Examining the Dual Theme of Child Labor and Education

Sandeep V is a trained electronic and communication engineer who worked as an IT consultant at HP for two years. However, his passion for film led him to quit his job and become a freelance documentary filmmaker. He volunteered at the BornFree Art School in Bangalore, a special school for working street children that aims to educate disadvantaged children through the arts and eventually reintegrate them into mainstream education. While at BornFree, Sandeep created a 2 hours documentary film called Ananta about the causes and effects of child labor.

People often quote figures when discussing India’s population of young people and how they will contribute to the country’s economic growth,” Sandeep says. “But there are some important figures that are often overlooked. Some statistics indicate that there is more unemployed youth in India than there are employed children. It is this dual theme of child labor and education that is particularly noteworthy and worthy of exploration.

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Sandeep is interested in exploring the themes of child labor and education during his fellowship with SBI Youth for India, where he will spend the next year working with the BAIF Development Research Foundation. He has greatly enjoyed the orientation period of the Youth for India Fellowship, noting that “people here are extremely committed with great thoughts. Every minute brings new ideas.”