Every year the event in Schimmert Netherlands gathers more and more children and adults to run for a child labour free world. This year the BWI welcomed the participation of JL Srivastava, BWI Education coordinator from India who ran 21km and helped the dutch children to skype with the children in Bihar India on 19 June 2016.
The BWI staff joined the 7 to 14 km race and half-marathon. Children participated in the 750 m race for 4 to 7 year old and 2,250 for 10 to 12 years.
The BWI continues to work successfully in the child labour schools it has established in India and expanded since few years to Nepal and Bangladesh targeting brick kiln, stone quarry and minor forestry sectors. Affiliates in these countries provide mainstream education to children in close collaboration with the governments and campaign for quality education and also better wages, working conditions and social protection for adult workers.
In addition, in the past few months, the BWI has put a lot of efforts into new networks and coalition in the natural stone sector to work towards a long-lasting resolution of the issue. These efforts have paid as the BWI is now also on the board of the TFT-Dutch Responsible Stone Programme.
All funds from Schimmert event were donated to the foundation for BWI child labour schools in India. The BWI was a co-organiser of the event with the non-profit Dutch foundation "Child Learn”.