NEW DELHI, INDIA, November 16, 2001: In this article Sue Lloyd-Roberts reveals a stark reality about the working children in India. Domestic girl workers in Bangalore, age 12-14 years of age, rise at 3:00 am to haul water home to their families and by 9:00 am have started a six-hour shift at another job. Child rag pickers, 12-15 years of age sort rubbish into piles of salvageable paper, plastic and metal, which sells for a few rupees. In an attempt to make their plight understood by others, girls in Bangalore have formed a collective called Hasiru Sangha. Together they try to better their life by complaining about the water supply to the local water board and encouraging other slum children to attend government schools. Boys have also joined together to discuss issues of health care and police harassment. They produce a monthly newsletter on their situation.
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