Scholarships for children from scavenging families
Starting from 2006 we have introduced a new project to aid students from Scavenging families. To identify the students from this long suffering community we have taken the help of Safai Karamchari Andolan (SKA), an organization working with them for years. SKA identifies the students per our criteria and provide us the list of names from which we select students.
To know more about this community and its condition even in this age and time, please read the following articles.
Scavenging - Know the facts
Manual scavenging or “carrying the night soil” are terms used to delicately refer to the practice of removing human and animal excreta using brooms,small tin plates, and baskets from dry latrines and carrying it – on the head – to disposal grounds some distance away from the latrines
This job is for Dalits (untouchables), mainly women and young girls
The origin of manual scavenging points to the Hindu scripture Narada Samhita, which mentions the disposal of human excreta as one of the 15 duties assigned to slaves
Hindu scripture "Vajasaneyi Samhita" says chandalas were referred to as slaves engaged in the disposal of human excreta
Manual scavenging expanded phenomenally and entrenched itself under the British rule, particularly in the mid-18th century, which marked the beginning of industrialisation and urbanisation in the subcontinent
Indian Constitution abolished the practice of untouchability but widely practiced
Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 passed by Govt of India to remove this practice
Government estimates suggest that there are about one million manual scavengers in India, 95 percent of whom are women, unofficially the figures are much higher Unofficial surveys estimate that there are over 1,200,000 manual scavengers, of whom 95 per cent are Dalits
Number of manual scavengers was 588,000 in 1992 and it had risen to 787,000 in 10 years
The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has, however, put the number of manual scavengers in 2002-03 at 676,000
These communities feature at the bottom of the caste hierarchy and also the hierarchy of Dalit sub castes
They live in segregated settlements in the outskirts of their villages, and are denied access to the local temple, religious community events, hotels, public water taps, and are excluded from interpersonal social relations
Those working for urban municipalities earn Rs. 30-40 per day (less than a dollar in 2006 standards) and those working privately are paid as less as three to five rupees (10 cents) per day
In India only 28 per cent of the population has sustained access to improved sanitation, against 98 per cent in Sri Lanka, 41 in Bangladesh and 36 in Pakistan, according to the United Nations Human Development Report, 2001
Andhra Pradesh, which accounts for about 160,000 manual scavengers
Manual scavenging still existed in many States and was being continued even in public sector undertakings, including the Railways
Scavenging still prevalent in India The curse of manual scavenging Scavenging still prevalent in India India Stinking United Nations Commission on Human Rights It Stinks: Sanitation for ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ Book: India Stinking-Manual Scavengers in Andhra Pradesh and Their Work A national shame Stinking filth Soiled Tracks Manual scavenging: Time to clean up our act A case for human dignity Frontline cover story
India's shame-Frontline story on Scavenging Caste stranglehold Out in the open Part of the system Bengal's record Interview with Martin Macwan In denial mode Captured live