Sunshine Story: Shilpa Shetty Kundra’s Rajasthan Royals who have already donned pink to show support and solidarity with breast cancer patients have once again given us something wonderful to talk about. The team has decided to extended their support towards ending child labour in India, according to a statement released on Wednesday.
Ben Stokes and the Rajasthan Royals have come together with British Asian Trust (BAT) to help eradicate child labour in the country. Child labour is one of the key issues that BAT deals with.
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This initiative is called ‘Child labour Free Jaipur’ and is a multi-stakeholder partnership. It has been set up with the support of the BAT along with the support of state and district authorities, local businesses and civil society. It aims to make Jaipur child labour-free.
Even after being booked with IPL sessions, practices and what not, Stokes took the time to visit Taabar, a shelter home for rescued child labourers. The cricketer also watched a street play about child labour at Gyan Ashram School in Mansarovar. The street was a part of a broader community awareness strategy which aims to reduce child labour in Jaipur, working simultaneously with businesses and corporations to increase the number of certified child labour-free products in the market.
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“People need to come together to achieve lasting and sustainable positive change for children by reducing child labour, which will eventually help their families and community as a whole,” Stokes said after the visit.
During the visit, the cricketer also made a point to interact with students, he also personally invited them to watch a match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Stokes even quizzed the kids about their favourite cricketer, their aspirations and dreams; demonstrated his favourite cricket shots, and shared tips on how to become a better cricketer.
“These kids are the future. It’s only logical that we try and create opportunities for them to lead a better life,” he remarked.
The shelter home, Tabaar is a BAT partner that supports children stuck in difficult circumstances. They provide community-based rehabilitation for rescued child labourers and other children in need of care and protection.
