In Andhra Pradesh, India's fifth largest state, an estimated 1.6 million children are engaged in some form of child labour. But in the district of Rangareddy children who used to work in the fields surrounding the villages picking cotton now have the opportunity to attend school.
Education is one of the best ways to combat child labour.
The first step is for MVF volunteers to approach parents and persuade them to put their children in school. Children aged between five to eight are enrolled in regular schools, with evening classes for children aged nine to 14. Residential camps provide older children with an intense period of basic education, so that they can then join the formal school system at the correct level for their ages. The success of the programme has had a positive impact on enrolment and retention rates in Rangareddy. In contrast to other programmes, MVF provides no economic incentives or compensation to either the children, or their families.