17th April 2010 - If you are playing with the one of the greatest wicket-keeper-batsmen in the history of cricket, chances are that you will feel like a cricketing legend yourself. This is exactly how Pradeep, Vikas, Kinshu and Sandeep, the liberated child labourers, felt while playing a friendly match with the Deccan Chargers captain, Adam Gilchrist.

The short friendly match was played at Bal Ashram (the rehabilitation centre for liberated child labourers run by child rights organization, Bachpan Bachao Andolan) grounds in Virat Nagar, Rajasthan. It was a dream come true for the rescued bonded children to play with world’s leading cricket star Adam Gilchrist who flew in a helicopter to meet these children in the remote village of Rajasthan. The incident was particularly remarkable as Gilchrist is the first and only IPL player to not only endorse a social cause like child labour but someone who plaedged to contribute to eradicate it.

Thousands of villagers, mostly youth, thronged the Bal Ashram boundary with unprecedented excitement to witness the match. “We had never even dreamt that such a cricket superstar would come to our village”, said a village head. The event also marked the 12th annual convocation of Bal Ashram.

Mr. Gilchrist said no child should be involved in labour. Education is a basic human right and through this project BBA plays a vital role in removing children from the work­force and providing education and vocational training.

“Through NORP we hope to build on the foundation of the BBA’s work to introduce new opportunities for economic development,” Mr. Gilchrist said.
Australian High Commissioner in India and TFS executive Chairman Frank Wilson said “the project provided TFS with an opportunity to give back to the communities once supported by some of the best quality Indian Sandalwood in the world.”

“India’s native sandalwood resources have all but disappeared.  We are developing the world’s largest sustainable supply of Indian Sandalwood in the Kimberley in Western Australia and feel compelled to take on this corporate social responsibility and give something back,” Mr Wilson said. and Justice Anshuman Singh, the former Governor of Rajasthan & Gujarat and Mr. Kailash Satyarthi, President for Global Campaign for Education (GCE) and founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) were among the dignitaries who addressed the rally.

This event would keep energized and enthusiasm our children for many years, said Sumedha Kailash, Director, Bal Ashram.

The project is part of the Natural Origin Recognition Protocol (NORP) tabled at the United Nations in 2009 and is a unique example of how corporations can act to promote sustainable business partnerships.  

The project will support Indian villagers establish ventures like soap-making as well as introduce alternative energy sources such as biogas to reduce carbon emissions and the burden on women and children to collect firewood for basic cooking and power for the village.