MUSIC VIDEO DEPICTS MIGRANT KIDS’ PLIGHT IN KILNS
Kids in Kilns,” a music video, produced by "Aide et Action International" depicting lives of kids living in the brick kilns was released by Odisha Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Kasturi Mohapatra on Friday at Bhubaneswar. Regional Head- Migration & Education, Aide et Action- International- South Asia Umi Daniel gave a brief introduction about the video.
The video has been shot in brick kilns on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar where Aide et Action is running Child Care and Learning Centres for migrant children. This song is written, composed and sung by Abhishek Bhatta, a budding talent of Odisha. And it has been directed by Chitta Ranjan Nanda, a noted social documentary film maker. Aide et Action has produced it.
The video is the story of seasonal migrant workers who come to the city to earn their livelihood in brick kilns. Seasonal migrants are excluded since they don’t belong to the city; they live an
invisible life.
A study conducted by Aide et Action-Unicef in the brick kilns located on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar reveals that the city has close to 1,500 migrant children. These children live with their families in the brick kilns amid testing conditions. Most of the workers are natives of rural pockets of various parts of Odisha.
Brick kiln workers are an amalgamation of various tribes and ethnic groups. Children range from toddlers to adolescents’ age. Most of the children in brick kilns are school dropouts and don’t access Anganwadi, immunisation and other basic support which otherwise a child enjoys being at home. The study indicates 90.4 per cent children do not access schooling and 98.9 per cent children don’t get the Anganwadi and health services while living at the work sites. Some are here with their families to look after their siblings, some have been brought to work and some are here to assist in family work.
In a brick kiln, both father and mother have to work hard and have little time for parenting and childcare. The kids roam and play games within the work site, unaware of the work site hazards that are lurking at them. Working mothers don’t have space to keep the toddlers. The Government Anganwadi, school, health center are all meant for the local populations. These services don’t get extended to these unwanted guests.
Among others, eminent filmmaker Birendra Das, founder member of Humara Bachpan Campaign Dharitri Mohapatra, Unicef Child Protection Specialist Laxminarayan Nanda and State head, UNDP Abha Mishra attended the event.
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