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Project Freedom (Pallavakam Village)

Funding Proposal to support vocational opportunities

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Contents

• Introduction to Project Freedom

• History & Motivation

• Budget Proposal to support employment generation– Brick Chamber– Recycling paper mill

• Q & A

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Introduction

• Bonded labor, a clandestine activity that has been extensively used in rice mills

• 10,000 bonded laborers working in Rice Mills across Thiruvallur dist.

• Asha, along with Sidamma,started working on this project since Oct’04

• 300 families have been rescued since• Purpose: rescuing and rehabilitating bonded laborers

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History

• Sidamma has been involved with the Irula community since the 1990s

• Irula-A tribe, mainly found in TamilNadu, with its hereditary occupation being snake and rat catching

• Irulas are illiterate and have been exploited and oppressed for centuries

• Sidamma setup Sarpams to help Irulas fight for their rights and freedom

• A lot of progress has been made so far-setting up of schools, providing education to children

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Motivation

• Thousands of Irulas are used as bonded laborers in rice mills

• Debt bondage, modern day slavery is internationally banned by UN and outlawed by the Indian govt. But such laws rarely get enforced in the state

• The Irulas were forced to work for 19hours and were paid Rs0.79/hr($.02/hr)

• Legal Min. wage – Rs10/hr($.25/hr)• Pay - one portion goes to repay debt and the remaining

portion to cover room and board. At the same time the loan accrues interest at an exorbitant rate

• Creates a vicious cycle of bonded servitude

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Motivation Contd..

• Working conditions in rice mills are deplorable:– Confined to the rice mill premises– No medical or emergency support– No sanitation facilities– Forced to work 19 hours without any breaks– No holidays– No formal account of remaining debt– Women workers were sexually abused and forced to work till

delivery and soon after childbirth– Children of families were also forced to work in the rice mills

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Motivation Contd

• Some of the bonded laborers escaped and approached Sidamma for help

• Sidamma approached local authorities for assistance, but the local authorities were supporters of the rice mill owners

• In Sept 2004,Sidamma and other activists along with escaped bonded laborers staged a demonstration against the inhuman workplace conditions

• National Commission for Women also participated in the protest and urged immediate action by the govt

• The rally received extensive media coverage around the nation and a public hearing followed suit to document the observations

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Motivation Contd

• Govt finally intervened and helped release the families living in bonded labor

• Govt also provided land and shelter to the freed families• The working conditions inside the rice mills became

more humane, safe, respectable and minimum wages were paid to the workers

• 300 families have been rescued so far• Other bonded laborers are being identified and rescued• Debt bondage is still very prevalent and there is no exact

count of the number of bonded laborers

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Rehabilitation Proposal

• Critical to support the released bonded laborers to help them adjust to the life outside of rice mills

• Children education centers have been setup and running to provide basic education

• Some of the bonded laborers have moved to their villages and the rest are in S.K.Nagar

• Food and shelter in S.K.Nagar provided by Bharathi Trust

• Independence and empowerment of the released bonded laborers requires employment opportunities to the freed laborers

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Rehabilitation Proposal

• Two employment generation options :– Brick Chamber

- Support 100 families

- 1 male member per family will be employed

- Nature of work should fit well with men

- Recycling Paper Mill- Support 40 families- Employs 40 women- Work is physically not so demanding

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Funding proposal to setup a Brick Chamber

Materials Unit Cost per Unit Amount in Rupees

Brick 3,75,000 Rs 5/- 18,75,000

Cement 100 bags Rs 240/- 24,000

Clay Soil 10 loads Rs 1500/- 15,000

Half Bricks(broken)

20 loads Rs 200/- 4,000

Chimney 1,00,000

Labor Cost 2,00,000

Total 22,18,000

Materials Required:

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Brick Chamber Contd

Item Cost in Rs

Electricity Connection

50,000

Warehouse 50,000

Fire Wood 40,000

Transportation 50,000

Others 10,000

Clay Soil 50,000

F.T Clerk 48,000

Total 2,98,000

Capital Investment

Item Num of units/Amount in Rs

Total capacity of production

3,30,000 bricks/ half yr

Profit per brick Rs 5/-

Total profit 3,30,000 * 2 * 5 = Rs 33,00,000

Production and Profits

Note: Cost of manufacturing one brick is Rs.1 and it is sold for Rs 6.

Net profit Rs 5/-.

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Funding proposal to setup a Recycling Paper Mill

Item Cost in Rs

Land (1/2 acre provided by govt) 1,00,000

Building(1500 sqft) and 200 sqft empty 8,00,000

Electricity(40 HP connection) 50,000

Power Capacity 25,000

Machinery and Motors 7,50,000

Electrification 1,00,000

Erection(Civil work & Cement tank) 75,000

Erection in mechanical work 50,000

Working capital (one month labor + power expense + raw material)

2,00,000

Training 40,000

Total 20,90,000

Budget :

Current plan:Employ 40 women to work in the mill with a base salary of Rs.2000/MonthSalaries of workers : 2000 * 40 * 12 = Rs 9,60,000 / year