“Education is very important for them to have a better job, career and good future,” says Lalimma Mathew, a 60-year-old migrant from Kerala and a volunteer teacher for the migrant workers’ children.

Lalimma joined Pravasi Bandhu, a migrant support programme with two other volunteers and gave non-formal education support to vulnerable migrant children at Mansover park Delhi and Gurgaon construction sites.

Government schools are normally far from the working sites in Gurgaon; therefore parents could not afford to send their children to schools. There are private schools nearby, but parents cannot afford to enrol their children in these schools. They loiter around with their parents in the working sites or most cases the elder children aged 6-7 years are given the responsibility of taking care of their younger siblings in the temporary residential spaces. It is seen that children are denied a happy childhood. Migrant workers’ children in construction sites are denied their right to education. There is a significant contribution to the growth of Indian cities from internal migration. It is ironic that the people who are instrumental in building our future, have their future in darkness.

Lalimma says when these migrants come to a new place, it is very difficult to adjust to a new environment. These children are already disturbed as they have left their belongings. So, these children should be supported sensitively. She hopes that “The migrants’ life should change or at least their children should be educated to be more aware of the new world and are knowledgeable enough to think beyond their basic needs”.

The RTE Act, 2009 provides for the free and compulsory elementary education of equitable quality to all children, including the children of migrant workers, between 6-14 years of age. It is observed that the children from these migrant families in Delhi who can attend formal schools have learning gaps; nonetheless, they require tuition support to overcome these gaps.

Caritas India collaborated with Prachodana Social Service Society under the Pravasi Bandhu program to support these vulnerable children to bridge the gap through non-formal education in Mansover park Delhi and Gurgaon construction sites. The education of children of migrant workers is one of the important components of the Pravasi Bandhu programme to support the migrant community.

The uniqueness of the initiative lies in the fact that the migrants in the community came forward as teachers and mentors to these children to volunteer for this cause. Most vulnerable children of the migrant workers are identified from various pockets for non-formal education through learning centres provided by the Gurgaon diocese. There are around 100 children identified in Mansarovar Park Delhi and Gurgaon working sites. Three teachers are presently taking classes in batches and nutrition has also been taken care of and midday meal is provided to them.