The work of children in mining deprives them of their rights: hard labour in mining – whether underground or above ground – and in processing impairs the lives, health and safety of children. Mining work is one of the worst forms of child labour as defined by ILO Convention 182. The Indian “Child and Adolescent Labour Prevention and Regulation Act” also prohibits child labour in mining. Nevertheless, child labour is widespread in the Mica mining areas of the Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand. According to estimates by local organizations, 22,000 child laborers* work in the mica mining industry. Currently, local organizations observe significantly more children in mica mining: as a result of the lockdowns due to the Covid 19 pandemic, schools are closed and income and support from migrant women who work as day laborers in other Indian regions is lost. The working conditions are dangerous: children work up to 12 hours and collect mica or sort it. Moreover, some mines are up to 20 meters deep and the tunnels are not secured. Occupational accidents – even fatal ones – are frequent. Children who mine mica suffer from respiratory diseases, silicosis and injuries (cuts) and are often dehydrated because they cannot drink water while working. The mica mines in the two states are illegal and are not subject to any kind of control: a consequence of the 1980 Forest Law, which revoked mining companies’ licenses. But mica mining continued, illegally and without any state regulation or control. Alternative sources of income are not available to poor families: agriculture yields hardly anything due to the persistent drought. Local civil society organizations sometimes lack the prerequisites to participate in multi-stakeholder initiatives, to represent their concerns at the national level or vis-à-vis international companies. A strong network of civil society organizations working in the region does not yet exist.

The project is based on a child rights-based approach that puts the voice of the children and young people involved at the centre of the work. As in all TDH projects, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is at the heart of the project activities. The consistent inclusion of children’s rights also requires the participation of children and young people in all project activities. The strengthening of children and young people through education and, based on this, their participation in political decision-making processes is therefore the core of the project activities. In this way, they are empowered and become actors themselves.

The project also relies on dialogue and cooperation with stakeholders from different groups of actors at local, national and international level. In particular, the project works with political decision-makers* and other civil society organizations. For advocacy work in Germany, the project also cooperates with companies. The experience gained in working with children in the project region is usually brought into the political processes directly by the children or by the project staff. This combination of grassroots work and advocacy is one of the innovative elements of the project.