What is BMG?

Bal Mitra Gram or child friendly village is a novel concept that adopted by BBA in 2001 to make villages and wards in India child labour free where every school-going child will be in schools. This is conformity with the broad objective of BBA (SACCS), which stands for total elimination of child labour and ensuring education to all children.

This is done successfully through involving the local community and participation of children themselves by forming bal panchayat which will serve as an effective tool to influence the decision making process and ensures the participation of children at the micro level. BMG has been triumphant in making sure that the issue of gender inequality is addresses on through this process 2/3 of the children of the child labour and In the process of formation of BAL panchayat primacy is given to girls in the election process of child leaders. Children’s parliament addresses the issues related to Quality of education and loopholes of education system and by highlighting these pitfalls; BMG has been blooming in a number of villages to improve the quality of education. This is only process it has been able to knock the sleeping conscience of the Government through constantly taking up the issue related to the development of the children at the village level.

Objectives of BMG

• Identification and Withdrawal of child laborers from the villages

To enhance the component of democratic participation at the micro level it is envisaged that BAL Panchayats (children’s parliament) would be formed where in issues related to children, their development and welfare would be taken up in a fully democratic manner. This will entail understanding children centric by children themselves. Through this process promote the girls participation in the decision making process and to build up sensitivity towards the commencement of gender equality. It will be a prelude to the stage where the children will make their voices heard in the adult‘s village panchayat.

Strategies of BMG

Empowerment of Marginalised Community

• Sensitisation of Community included parents/ employers/ school authorities/ district administration through different methodologies like rallies, demonstrations and awareness campaigns.
  
• Sensitize the groups members about problem of child labour and significance of children's education
  
• Group meetings with the elder, youth and women, children groups

Empowerment of Children

• Child Participation – Withdrawal of children from work and Sensitize the village panchayat and employers and pressure building from parents
  
• Mainstreaming into schools, Formation of BAL Panchayat to encourage child participation.

Social and Economic Development of the Community

• Institutional building through formation of ward and village networking committee at village and district level, youth groups, self-help groups.
  
• Economic empowerment of the marginalised community through formation of self help group and provide vocational training and capacity building of the youth and unemployed section of the community.
  
• Information Situational analysis and identification of causal factors behind their marginalised status and disseminate information on government schemes / policies and implementing authorities.
  
• Organize free health camps in the community bring awareness on environment and organise Sanitation and hygiene drive through community participation.

Strengthen the local Self-governance of the village

• Sensitisation of Elected Representatives – facilitating collaborative approach between Bal Panchayat and other village community groups to resolve village development issues
  
• Sensitize the panchayat about seriousness and sensitivity of the child labour issue. The committee members regularly meet village panchayat to resolve the constraints in official procedure. Cooperation with Elected Bal panchayat members and Village panchayat.

Sustainability

• Building of Potential leader cadres through formation of village community groups – covering three generations – adults, youth and children
  
• Community volunteer membership in BBA as part of organisation building
  
• Resolution in support of BMG programme by elected village parliament
  
• Community contribution ( labour / money) in village level activities in the last quarter of programme phase
  
• Regular visits by existing field staff to follow-up villages

Success Stories

Ajay, The Leader

He is the leader. Ajay Kumar, 12, is the elected head of National Bal Mitra Mahapanchayat Executive Committee.Spending his early childhood as a slave labourer with the high caste landlord, later rescued by BBA and trained in the organisation's rehabilitation center, Bal Ashram, the firebird Ajay joined hands with the BMG activists in the formation of Bal Mitra Gram, Child Friendly Village.Today he symbolises the potential of children and youth in the change making. He alongwith his friends knocked each single door of the village Ramchandranagar and succeeded in motivating a whole lot of parents particularly the mothers and created a sense of pride for education.

Children’s Participation

The child leaders have been successful in bringing a change in their village through the bal panchayat. A preview of seven successes of the bal panchayat:

Bal Mitra Gram- Ramchandranagar, Patna, Bihar

Ramchandranagar is one of those dozens of BMG's'. None of the two hundred odd children belonging to the Dalit community have been to school only 2 years back in Ramchandranagar, a typical village just 50km away from the capital city of Bihar. Today no child is out of the school. The wonder has not been brought by the Government neither by outside funding or support. This is possible in the creation of a Bal Mitra Gram . Awakened by BMG activists, the poor villagers contributed some money, bricks, straw, and mud and built a structure for school, which they are highly proud of. Village panchayat join hands with them later.

