Stories from the South: Balthazar
Channel: WSM Asia
Date: 2014-09-07

I am Balthazar and I work as a mason in construction in the south of India. Per work day, I make 700Rps. I had an accident two years ago. I fell down, because there were no safety measures. We didn't have helmets or anything protective. To cover my operation and medical expenses, which amounted to 300 000Rps, I had to borrow money. We had no insurance or coverage through our work or the employer. I'm trying to pay it back with my salary but I can't manage. My wife also had to start working as a helper in construction, carrying bricks. I can't make ends meet, my children are studying, and it's not enough. And these days, I can't work at all because of the pain. Trade unions didn't help, but then I got to know CWM. CWM explained social protection to me. I joined them, they helped me to enroll and I hope to receive some assistance.
World Solidarity (WSM) believes strongly in the power of people together. Creating Decent Work worldwide in order to guarantee a better life is our ultimate goal. WSM is the NGO of the Christian Labour Movement in Belgium, funded partly by the Belgian Development Cooperation. 

WSM works with 91 partners in 31 countries regarding the right to social protection. In South Asia (Nepal, Bangladesh and India), WSM supports 10 partners working on issues like the garment industry, domestic workers, access to social security, unorganized workers, labour law reforms and community health. These videos capture some of the stories regarding the projects of our partners. 

For more information, visit
www.wereldsolidariteit.be     -   www.wsm.be     -   www.solmond.be  
For more on the projects in South Asia, visit http://brunowsmasia.blogspot.com/