcontracting.

[isaacsapphire]

Also remittances! The exported worker often sends money home, and this is a major portion of the income for some countries today!

On the other hand: an entrepreneur of theatres, concerts, brothels, etc., buys the temporary disposal over the labour-power of the actors, musicians, prostitutes, etc.—in fact in a roundabout way that is only of formal economic interest; in its result the process is the same—he buys this so-called “unproductive labour”, whose “services perish in the very instant of their performance and do not fix or realise themselves “any permanent” (“particular” is also used) “subject or vendible commodity” (apart from themselves).  The sale of these to the public provides him with wages and profit.  And these services which he has thus bought enable him to buy them again; that is to say, they themselves renew the fund from which they are paid for.  The same is true for example of the labour of clerks employed by a lawyer in his office—except for the fact that these services as a rule also embody themselves in very bulky “particular subjects” in the form of immense bundles of documents. It is true that these services are paid for to the entrepreneur out of the revenue of the public.  But it is no less true that this holds good of all products in so far as they enter into individual consumption.  It is true that the country cannot export these services as such; but it can export those who perform the services.  Thus France exports dancing masters, cooks, etc., and Germany schoolmasters.  With the export of the dancing master, or the schoolmaster, however, his revenue is also exported, while the export of dancing shoes and books brings a return to the country.

Karl Marx failed to predict tourism

[veganpropaganda]

‘Oppressive’ child labor found at poultry plant’s kill floor after teen’s death, feds say

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article288585497.html

A U.S. chicken producer is again facing child labor accusations after a 16-year-old worker was killed at its poultry plant in Mississippi last July, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

On May 1, four teenagers, including two 16-year-olds and two 17-year-olds, were found working on the kill floor at Mar-Jac Poultry’s processing facility in Jasper, Alabama, federal court filings show.

With three teens’ shifts starting at 11 p.m. — and a fourth teen’s shift starting at 8:30 p.m. — they were each tasked with “hanging live chickens on hooks for slaughter and cutting meat from the carcasses,” according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

This violates federal child labor provisions in place to protect minors from dangerous jobs that have proven deadly.

On July 14, 2023, Duvan Robert Tomas Perez, a 16-year-old migrant from Guatemala, was killed while cleaning a chicken deboning machine at Mar-Jac’s plant in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, according to a wrongful death lawsuit, McClatchy News previously reported.

The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found Perez was fatally pulled into the “still-energized” machine because Mar-Jac Poultry MS LLC “disregarded safety standards.”

OSHA cited the company over his death in January, according to a news release.

Now, the Labor Department is seeking a court order to stop Mar-Jac from selling and shipping “poultry tainted by oppressive child labor” from the company’s plant in Alabama, court filings say.

An “urgent” request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction filed by Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su asks the court to prevent Mar-Jac Poultry of Alabama, LLC, from profiting off products linked to child labor.

Following the request, an evidentiary hearing was held on May 14 and May 15, Mar-Jac said in a May 20 news release provided to McClatchy News in response to a request for comment.

Instead of granting the request, the court ordered Su to submit a brief by May 28 and ordered Mar-Jac to submit a response to the brief by June 4, the release said.

What Mar-Jac says about the child labor accusations

In a response filed May 8, Mar-Jac contends it offered to stop shipping poultry produced on the May 1 shift, when the alleged child labor violations involving the four teens were uncovered by the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division.

However, the Wage and Hour Division “rejected that offer and demanded Mar-Jac not ship goods in interstate commerce for the next 30 days,” the filing says.

This would “would put more than 1000 workers out of their jobs for that 1-month period and disrupt the supply chain, adversely affecting hundreds more workers involved in growing and transporting poultry products,” Mar-Jac said in its news release.

Mar-Jac refused the division’s demand and argues that the company was unaware three of the four minor employees were underage.

According to the Labor Department, Wage and Hour Division investigators learned the four teens “had been working at the facility for months,” a complaint says.

The department has declared all chicken produced by Mar-Jac up until May 31 are “hot goods” that are “tainted by child labor,” according to the complaint.

