TANAHUN, Feb 26: Ram Bahadur Kumal, 13, who works at Hotel Chautari in Damauli, rushes to attend classes inside the hall of Bal Kalyan Committee at 11 every morning.
Thanks to the Tanahun District Bal Kalyan Committee, which has started informal literacy classes for child laborers working at the hotels and eateries of Damauli, the headquarters of Tanahun. [break]
Twelve children working at various hotels and eateries have been attending the classes that started February 1, informed Muna Tamang, who has been working as facilitator of the literacy classes.
"I finish my morning work and attend the class. After finishing the class, I return to work again," said Kumal. Similar is the routine of another worker Dev Basnet, 11, who tries his best not to miss any class.
Tamang shared that the classes start from 11 in the morning to 1 in the afternoon as the committee has supplied bags, textbooks, exercise books, and pencils to the students. "I have been enjoying this teaching job. As most of the students are functionally literate, teaching them is not much difficult," said Tamang.
The literacy classes were started after consulting the hotels and restaurants in Damauli, informed program coordinator of Bal Kalyan Committee Santosh Godar. "But there still are some hotels and restaurants that are not sending the child workers to the classes," said Godar.
According to the data compiled by the committee, there are around 30 child laborers engaged in various menial works in Damauli. "We have been trying to extend this informal education to another level in coordination with government colleges," said Godar.