Around a decade ago, six-year-old, Surekha and Santosh, the twins, used to work with their parents in Vithalvadi brick kiln area. Today, they are through with their high school and are pursuing higher studies. But things could have been other way round for Surekha, Santosh and many other such kids, working in the brick kilns. Thanks to the constant efforts taken by the staff and members of India Sponsorship Committee (ISC) – around 1500 children, who used to work at brick kilns, are a part of ISC programme and are leading better lives.

Earlier, this NGO used to work only for the education of the underprivileged children. But in 1994, it took up the task of growth and development of the kids working at brick kilns. Today the Pune project covers the slum kids around Yerwada and of Vithalvadi brick kiln area. The age group of the children who are members of ISC is between 4 – 15 years.

Says Audrey Ferreira, ISC Pune, project director, "We believe that such children need much more beyond the basic education. So while we assist the children in getting admission into municipal schools, we help them cope with their studies through support classes. Besides this, in the brick kiln areas we run balwadis and also supplement their regular diet with some nutrition."

Like any other NGO, even ISC faced many challenges initially. Where the children worked along side their parents and every additional brick made and baked, meant additional payment, it was very tough to convince the parents on the importance of education. It took various long interacting sessions to make them agree to allow their kids be a part of ISC. "We do understand that income-wise the parents are in a loss. But when we compare it with the hard labour the child has to put in accompanied with a lost childhood, it is minuscule," says Ferreira.

Fortunately there are many corporates which are affiliated to ISC. This is at two levels: while the LnTInfotech, the Tech Mahindra Foundation and the Volkart Foundation support their work financially and also at the programme level through their volunteers, there are many others who support our events and activities by participating in them. Like recently, ISC along with the volunteers of few corporates such as L&T Infotech, Patni Computer Systems, Tech Mahindra, AXA Business Services and others, organized the annual sports day for the 800 odd children belonging to ISC. The event called Bal Dhamaal saw various competitions like flat race, frog jump race, three legged race and many others, organized according to the age group of the children. The kids had a gala time dancing to the music played by the volunteers of L&T, followed by the nutritious meal arranged by Tata Motors.