Mar-Jac maintains three of the four teens showed documents that claimed they were older than 17 and were then verified as over 18, according to the May 8 court filing.

The company says it “immediately discharged” the three minors after learning they were underage and denied that they worked on the Alabama plant’s kill floor, the filing says.

As for the fourth minor, Mar-Jac said federal investigators haven’t identified the teen, “making it impossible for Mar-Jac to end the alleged (child labor) violation,” according to the filing.

On May 14, the Labor Department called Mar-Jac’s response a “misguided attempt to persuade this Court to allow (the company) to flout the inherent dangers of oppressive child labor,” court records show.

Mar-Jac said in the release that the company “will continue to vigorously defend itself and expects to prevail in this matter” and that it is “committed to complying with all relevant laws, including but not limited to the child labor regulations.”

Following the death of Perez at the Mississippi poultry plant, Mar-Jac acknowledged he “should not have been hired” because he was under 18, according to a July 19 news release published online by WDAM-TV.

The company said the employee’s age and identity “were misrepresented” on his hiring paperwork, according to the release.

Seth Hunter, an attorney representing Perez’s mother, who is suing over his death, said in a news release provided to McClatchy News in February that Mar-Jac’s “working conditions have to change.”

He said Chick-fil-A “is one of Mar-Jac’s largest customers” and that Chick-fil-A and other companies “should insist on better working conditions or stop doing business with them.”

At the time, Chick-fil-A didn’t respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment from Feb. 5.

A few months after Perez’s death, the company told NBC News in October that “We are reviewing our own procedures for investigation and response as we pursue the steps necessary to effectively hold all our suppliers to our high safety standards.”

Similar to Perez, a New York Times investigative report published in September found many migrant children and teens are working dangerous jobs, including at poultry plants.

Mar-Jac’s plant in Jasper, Alabama, is about a 240-mile drive west of the company’s headquarters in Gainesville, Georgia.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The Canadian and Jamaican governments are investigating allegations that an Ontario farm sent a group of Jamaican migrant workers home after they held a one-day strike to protest what they described as substandard living conditions.

Pearnel Charles Jr., Jamaica's minister of labour, says he met four of the five workers in question after a local newspaper reported they'd been expelled from Canada as "payback" for their work stoppage, and for blowing the whistle about their treatment to the media. 

"They expressed to me that they were disappointed with being returned early, which I think is normal and understandable. And they had some questions as to exactly what the reasons were," Charles Jr. told As It Happens guest host Katie Simpson.

Full article

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[thozhar]

Gulf migration is not just a major phenomenon in Kerala; north Indian states also see massive migration to the Gulf. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar accounted for the biggest share (30% and 15%) of all Indian workers migrating to GCC1 countries in 2016-17 (Khan 2023)—a trend which continues today. Remittances from the Gulf have brought about significant growth in Bihar’s economy (Khan 2023)—as part of a migrant’s family, I have observed a tangible shift in the quality of life, education, houses, and so on, in Siwan. In Bihar, three districts—Siwan, Gopalganj, and Chapra—send the majority of Gulf migrants from the state, mostly for manual labor (Khan 2023). Bihar also sees internal migration of daily wagers to Delhi, Bombay, and other parts of India. Gulf migration from India’s northern regions, like elsewhere in India, began after the oil boom in the 1970s. Before this time, migration was limited to a few places such as Assam, Calcutta, Bokaro, and Barauni—my own grandfather worked in the Bokaro steel factory.

Despite the role of Gulf migration and internal migration in north Indian regions, we see a representational void in popular culture. Bollywood films on migration largely use rural settings, focussing on people who work in the USA, Europe, or Canada. The narratives centre these migrants’ love for the land and use dialogue such as ‘mitti ki khusbu‘ (fragrance of homeland). Few Bollywood films, like Dor and Silvat, portray internal migration and Gulf migration. While Bollywood films frequently centre diasporic experiences such as Gujaratis in the USA and Punjabis in Canada, they fail in portraying Bihari migrants, be they indentured labourers in the diaspora, daily wagers in Bengal, or Gulf migrants. The regional Bhojpuri film industry fares no better in this regard. ‘A good chunk of the budget is spent on songs since Bhojpuri songs have an even larger viewership that goes beyond the Bhojpuri-speaking public’, notes Ahmed (2022), marking a context where there is little purchase for Gulf migration to be used as a reference to narrate human stories of longing, sacrifice, and family.

