Pratham’s Council for Vulnerable Children (PCVC)

Pratham is a premier Non Governmental Organization working in the field of education. It operates through its various wings for the integrated development of the children. Pratham’s Council for Vulnerable Children (PCVC) is one such wing, which is constantly working to ameliorate the condition and plight of the child Labour across India.

PCVC reaches out to children at risk, such as child laborers and street children. It runs drop-in centers and educational programs as well as residential camps for those children who have been recently rescued from bonded labor conditions.
All children are entitled to education, leisure, and protection from abuse and neglect. Yet, these rights are denied to the approximately 11 million children under the age of 14 who work as child laborers in India.

Pratham has rescued over 23,000 child laborers from in and around Mumbai over the years. Many worked for industries like zari (embroidery), leather, and gold polishing. Some worked in hotels or as rag pickers. Others worked on the streets as hawkers or beggars. During the rescue operations, Pratham realized that it needed to provide a solution for rescued children who had no home to go to. The Pratham shelter project was born.

There are currently 11 Pratham shelters across India. These shelters provide a safe home for almost 500 rescued children. The children are sheltered, fed and clothed. They are nursed back to health. They go to schools for the first time. At the shelter, they learn computers, music, and dance and are trained in sports. For many of the children, this is their first experience of childhood.

Pratham Odisha is initiating activities along the above lines and seeks collaboration with all civil society organization working in this area as well as government agencies that are mandated to enforce the relevant legal provisions.