Socio Legal Aid Research And Training Centre

SLARTC is dedicated to combating child labour in India, advocating for legal protections, raising awareness, and providing education and health programmes for working children through its educational centres. Despite national and international conventions, child labour remains a pressing issue, with millions of children forced into hazardous work in various sectors. SLARTC actively works to protect the rights and well-being of these children, taking legal action on their behalf and conducting orientations for NGOs and legal professionals involved in child labour issues. The organisation also continues its efforts to push for more effective legislation to eliminate child labour entirely.

SLARTC's Women's Cell collaborates with approximately 30 women's groups across various districts and 70 neighbourhood groups in ten villages near Kolkata. The Women's Cell focuses on vital areas such as child nutrition, access to clean drinking water, healthcare, and education. Its initiatives encompass sponsored programmes aimed at improving water quality, ensuring safe housing, and enhancing sanitation in adopted villages and slums. Furthermore, the Women's Cell actively engages in legal advocacy, challenging inadequate laws and practices to empower women and promote their rights.

SLARTC's Adopt-a-Granny Program addresses the pressing challenges faced by India's elderly population, who often struggle with inadequate social security and diminishing family support. Many elderly individuals find themselves without shelter, food, or basic healthcare, spending their final days in undignified conditions. SLARTC has been at the forefront of advocating for improved elder rights legislation while providing direct aid to senior citizens. Through the Adopt-a-Granny programme, supported by Helpage International UK and Helpage India, SLARTC offers vital support, including food and medical care, to a significant number of elderly residents in Kolkata. Renowned for its effectiveness, SLARTC is dedicated to ensuring that the elderly can enjoy their remaining years with security and dignity.

SLARTC's Support-a-Child Programme is a nationally recognized initiative born from their previous outreach endeavors, aimed at assisting the most vulnerable children. This programme focuses on providing essential life amenities such as education, healthcare, nutrition, and clothing to a diverse group of children, including those living on railway platforms, street children, child labourers, victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation, children of sex workers, economically disadvantaged children, and those with mental and physical challenges. By sponsoring a child through this programme, individuals have the power to transform a child's life, breaking the cycle of poverty and limited opportunities. Sponsors not only support education and healthcare but also offer hope and the possibility of a brighter future for these children, often forming meaningful connections with their sponsored child through regular updates and progress reports.

SLARTC actively engages in addressing the harrowing issue of trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children. It recognizes the comprehensive definition of trafficking as outlined in international protocols and is particularly concerned about the vulnerability of indigenous and ethnic minority girl children who make up a significant portion of prostitutes in India. These children often face language barriers, illiteracy, and a lack of awareness about their rights, making them easy targets for exploitation. SLARTC takes on cases for repatriation, provides counselling and legal assistance, and advocates for more stringent legislation to combat trafficking. It also emphasizes the importance of global awareness and the enforcement of international laws to combat sex trade trafficking, aligning its efforts with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.