Child Labor Eradication

Sudhaar Society has prioritized addressing child labor, implemented nearly 17 projects in this area to withdrawal around 5400 children from worst forms of child labour, which has established it as a specialized organization in Pakistan. The organization’s primary strategy to combat child labor involves providing non-formal education, aiming to spark educational interest among working children and encourage them to transition from labor to education, empowering them to transform their lives.

Sudhaar initiated its work in Kasur, focusing on child labor in sectors such as leather tanneries, carpet weaving, power looms, and street workers. By 2003, its operations expanded to districts including Sialkot, Gujranwala, Toba Tek Singh, Sheikhupura, and Nankana Sahib, targeting child labor in new sectors like surgical instruments, football stitching, and domestic and factory workers. Sudhaar’s interventions evolved from non-formal education (NFE) to include mainstreaming children into formal schools, improving education quality, activating school councils, and education planning at various levels. The organization also incorporated literacy programs and linkages with vocational training, and briefly explored health services, microcredit, and a child-focused Education Management Information System (EMIS).

Since its inception, Sudhaar has established 780 non-formal education centers across four districts in Punjab, offering primary education to 23,800 working children and their siblings, as well as 5,000 women. Following graduation, about 40% of these students successfully transitioned into formal government and private schools. Nearly, 28 individuals went on to complete their college education, and around 5 pursued master’s degrees, marking a significant milestone in their educational journey and future prospects.