World Day against Child Labour 2025: Ending this practice is a social challenge that calls for collective responsibility

Along the dusty, winding lanes of Kaushambi, a makeshift shack mushrooms beside a brick kiln. Every morning, the sun rises over a landscape filled with red clay and thick smoke. For years, the brick kilns here have churned out and baked thousands of bricks — and in the process, scorched many childhoods. Children from poverty-plagued families were forced to work in these kilns in this overlooked corner of the district.

That is, until the local people decided to reverse this perennial suffering — collectively.

A stand that changed the story

In a pivotal move, the district magistrate of Kaushambi ordered the immediate closure of a brick kiln found engaging children in labour. The action followed the rescue and rehabilitation of children who had earlier been involved in gruelling manual work — moulding, lifting, and stacking bricks under the harsh summer sun and the even harsher furnace of the kiln.

“Child labour is a sheer violation of children’s rights. It hampers their right to education and development. I am committed to enforcing the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 with stringency and purpose, through routine inspections and special task forces,” said Madhusudan Hulgi, district magistrate of Kaushambi. “It is essential to rehabilitate rescued children with the tools of education, counselling, and vocational training under the government scheme.”

“I assumed this was never going to end…”

A 12-year-old with unusually rough, blackened hands — marked by the kiln’s exhaustive labour — speaks softly, his voice weighed down by a maturity far beyond his years. For him, school had always been a distant dream, something that belonged to ‘privileged ones’ — seen only on billboards and television commercials.

“I used to wake up before sunrise and work until dark. I thought this was my destiny,” the boy said. “I assumed this was never going to end. But now that it is over, I just want to forget that part of my life. I want to be going back to school and play with my friends.”

Such stories were aplenty in Kaushambi — where poverty, lack of education, and generational marginalisation push families into sending their children to work for survival.

Another 15-year-old said, “We didn’t have a choice. My parents had many mouths to feed, and I had to work. But I never wanted this life. None of my friends did…” she continued. “Finally, it changed. The community and the local administration came forward to end it for good. And we managed to return to school.”

Administration steps in

The closure of the kilns wasn’t the only action taken by the district administration. It aimed to tackle the issue of child labour with a multi-pronged approach.

Alongside rehabilitating the affected children through schooling and counselling, they brought families and communities into the fold as key stakeholders — to inform, empower, and educate them about the dangers of child labour and the benefits of sustained education.

“Childhood is meant for learning, not earning. Under the guidance of our respected district dagistrate, we are committed to ensuring that every child in Kaushambi is protected from the injustice of child labour and given the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive. Let us all join hands to build a future where no child is forced to work, and every child is free to dream,” said Mantasha Bano, district officer, Kaushambi, echoing the administration’s firm commitment to ending child labour in the district.

The administration’s resolve has sparked a wave of optimism among the community, children, and their caregivers — many of whom have now pledged not only to send their children to school and support their aspirations, but also to develop a community-based surveillance mechanism to prevent child labour from recurring.

Seeding the transformation

Ending child labour is not just about legal procedures or administrative will — it is a social challenge that calls for collective responsibility. Like in Kaushambi, authorities across districts, states, and at the national level are stepping up efforts to eliminate child labour. But this commitment will only bear fruit when backed by awareness and empowered decisions by children, their parents and caregivers to ensure that children can pursue education at least until the age of 18.

“This generational cycle — where children inherit the struggles of their parents — is what the administration now hopes to break,” said a local volunteer working at the grassroots. “We have been working with consistency and commitment in Kaushambi through a triad of collaboration — between the administration, community, and civil society. The aim is not just to bring children back to school, but to make sure that they can grow to their full potential.”

Child Rights and You (CRY), in collaboration with the government, children and the community, intended to address child labour through the lens of child rights violation. Hence, it has started working around grassroots-level elements such as making the villages child-friendly, strengthening Village Level Child Protection Committees, training stakeholders, and raising awareness on child labour and education. CRY has also helped develop and monitor indicators for child-friendly villages.

“This cannot be achieved by the administration alone. Only through a collective effort — between the government, community, and the children themselves — can we undo the injustices inflicted on children.”

In the dusty lanes of Kaushambi, a new story is being written — woven with hope, resilience, dreams, and rediscovered childhoods.

Soha Moitra is Director, CRY – Child Rights and You (North)

Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth