COIMBATORE: Thanks to the efforts of various government departments, many former child labourers in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts have managed to find their feet, with many of them entering college education.
A Sowmiya, rescued from a handloom unit in Moolanur near Dharapuram in Tiruppur at the age of 11, is now in the fourth year of her undergraduate nursing course. She said, after rescuing her, officials of National Child Line Project (NCLP) and Child Welfare Committee (CWC) admitted her to a school. “If I had dropped out, I would not have been able to learn and become a nurse,” she said.
Sowmiya said she wanted to become a nurse like her grandmother and serve the poor. “My grandmother used to treat patients like her children. After completing BSc in Nursing, I want to pursue MSc in Nursing. My brother Santhosh who is working at a private hospital is taking care of my education expenses.”
The story of Mukesh (24) is no different. As a child, he used to work in handloom units and also take up work for a daily wage of `150. He was rescued at the age of 11. Mukesh, who studied BSc Computer Science, says, “After graduation, I got trained in TV servicing in Chennai. For the past two years, I am earning a decent income.”
Another 20-year-old youth is pursuing his passion for mechanical engineering. S Dharanidharan was rescued at the age of 12 from a garment unit in Tiruppur. He is currently pursuing BE in Coimbatore. “I was interested in assembling and re-assembling machines since childhood. That’s what pushed me to join the engineering course,” he said.
Dharanidharan, who lives in Kuniyamuthur, thanked his college administration for giving him a seat at concessional fee. “But for them, I wouldn’t have been able to pay the `2 lakh fee per year. My father is a driver and the income is meagre,” he said.
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