One reason for this biased representation of migration is that we see ‘migration’ as a monolith. In academic discourse, too, migration is often depicted as a commonplace phenomenon, but I believe it is crucial to make nuanced distinctions in the usage of the terms ‘migration’ and ‘migrant’. The term ‘migration’ is a broad umbrella term that may oversimplify the diverse experiences within this category. My specific concern is about Gulf migrants, as their migration often occurs under challenging circumstances. For individuals from my region, heading to the Gulf is typically a last resort. This kind of migration leads to many difficulties, especially when it distances migrants from their family for much of their lifetime. The term ‘migration’, therefore, inadequately captures the profound differences between, for instance, migrating to the USA for educational purposes and migrating to the Gulf for labour jobs. Bihar has a rich history of migration, dating back to the era of indentured labor known as girmitiya. Following the abolition of slavery in 1883, colonial powers engaged in the recruitment of laborers for their other colonies through agreements (Jha 2019). Girmitiya distinguishes itself from the migration. People who are going to the Arabian Gulf as blue-collar labourers are also called ‘Gulf migrants’—a term that erases how their conditions are very close to slavery. This is why, as a son who rarely saw his father, I prefer to call myself a ‘victim of migration’ rather than just a ‘part of migration’. It is this sense of victimhood and lack of control over one’s life that I saw missing in Bollywood and Bhojpuri cinema.

— Watching 'Malabari Films' in Bihar: Gulf Migration and Transregional Connections

[southeastasianists]

Malaysia intends to bring in 500,000 workers from 15 different Asian countries to solve its labour shortage issues in less-favourable sectors like plantations, agriculture, and construction.

The Covid-19 outbreak has caused over 700,000 foreign employees to return to their home countries, according to Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar, therefore the labour crisis needs to be resolved right away in order to prevent any negative effects on the economy.

However, human rights activists have argued that the government must halt this process and instead focus on improving the working conditions of migrant workers who are already in the country, which does not seem to be getting better.

World Bank data indicates that there are around 2.9 to 3.3 million migrant workers in Malaysia, of which roughly 1.5 million have irregular employment.

The remaining millions are undocumented, without protection. But most of them are employed and continue to make a significant contribution to the economy and the nation’s future.

Many of these workers, be it documented or not, suffer injustices such as being underpaid, at risk of abuse and confined to poor living conditions despite calls for better migrant worker rights based on strong economic and humanitarian grounds. The abuses were further exacerbated during the pandemic.

In fact,  the US State Department downgraded Malaysia to Tier 3, which is the worst category, in its 2020 Trafficking in Persons Report. It also imposed punitive measures on firms allegedly involved in slave labour by banning imports from glovemakers Top Glove and Supermax, as well as two major palm oil conglomerates.

Malaysia remains in Tier 3 as of last year.

The secretary-general of Socialist Party Malaysia (PSM), Sivarajan Arumugam, told Coconuts the conditions for migrant workers have not improved despite many complaints from workers and civil society.

“Their grouses have not been rectified. Thus PSM would strongly call for a halt on all migrant labour intake until all reforms are executed,” he said.

PSM often works on labour rights issues affecting both local and foreign workers. It has also helped some of these individuals win court cases against their employers.

Sivarajan also highlighted that, during former minister M. Kulasegaran’s time as the Human Resources Minister (MOHR) under Pakatan Harapan, he had instructed an independent commission to study the situation of migrant workers and submit reports to the government.

However, he said the report has been kept under wraps.

“We reiterate that the government should focus on implementing the proposed reforms proposed by the government’s own reports and other CSO’s instead of continuing to bow down to the pressures of the employers that they are crying that they need migrant labour urgently,” he added.

Sivarajan shared with Coconuts a copy of the reform proposal.

