SEA is a community-based organization that works with children of fisherman and saltpan workers. Often in these fishing communities, children begin fishing or salt panning from the tender age of 10 dropping out of school and entering the family tradition is a way of life. However, many find it a difficult occupation since traditional fishing is a job of high risks, where a few reap the benefits of a good catch. As a result, many of these fishermen and their families suffer socially and economically.
SEA has developed several programs to improve the enrollment of school going children residing in this fishing community and reduce child laborers. Services include increasing awareness toward the value of education, creating motivation centers, child health programs, parent-teacher meetings and developing youth groups to eliminate child labour.
SEA partnered with VIBHA in the year 2005 and have successfully executed many projects during these 11 years of association. One of the main interventions served by this partnership was to work with government primary schools in coastal areas, where most of the schools have only one teacher resulting into poor education quality. SEA deploys teachers in such schools to maintain a decent student-teacher ratio thus improving the quality of education and empowering children from the fishermen community. SEA has established Learning Information Centers (LIC) and Bridge Schools for children and their parents to provide them with important information on ways and means to enhance one’s knowledge and educate them about future prospects. SEA also has a Child Enrollment Program, under which coastal villages are visited and street shows are performed to emphasize the importance of education and encourage the parents to send their children to schools.
To bring out individual talents from children, SEA organized a cultural and sports event on July 20, 2016; where total of 200 students took participation from different schools (this number also includes schools funded by Vibha).
Events such as drawing/rangoli competition, sack race, running race and singing competition were arranged for the students; prizes and awards were distributed to the winners to keep them motivated to partake in such events.
The motif behind organizing this event was to bring out creativity from these children, to teach them how to get rid of any sort of fear; fear of facing audience, fear of speaking out and fear of failure. This program, to a great extent, helped these children to develop self-confidence and bonding with fellow participants. As a whole, this event turned out to be a huge success.
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