Projects Details
MUKTI – Brick Kiln Campsite Learning Centre
Non-Formal education program for the children of brick kiln workers
Project Started on : 01/01/2018
Operated by
along with
Towards Future is a non-governmental organization committed to advancing child rights and women’s empowerment since its inception.
Since 2010, Towards Future launched “MUKTI”, a flagship initiative aimed at addressing the critical needs of children of migrant brick kiln workers. These children, primarily from Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha, migrate seasonally with their families and remain excluded from formal education systems for extended periods.
Unofficial estimates suggest that there are nearly 4,000 brick kilns across West Bengal, employing a large number of migrant labourers. Approximately 170,000 children under the age of 18 accompany their parents to these worksites, making them highly vulnerable to educational discontinuity, child labour, health risks, and protection issues.
Recognizing the urgency and scale of this challenge, Towards Future has been actively working to ensure access to education, child protection, and overall well-being for these children—both at destination sites (brick kilns in West Bengal) and source areas (Bihar and Jharkhand).
Over the years, the MUKTI project has evolved significantly in terms of scale, partnerships, and implementation strategy. Currently, the project is operational across 7 brick kilns in West Bengal, supported by multiple institutional partners:
- Azim Premji Foundation supports interventions in 3 brick kilns: UBW, TARAK, and TBM
- BG Foundation supports the PBW brick kiln
- Regaal Resources Limited supports the KKCO brick kiln
- mPokket supports the Ankur-1 brick kiln
In addition to education and protection interventions, ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) Day Care Units have now been established across the operational brick kilns. These centres provide safe, nurturing spaces for young children, ensuring early stimulation, nutrition support, and school readiness, while also enabling parents—especially mothers—to engage in work without compromising their children’s safety and development.
While earlier phases of the project were supported by corporate partners such as Wipro, the initiative has since diversified its funding base to ensure sustainability and expanded outreach.
Through MUKTI, Towards Future continues to work towards creating safe, inclusive, and child-friendly environments within brick kiln communities, ensuring that no child is deprived of their fundamental rights due to migration and socio-economic vulnerability.
Project Coverage Area
| Suburb/Village | Block | City/District |
|---|---|---|
| Bario State: Bihar | Nardiganj | Nawada |
| Chiriyo State: Bihar | Nardiganj | Nawada |
| Gotrain State: Bihar | Nardiganj | Nawada |
| Kanjia State: Jharkhand | Mandar | Ranchi |
| Kullu State: Jharkhand | Chanho | Ranchi |
| Marder Basti State: Jharkhand | Mandar | Ranchi |
| Jirengacha State: West Bengal | Rajarhat | North 24 Parganas |
| Podra State: West Bengal | Rajarhat | North 24 Parganas |
| Umarhati State: West Bengal | Rajarhat | North 24 Parganas |
Objectives
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To reduce vulnerability of targeted 220 children of migrant brick field labours, belonging age group of 3 – 14 years in 4 brick fields in North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas of West Bengal by providing education, nutrition, access to public health including immunisation and awareness of their rights -
To sensitise and motivate parents from 400 families of migrant labours working in 4 targeted brick fields to encourage and support their children in obtaining education, nutrition & immunisation including practice of basic hygiene and sanitation
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To make the family aware about the Govt. schemes that are available for their benefit, how to obtain them and their legal rights to ensure their protection from abuse
Methodologies
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Providing basic Education to children of Brick Field workers
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Providing nutrition by means of meals to those children. Ensuring the cost of those meals can be afforded by the families as well
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Ensuring the facilities and schemes that are already provided by State Governments reach the children and their families
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Guiding parents and help them understand the importance of Education, Health and Hygine
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Implement the above activities at their own villages while they are not working for the brick klins as Brick making does not carry on throughout the year
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Connecting to related Government Departments to obtain facilities and schems designed for upliftment of these families as well as smooth running of our programs
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Developing a forum of like minded NGOs to share the activities and responsibilities
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Discussing with local Authorities for advocacy on how to mitigate and reduce migration rate by ensuring alternate livelihood
Project Statistics
2017
2018
2019
2020
Evaluations
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During last four years (2016-20) we have reached to 1251 extreme vulnerable brick field children, age group of 3 to 14 years and ensured tuition centre for them at four brick fields under North and South 24 Parganas. Most of the children have learnt functional literacy like to read small words, identify bus no. and calculate bricks and shopping etc. They have learnt also 1098 No. which is essential Toll Free Child Line Number
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We have ensured for them cooked mid-day meal for all the children after tuition centre is over
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589 families of brick fields migrated from Bihar, Jharkhand and west Bengal have received many kinds of awareness programme mainly related to their basic needs and different available Govt. schemes for them. They have also received health camps with emergency medicines support in regular basis
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All the children have seen Kolkata Zoo in their life first through our project
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All the pregnant women have been provided with doctor’s support in regular basis with the kind support of local State Govt. health department
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All the required children have received all kinds of immunisation in time to time by the support of local health dept
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Many mothers have received Govt. birth certificates for their new-born baby at destination (13 children)
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Through our visit at Source areas (Bihar and Jharkhand) and having talk with all Govt. Stakeholders directly and indirectly we could able to re-admission and retention to 170 children age of below 14 years
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Cleaning attitudes have been grown between the children. Normally they used to take bath once in a week, but after our daily bathing practice before school they used to take everyday with soap and shampoo etc
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As we have ensured mid-day meal for children, so SHG women are being empowered through earning and slowly they are becoming part of the decision-making process in their own families
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We have ensured the basis needs of all children like dress and chappal
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We have arranged an eye check-up camps with the kind support of a well-known eye expert institution and they have checked 146 nos. of beneficiaries including parents and children. They have also given 49 spectacles to the required beneficiaries without any cost
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Due to our source areas visit we have developed a functional relation with Block development officer, Child development project officer, Block Education officer, Panchayet Prodhan and schools etc. and sensitise them regarding migration issues and also getting good advantages with Govt. officials at our areas
Project Officials
| Name of the Official | Official Designation |
|---|---|
| Supriya Roy Chowdhury | Project Director |
| Palash Bardhan | Project Coordinator |
| Surabuddin Molla | Community Mobilizer |
| Payel Sengupta | Accountant |
| Serina Bibi | Teacher |
| Rupsana Khatun | Teacher |
| Monika Ghosh | Teacher |
| Selima Bibi | Teacher |
| Lilufa Khatun | Teacher |
| Julekha Khatun Bibi | Teacher |
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