Some of these proposed reforms include only allowing the MOHR to manage and monitor all matters relating to migrant workers, speedy initiatives and policies to eradicate the involvement of private agents and companies in the recruitment and supply of workers, and the abolishment of debt bondage by removing recruitment fees charged to workers.

Glorene Daas, executive director of Tenaganita, a human rights non-profit organisation, said the ministry needs to address the lack of personnel at the labour department in order for it to carry out labour inspections more efficiently.

“During high-level government meetings between the labour department and the ministry, the issue is always that they do not have enough personnel, so what are we doing about it is the next question. If we want to address this effectively and seriously, they need to think through how to increase the labour department’s personnel,” she said.

Meanwhile, Su Shern, executive director of Project Liber8, echoed Sivarajan’s concerns.

“I think first we need to acknowledge that the exploitation of migrant workers in Malaysia is still not being addressed. The fact is that migrant workers are still facing long working hours, exploitative conditions, withholding of wages, etc. and I think these are things that we hear and see all the time,” she told Coconuts.

Project Liber8 is a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering youth to take action against human trafficking, forced labour, exploitation and discrimination among trafficked victims, migrant workers and refugees.

“So what is the government doing currently to ensure we are minimising this and holding the people responsible accountable?” Su said.

Su said she would really love to see the government speak to relevant parties that are working on migrant issues as well as be present on the ground to understand the lived realities.

“Over the years, we’ve seen the government really making an effort in forced labour and trafficking issues but what is equally as important is the priority of ensuring these laws and policies are executed properly too,” she added.

MOHR Minister V. Sivakumar has refused to comment on the matter when contacted by Coconuts.

[eclipseandshadow]

one of our readings for last week talked about how in some cases immigrants from third world countries are recruited/incentivized by first world countries in order to create a new source of exploited labour within that country to reinforce the hierarchy of racial/class systems and i haven't stopped thinking about it

[curly-fried]

Class cannot be left out in discussions about islamphobia in Europe. Most islamphobia thats spoken about on Tumblr is in the context of Britain, France, Belgium the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Denmark, sweden and Norway. The history of these communities is found in the aftermath of the second world war. This is a period where much of these countries needed to be rebuild because of the air raids that took place during the second world war. The large amount of work needed and the civilian casualties during this war meant that there was a big labor shortage. In the end a lot of countries solved this problem by importing workers from their colonies and southern Europe. A lot of workers from Turkey went to Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavia. And a lot of North African workers went to France and through France to the rest of Europe. Here the migrant workers worked long hours and faced abuse. The south European worked assimilated into the dominant cultures of their host countries because their whiteness allowed them to, while the Turkish and North African workers went on the be trapped into the cycle of poverty, many of them living in impoverished ethnic enclaves where they to this day are targeted by the police sent the bourgeois state while many of their children are forced into a life of crime by the poverty they have to endure. And this is why islamphobia in Europe is deeply intertwined with class

[cakerybakery]

You remember how all those stolen migrant children were found illegally put to work in the US?

Hmm, gee you think there’s a connection

[africaindustrializationday]

From hard hats to great jobs: Construction's path to a greener and fairer future.

The construction sector is often overlooked in the global just transition discourse. Despite it contributing 37% of global emissions, decarbonisation efforts have been slow, partly due to long-standing labour shortages driven by poor working conditions and anti-migrant narratives. Using ILO, OACD and EU data, this session will discuss positive and negative examples of green initiatives like off-site construction, focusing on geographical job distribution, re-skilling, and working conditions.

Watch the From hard hats to great jobs: Construction's path to a greener and fairer future!

[todayworldnews2k21]

Bar employee arrested for murdering migrant worker near Coimbatore

Police on Sunday arrested an employee at a bar in Neelambur near Coimbatore for allegedly murdering a migrant worker. According to police, Pobitra Rai, 44, a wall painter from Tushkhali village in West Bengal, visited the bar with friends on October 31 to celebrate Deepavali. Later, under the influence of alcohol, he reportedly verbally abused S. Aravind, 24, of Palayankottai in Ramanathapuram…

[head-post]

Labour could reopen asylum hotels as migrant numbers surge

Labour has pledged to end the practice of housing refugees in hotels, but due to a huge backlog of cases it is reported that it plans to reopen some facilities previously closed by the Conservative government.

