On the 24th of September Humanitarian Clowns Abroad volunteers visited the school that they raised $6000 Aus to build in Periyapannaparai, Jawadhi Hills. It was an amazing day- though it was pouring with rain, the school children had an great time playing with the clowns, having their faces painted and receiving balloon animals! The clowns generously donated play equipment, colouring materials and notepads for the teachers to distribute when needed, and the whole community turned out to welcome their benefactors and say thank you for making education a possibility for their children.

 

On a different note, we are sad to report that 10 children who were attending our school have been trafficked from Periyapannaparai on tractors in the night to unknown locations. This is a common problem in Jawadhi Hills with hundreds of children trafficked every year, especially during September to February, and is borne out of a desperate need for families to generate income.

Children are trafficked from 7 years upwards, and many are girls, who are sent to
flower picking fields and silk mills to work 15 hour days and stay in hostels from which they are not allowed to leave until the end of their contracts. Most are not paid until the end of their contract, making them bonded labourers, and many of the girls are sexually exploited on these placements.

 

Seb’s Projects India is working to target this problem by gathering video materials to raise awareness about the dangers and issues faced by these child labourers and plans on launching a campaign across targeted villages of Jawadhi Hills over the next few months.