An hour to stop child labor and exploitation....

Have you ever come across a 10 year old working in a factory or a shop-floor and wondered how difficult his/her life must be? Child labor and exploitation in India is a grave and extensive problem. Children are viewed as a form of economic security in desolate settings, necessary to help supplement their families' income. Parents often sacrifice their children's education, as offspring are often expected to uphold their roles as wage-earning members of their clan. This year, Work an Hour (WAH) supports three projects - Nishta, Society for Education and Action, Puvidham - that prevent child labor and provide education to the children living in helpless conditions. By contributing to WAH, these projects will receive much needed support. At WAH, 100% of your contributions are utilized towards these projects. Every contribution counts, and no amount is small. With only 4 weeks left in the campaign, take a minute now and contribute towards a better India and a better world.   13 Projects 28 Schools 2214 Children     Raised: $39,730   Goal: $200,000   Nishtha Subudhipur, West Bengal The red light district of the remote village of South 24 Parganans of West Bengal is populated by female sex workers bound within extremely difficult circumstances. Aside from the grittiness of their full-time jobs, most of their meager wages go toward rent, bribing the police and pimps and paying for liquor, an integral part of their profession. Such a profession is bound to leave these workers' children in dire straits. Having no other choice but to work on the streets to supplement their mothers' inadequate incomes, they face a cycle of poverty with no end in sight. Nishtha provides these children with food, education, health care and most importantly, a secure place to stay where they can exist unthreatened. Read more Society for Education and Action (SEA) Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu In the fishing community of Mamallapuram, children are often forced by economic conditions to drop out after primary school and begin fishing or panning salt at around 10 years old. SEA has developed several programs in Mamallapuram to keep children out of the work force and in school. SEA's services aim to increase awareness of the value of education, appoint qualified teachers, create motivation centers, child health programs, parent-teacher meetings and youth groups to eliminate child labor. Read more   Puvidham Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu Puvidham is a school and boarding house for children of migrant workers, who drop out of government schools and from the National Child Labour Prevention program. Located in the Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu and operated by a local husband and wife team, Puvidham provides primary school, hostel accommodation, environmental and farm training. Children of migrant workers and those outcast from traditional schools in this area would struggle to obtain a formal education if it weren't for Puvidham, and not only does it provide a formal education, but it does so by using methods of holistic learning, instilling in the students a sense of self confidence and faith in the power of education. Read more Take a minute, Donate an hour, Change a Life... With warm regards, Asha for Education

Mail Checks to: 'Asha for Education', PO Box 1287, Princeton, NJ 08542. Mention 'WAH 2010' on the memo