Number of beneficiaries at present :550

Smile Foundation and Don Bosco Ashalayam has join hands to provide quality education for poor children at risk in West Bengal. The project encompasses education and health care on a common platform.

About the Project

The project named “Asha Shramik Project – Child Labour Prevention Programme” is being implemented in West Bengal, covering Kolkata, Howrah, Bhattanagar and Kalyani. The project aims to develop, design and implement following syllabus/ curriculum: -

• NFE for Child Labour

• Awareness Generation.

The target beneficiaries are 55 working children / child labours (below 10 years for boys & below 13 years for girls), potential child laborers (below 6 years for boys & below 8 years for girls). These children live in railway stations and adjacent slums and are forced to earn their living because of acute financial problems in their families. They work in roadside food stalls, market places, small scale industry, as beggars and hawkers.

• At present more than 100 young adults per year are being provided with skills in technical trades through vocational training programme

• The children are given special coaching for sports and other activities according to their interest.
  

About the Partner

Don Bosco Ashalayam is an organization working for the rehabilitation of vulnerable children (Like street and working children, destitute children, abandoned or missing children) since 1985.

An Ashalayam provides services to 550 children living in 21 shelters homes and 3 night shelters (1 being for girls). The organization reaches out to more than 3,000 children per month through its other projects. It is primarily working for the street children in the age group of 5-18 years and helps them to reintegrate with their natural families if they have any, helping them establish themselves in life, providing protection against sexual, physical and psychological exploitation.

The organization has received support from host of national and international organizations such as European Commission, Don Bosco France and also various local contributions.

Special Focus

- 80% of the working children given NFE are mainstreamed to some formal schools

- Severely malnutrition and anemic children (especially girls) are given proper care and

brought to the growth chart

Smile Foundation and Don Bosco Ashalayam’s endeavours to help fulfill dreams of these vulnerable children to set an example in the society.