Mobile Creches

Theconstructionindustryisthesinglelargestemployerofmigrantlaborers,thepoorestofthepoor,inIndiancities.Approximately35millionmenandwomenworkinthissectorandtheyarelargelyunorganized.Theconstructionindustryisoneofthelargestemployersoflabourinthecountry.InMumbaialone,itisestimatedthatamillionpeoplearedirectlyemployedinconstruction,andprobablydoublethatareindirectlyemployed.Forthemostpart,ourcitiesarebuiltbypoormigrantsfromacrossthecountrywholiveinmakeshiftshantiesonconstructionsites.Usuallytheseareilliterateyoungcoupleswhocometothecitywiththeirchildrentoescapeextremeruralpoverty,workasunskilledlabouratverylowwagesandspendthenextdecadeortwomovingfromonesitetoanother.Sincebothparentswork,theirchildrengrowupintherubble,playingbetweendangerousmachineryandequipment,negotiatingopendigsandpits,andneverseeingtheinsideofaschool.Sometimesmothersareforcedtogobacktoworkafewdaysafterdelivery,leavingtheirinfantsinthecareoftheiroldersiblings,whoarebarelyafewyearsolder.Itisestimatedthattherearearound54millionchildrenwhogrowuponconstructionsites.MobileCrechesisanNGOthatwasfoundedtosupportchildrenwholiveonconstructionsiteshaveasafe,healthyandhappychildhood.MChasdevelopedinnovativeandintegratededucation,healthandnutritionprogrammes,whichareprovidedontheconstructionsiteitself,andcatertotheveryspecialcircumstancesofmigrantlaborschildren.Runningdaycarecentresonconstructionsitesforthepast33years,MobileCrecheshasrunover450centresinMumbai,DelhiandPuneandreachedouttoover3,50,000children.Ithasdevelopedacomprehensivedaycareserviceprogrammethatmeetschildrensemotional,physical,cognitiveandsocialdevelopmentneeds.IthasalsopioneeredthefirstEarlyChildCareEducation(ECCE)programmeformigrantworkerschildreninthiscountry.Inacountrywheretheeconomicandpoliticalsituationsforcemillionsofworkersintoextremelyvulnerablepositions,andleavetheirchildrenevenmorehelpless,MobileCrechesistheonlyorganisationinIndiawhichprovidessuchcomprehensivedaycarecentres.TodayinMumbai,MobileCrechesruns21centres16onconstructionsites,2inslumsand3specialprojects.Everyyearwereachover4000children.OVERALLGOALToprovidecomprehensivechildcareandeducationalservicesformigrantworkerschildrenbetweentheagesof0-14toensuretheirhealthydevelopmentandgrowth,andtoprovideasustainablemodelofECCE.

The construction industry is the single largest employer of migrant laborers, the poorest of the poor, in Indian cities. Approximately 35 million men and women work in this sector and they are largely unorganized. The construction industry is one of the largest employers of labour in the country. In Mumbai alone, it is estimated that a million people are directly employed in construction, and probably double that are indirectly employed. For the most part, our cities are built by poor migrants from across the country who live in makeshift shanties on construction sites. Usually these are illiterate young couples who come to the city with their children to escape extreme rural poverty, work as unskilled labour at very low wages and spend the next decade or two moving from one site to another. Since both parents work, their children grow up in the rubble, playing between dangerous machinery and equipment, negotiating open digs and pits, and never seeing the inside of a school. Sometimes mothers are forced to go back to work a few days after delivery, leaving their infants in the care of their older siblings, who are barely a few years older. It is estimated that there are around 54 million children who grow up on construction sites.

Mobile Creches is an NGO that was founded to support children who live on construction sites have a safe, healthy and happy childhood. MC has developed innovative and integrated education, health and nutrition programmes, which are provided on the construction site itself, and cater to the very special circumstances of migrant labor's children. Running day care centres on construction sites for the past 33 years, Mobile Creches has run over 450 centres in Mumbai, Delhi and Pune and reached out to over 3,50,000 children. It has developed a comprehensive day care service programme that meets children's emotional, physical, cognitive and social development needs. It has also pioneered the first Early Child Care Education (ECCE) programme for migrant workers children in this country.

In a country where the economic and political situations force millions of workers into extremely vulnerable positions, and leave their children even more helpless, Mobile Creches is the only organisation in India which provides such comprehensive day care centres.

Today in Mumbai, Mobile Creches runs 21 centres 16 on construction sites, 2 in slums and 3 special projects. Every year we reach over 4000 children.

OVERALL GOAL

To provide comprehensive childcare and educational services for migrant worker's children between the ages of 0-14 to ensure their healthy development and growth, and to provide a sustainable model of ECCE.