Aid to Stone Breakers

Aid to Stone Breakers

Stone workers living near to quarry sites in small, unsanitary huts and have limited access to health care or clean drinking water. Hazardous working conditions are common and workplace safety is inadequate, leading to accidents and chronic occupational diseases. Involvement of children was mainly observed in waste stone processing. Exposure to silica dust causes lung diseases and reduces lifespan considerably. Unsanitary living conditions, malnutrition, lack of clean drinking water and substandard medical care also contribute to the poor health of stone workers.

Another serious problem is financial aspects in Stone workers life are in form of Salary advances or loans which are provided by quarry owners to tie workers to the job. The interest on the loan is often so high - up to 48% per year - that workers can hardly pay off the loan. In addition, some workers are even prohibited to leave the quarry and talk to people outside the quarry premises. More than 90% of the workers in are hired on informal basis without any written employment contracts.

So paying off their debts in short period and that too in such a miserable health conditions has turned out to be a dream for them.

Word in Action outreach ministry with a concern to support stone workers, who are in heart breaking conditions and have no hope for their future. WAO has taken every possible effort in rescuing people who look for support to clear their debts and to start a new life in a new safe health conditions.

WAO ministry support the stone workers to clear debts and provide them with some new small business initiative to start new life. Stone workers are provided with new business supports like to start street breakfast and snack centers, cattle stocks, Small home stores, rice stores,pickle making,food processing,tailoring and garment making etc. WAO is open to accept support from sponsors who could strengthen the efforts of WAO ministry to rescue more stone workers and to gift them a new start in life.

Sponsoring initiatives from individual or organizations are available along with Word in Action Outreach in following missions or causes.