Campaigners have called on the UK government to “immediately end” the accommodation of asylum seekers in hotels, fearing that many could become homeless amid the housing crisis.

Asylum seekers can spend up to three years in hotels waiting for their claims to be processed, which in places like Glasgow can exacerbate homelessness and overnight accommodation.

Gary Christie, head of policy, communications and communities at Scottish Refugee Council, told The Scotsman:

We want to see an immediate end to the use of hotel rooms and other types of temporary accommodation used for long-term housing. The idea of living in a hotel and the reality for people seeking asylum are worlds apart. Living on £1.36 a day and stripped of basic autonomy, like being able to choose what to eat for dinner or cook yourself a meal, we see first-hand how adverse an effect this type of accommodation has on people’s mental health. Isolated, banned from working and living in poverty, hotel living risks re-traumatising people who have already uprooted their lives to flee violence and persecution. People need a safe, secure place to call home where they can recover from these experiences and begin to rebuild their lives. This is not something a hotel room can provide.

The Refugee Council estimates the number of pending asylum claims could reach 118,063 in January as Labour abandoned plans to send migrants to Rwanda and reopened the application process.

An analysis of official figures, based on grant figures for the year to June, shows a further 62,801 people could be recognised as refugees in the UK, according to the migrant charity.

The charity based its findings on the subsidy rates used in the 12 months leading up to the election and examined how they applied to asylum seekers of different nationalities to arrive at its conclusions and a “working assumption” of what the figure might be.

The study also notes that the estimates were similar to the number of people granted refugee status in the year to June under the previous government.

Susain Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council, said:

We have not been approached by the Home Office with information on whether any more asylum hotels will open in Glasgow. Whilst Glasgow has been greatly enriched by its role as a dispersal city over the past two decades, it is undeniable that the way in which the Home Office is now batch processing decisions followed by large scale evictions from asylum accommodation is a significant driver of a high number of refugees seeking support from homelessness services – and the city still is not receiving funding from the Home Office to support this. We remain willing to work with the Home Office to find a different way to process asylum claims which makes decisions quickly, limits the use of hotels, and enables asylum seekers to work.

Read more HERE

[sampark25]

Empowerment in Slums and labour colonies

This summer I did an internship with an NGO that was extending a helping hand to marginalized groups and was working on improving their living condition. After some research, I learned about Sampark and soon enough I landed in their office in Jakssandra. They gave me an in-depth overview of their work. After my orientation, my one and half month journey with this lovely organization began.

I helped in making a map of Sampark’s creches and workers resource centers (WRCs) all over Karnataka. I also helped in some paper work for accounts team and the next week I went on my first field visit!

Off I went to visit a creche and having not visited a labor colony the experience was a little new for me but soon I understood the working of the creche(day care centre for children of construction workers). I interacted with teachers there and I arrived during lunch time so after a small prayer the children began to eat the kichiddi and the eggs that had been provided. It was heartwarming to see that the kids were remembering god in such absolute poverty. After the meal was over I interacted with the teachers who were really nice to me and very quite eager to show me around. I saw a nutrition chart, a vaccination chart, and a class timetable. 

I began working on the map and this was a challenge for me.  But I found this really good tool called Google Earth and this was particularly useful and I created a map for both Sampark’s creches and their WRC’s. In my second field trip, I even played a game of ball with the children and had fun with them. This particular creche had a water treatment plant and clean toilets as well something I had not seen in the Doddakannelli creche. 

I wanted to visit a worker’s resource center and I visited the Bankshari WRC and went to Soladevanahalli labor colony. Sampark WRC team member was talking to workers about the importance of getting labor cards and how it makes them more independent and have more potential to grow. This was a great learning experience for me and probably the field visit that I enjoyed the most. 

I learned a lot through this internship and above all it taught me how to be grateful for what we have in life and I feel this will help me grow as a person in the long run. I got such excellent mentors and everyone at the office who made me feel welcome. I am going to be back next summer and am looking forward to the challenges and field visits waiting for me!

– Saumitra Singh

View More…https://sampark.org/