what is the summary of children at work lesson

Child labour in India has become a great menace. Mainly the under poverty line families contribute majority of children to this ever-growing peril. The obvious reason is there poverty and incapability to sustain a regular livelihood. The superstitious belief More hands more money has led to the sacrifices of these under-privileged families. The eldest child is the worst sufferer. His responsibilities range from caring and feeding his siblings to aiding his parents in their respective work, from taking care of family-business to doing uncanny solitary jobs to sustain his family. When starvation becomes inevitable for the family, they sell off their child to a factory owner or as domestic help to some affluent household. In most of the cases it is the elder one. The factory owners employ the children willingly as they are cheap, can be easily molded, forced and emotionally blackmailed.

Not only cracker factories, children are also employed at carpet factories, lock factories, brass factories, match factories, glass factories, mining, quarries, construction sites etc. At these hazardous places they develop chronic diseases like lung cancer, skin cancer etc. Few become physically disable due to the lack of safety measures at such places. Many become visually and hearing impaired. Children also suffer from emotional stress, depression and unhappiness. Their mental and physical growth is disrupted to great extent. They are offered lower wages than adults. A few even die out of starvation and many are malnourished. To forget their grief they take to drugs. They become alcoholics and drug addicts.

As domestic helps children are many times sexually abused and made to work 24 hours with short intervals of rest.

Introduction

Children at Work is a sensible story by Gita Wolf, which focuses on the living of slum children. This story teaches us to be empathic with these children and help whatever we can. This story involves a boy named Velu. He was a  small boy of 11 years. His father was a drunkard. His father used to beat him and his sister and used to snatch every money they earned. Velu was fed up with the day to day abuses and decided to run away from home. He walked all day in Kannur ( a district in Tamilnadu), and later on boarded Kanyakumari Express. Kanyakumari express brought him to Chennai Central station.

Chennai Central Station

Chennai Central station is a huge station. Velu saw people in a rush with their suitcases. A loudspeaker was shouting with announcements; some people were watching a big tv screen; some were sitting on the platform. Velu was feeling very weak, and his legs were shaking. He had come to Chennai in an unreserved compartment, sitting near the gate. A group of people played playing card and shouted throughout the night. Velu felt miserable in a new place and sat on a bench.

Ragpicker Jaya

A ragpicker small girl with brown and dirty hair named Jaya saw him and talked about him. Initially, Velu was reluctant as she was a stranger to him. She told she could arrange for his food. Velu had no option other than to follow her. Velu went behind her. She took him to busy roads with high traffic and dust. Velu was frightened by the traffic. A central jail came near him. Jaya warned him of police as police do not like ragpickers. Finally, they reached a marriage hall. There was a big garbage pile. Jaya found two bananas and a vada. She gave a banana and the vada to Velu. Velu was reluctant to eat left-over food thrown in the bin. But he was hungry, and there was no other option.

Velus New Job

They ate together. Now, Jaya took him to own home. It was a slum house made of broken steel sheet, and other useless materials like an old tire, plastic sheet, and bricks. Jaya gave him a big sack and asked him to help her. Velu was curious about why Jaya collect useless materials. Jaya explained, she sells it to a scrapper. Scrapper sends it to factories where these plastics and paper are recycled into a new one. Velu was not happy with the job. He decided if he gets another job, he will leave this dirty job.