www.actionaid.org.uk
priorityprojects
Liba Taylor/ActionAid UK
Creating a future for the
‘untouchable’ scavengers of India
Children are one of the most valuable resources in the world today, and yet there are
millions of children in developing countries who live in poverty, often forced to work
and miss out on an education just to survive. ActionAid works with children to fight
for their basic rights to education, good health and freedom from exploitation.
Introduction
The problems
India is home to over one billion people, most of whom
live under the caste system, which is a way of dictating
occupations and social status. Members of higher castes
are wealthier and have better opportunities whereas the
lower castes are restricted to more menial work. Beyond
even the lowest caste are the ‘untouchables’, or dalits,
who are considered to be polluted to touch and are
amongst the most marginalised people in the world.
• Despite an official proclamation making
manual scavenging and construction of
dry latrines a punishable offence – and
government claims that it no longer
exists – manual scavenging still
continues.
ActionAid is working with dalits on issues facing their
communities, particularly with manual scavengers, one of
the most disadvantaged groups. Manual scavenging
involves manually cleaning dry pit latrines of human
waste. Women and girls performing this task crawl into
the latrines with a broom and tin plate to clear it, the
waste is then piled into a basket carried on their heads to
a far away location. This practice continues despite laws
prohibiting it. ActionAid estimates there are
approximately 50,000 people in this caste.
fighting poverty together
• The unsanitary conditions cause
chronic illnesses such as tuberculosis,
asthma and liver and intestine
problems. These problems are
compounded by a lack of nutritious
food and psychological stress.
• Women and girls bear the brunt of this
work and, despite local government
schools being available, young girls
miss out on an education to work,
further restricting their options and
confining them in future years.
priorityprojects
www.actionaid.org.uk
Liba Taylor/ActionAid UK
Creating a future for the
‘untouchable’ scavengers of India
real lives
Anamika is a 14-year-old girl living in Sikar, Rajasthan. She was born into
a ‘Harijan’ family, one of the ’untouchable’ lower castes. Anamika had just
started school when her mother died and, as the eldest of five children,
she took over the housework and looked after the younger children. She
was also forced to work as a manual scavenger as her father’s labourer
wage was not enough to support the family. Anamika went round the
local area collecting human waste from each house to dispose of for
only one stale chapatti (a thin, flat bread) a day and 20 rupees (the
equivalent of 24p) a month from each household. Despite working, there
was still not enough food for her family.
Anamika wanted to learn to read and write and so took the opportunity
to join ActionAid’s residential education camp for manual scavenging
girls. Although she found it difficult to adjust to the environment at first
she soon settled in and even started taking a lead in many extra
curricular activities. During a short holiday with her family, her father was
so impressed with her development that he sent her younger sister back
to the camp with her. In her final camp exams, held by the government
education department, Anamika scored an A+ and will now join her local
government school. She now says she will never go back to manual
scavenging or let her younger siblings get involved,
“
“
I can now read, write, understand and also express my
feeling boldly without fear.
ActionAid’s response
Unit costs
• Raise public awareness through street plays, develop and demand
government recognition of the situation, and offer help with
alternative occupations for manual scavengers.
• £11 could pay for a child’s
education for one month.
• Talk to manual scavenging communities about their work and the
problems they face (health, economic, discrimination); offer training
for alternative work; identify and train community leaders to help
communities realise their own rights.
• Provide residential education camps to young girls involved in the
work to get them to a level to join existing schools. A good
education will mean they are much less likely to go back to manual
scavenging and give them better job prospects in the future.
Project code: XUK0R05003
60% of the donations will go towards the projects and 40% will be distributed internationally in order of greatest need.
ActionAid, Hamlyn House, Macdonald Road, Archway, London N19 5PG Email: [email protected] Telephone: 020 7561 7561
ActionAid is a registered charity, no. 274467.
fighting poverty together
• £125 could provide a young
adult with a start-up fund for
an alternative income.
• £336 could provide a child
with food, accommodation,
medical care and an
education for one year.
• £500 could provide
vocational training for 40 girls.