The motivated children identified the nearby liquor shop as their biggest enemy because their fathers spoil money and family. On the initiative of children's panchayat, the kids and their mothers took out demonstrations and had a protest before in front of the local police station which has never seen the anger, spirit and organisation of these young children. Eventually the shop was closed. The victory earned gave enormous self-confidence, respect and motivation for further multiplication of BMG in nearby villages with the participation of children, community and panchayat.

Rupkawas - Girls At The Forefront

Bal Mitra Gram Rupkawas in Rajasthan has set the tone for girls’ empowerment with all the elected positions in the Bal Panchayat going to girls. This is a big achievement in a state like Rajasthan where women have always been denied their rights. The accomplishment of the ‘Bal Panchayat’ is visible as they were successful in the –

• Building of a separate toilet for girls thus reducing the drop-out rate of girls.
• Construction of a concrete platform in the school to be used for playing.
• Formation of Kishore Balika Mandal, a group of 20 girls, to discuss social issues like child marriage, dowry and raise the matter with adults.
• The members of Kishore Balika Mandal have decided to take the responsibility to sustain the BMG in their village.
• It has also started the process to get the group registered formally with the Jila Parishad.

Fatuha - Fight against social evils

Ajay Kumar, the president of Bal Mitra Mahapanchayat Executive Committee took to the street in his fight against social evils. He busted a nexus between criminals and small time trades who were running a spurious liquor racket in Bal Mitra Gram of Fatuha near Patna. Ajay was instrumental in making the gram panchayat under the Sarpanch Dev Kumar Singh, take action against the main culprit, Birju Paswan. Ajay and his bal panchayat members submitted a memorandum to the police urging them to make the entire Fatuha block completely liquor free. The children also staged a dharna to highlight the evils of alcohol addiction. The local police with the support of the villagers and the panchayat members arrested Paswan and seized 120 litres of spurious liquor that he was taking to sell in adjoining villages.

Mirzapur - Strength of children

12 year old Ragini, won the election as the Sarpanch of the Bal Panchayat with a big aim. Mirzapur, a predominantly tribal village had no middle school. The long distance to the nearest school made most girls drop-out after primary education. This also increased the number of domestic girl child labourers. Ragini, had resolved to get a middle school started in her village for girls to continue their education. As the Sarpanch, she wrote letters to the district magistrate (DM) and the education department describing the problem faced by the children specially the girls. The negligence of the administration to take action led the children to stage a demonstration in front of the DM's office. The authorities had to bow before their demands. A middle school was immediately sanctioned by the DM. Today, the school is within easy access and the girls also are fulfilling their dream of finishing school. The persuasive ability of Ragini has made her a role model for other girls.

Malutana - Towards self reliant attitude

This predominantly agriculture based village had 37 children working in carpet looms and stone quarries. Through BMG’s Intervention, child labour has been eradicated and all the 37 children are in school. BMG’s efforts enabled 50 people to benefit from Drought and Relief Schemes from the Government. The eight members of ‘Bal Panchayat’ raised and successfully addressed various issues, such as:

• Getting Telephone line for the School
• Proper Electrical Connection
• Repair of the School room and construction of Toilet in school
• Effectively stopping illegal liquor production and consumption in the entire village.
• Setting up of a Library
• Ensuring access to Sports items

The integration of the Bal Panchayat with the Mahila Mandal (Women’s Group) and Yuva Committee (Youth group) were instrumental in bringing about notable developments and passing of various welfare resolutions.

Sothana - Generation Awakening

Maudhanshwar - Raise their voices

The Sarpanch of the bal panchayat of Maudhaneshwar appealed to his panchayat members to work for the eradication of child labour. They held a meeting with the gram panchayat and gave the following proposals

• Children should be given free education in schools
• School teachers should not be assigned other government work as it hampers their teaching
• Construction of toilet in school

The gram panchayat initially did not consider seriously their problems. The bal panchayat members with the support of other adults staged a demonstration and then their demands were fulfilled.

Jamli - Fight for their Rights