In majority of the Garments Factories where Female Workers (about 80% of total workers) are engaged in the vital sector earning more than 80% of the foreign exchange of the country do not have Child Day Care Centers. So the workers are unable to care for and nourish their children while they are at the workplace. They have to keep their children to their neighbor or other children in their house. As a result, they become worried and cannot keep their perfect concentration on the job, often it hampers to their working performance. In many times it is seen that skilled female workers quit their job for taking care of their new born children. As a result, it creates a shortage of skilled workers in the garments industry. According to the factory act 1965, the Management Authority of the industry has to open a Daycare center where more than 50 people are working women.
\r\nIn solidarity with the issue Mamata started establishing a childcare centers since 2006 outside of the CEPZ, KEPZ, EPZ area with help of factory owners. In the child care center, in addition to necessary logistics and baby care items/endeavours breastfeeding corners and child development activities are provided. In this program, Mamata provides technical support to establish child care centers at factories and arranges training facilities for the Caregivers. In 2020, Mamata trained 25 caregivers of 3 factories and decorated 2 child care centers.
\r\nTarget group: low paid women workers and their children aged between 6 months to 3 years.
\r\nGoal: to improve the lives of under privileged working women and their children by giving the opportunities to develop to their potentials.
\r\nObjectives:
\r\n• To reduce vulnerability of garment workers and their children at factory and residence level during working hours.
\r\n• To promote early childhood care and development of garments workers children focusing on physical, psycho-social development.
\r\n• To ensure pre-primary elementary learning/education to their children of garments to mainstream them.
\r\n• To increase productivity of women workers by reducing anxiety of workers at factory.
\r\n• To reduce of dropout rate of skilled female workers at the early childhood stage of their children lack of appropriate day care facility.
\r\nRegular activities of the project:
\r\n• Garments factory selection
\r\n• potential care giver selection
\r\n• set up centre
\r\n• Provide caregivers training.
\r\n• Daily basis monitoring of the centres.
\r\n• Organize monthly meeting with guardians.