Famous NGO in New Delhi: child rescues is nothing but a cash cow

Posted on | december 19, 2010 | 12 Comments

Audited balance sheet BBA 2009-2010
(converter: 60 Indian rupee = 1 euro; 45 Indian rupee is 1 USD)

A whistleblower, related to BBA (Bachpan Bachao Andolan, former SACC or Global March), has challenged the authenticity of the organization. BBA fights against child labor and they rescue the children regularly.

The whistleblower has put forward the following quote:
“You might have an idea that some child labourers were freed from GAP Sweatshops a couple of years back by Bachpan Bachao Andolan in India. See:
http://www.america.gov or download here.
I am enclosing here the audited balance sheet of the same NGO, Bachpan Bachao Andolna (Association for Voluntary Action), which clearly shows that they had taken money from GAP for the rehabilitation of those children. This audited balance sheet is for the period of 1st April 2009 to 31st March 2010. They had also taken a handsome amount of money just after the rescue of these children. They have also taken the money from Merck Ltd after exposing the case of child labour in Mica Mines of Jharkhand. This clearly shows that all the rescue operations done by BBA are basically to get CSR money from corporates.”

Previous whistleblower
I have criticized the same organization (in 1998 and 2009/2010) in my book ‘ontwikkelingssamenwerking ontwikkelt geen samenwerking’. In a nutshell: before the eye of the camera, BBA puts children in a fake scene. Children in the rehabilitated camp are just children from a village nearby. The number of freed children was completed in one day from 35,000 to 50,000 without one child being rescued. In fact, no kid was ever liberated by BBA. There are no names and addresses of freed children. Everything is set up like a ´tableau vivant´ for journalists and officials in order to receive funds. After my critical remarks, an evaluation team was established by a professor. This professor was financial related to BBA and was not in a position to be objective. Furthermore, he clearly received the order not to investigate the total number of rescued children from child labour. In 2009, the organization in the Netherlands were informed: Oxfam Novib, Kidsrights, Unicef en Stop Kindermisbruik. Oxfam Novib has stopped the cooperation.

Cash Cow
It is possible that BBA and GAP/Merck made an agreement before the rescues. During one whole year I have worked for the organization and they were never capable to show me real child labour. Only staged child labor. I can imagine that after a few years, when BBA finally is able to find real child labor, they make a deal with this company. Before the eye of a camera and in the company of officials, children are being rescued. But only a few. In this way BBA receives grants from Indian and western NGO’s. After the event, BBA makes a deal not to dig deeper for other children. In return, BBA receives ransom. Of course, I am just thinking out loud, I am guessing. But what else would this audited balance sheet tells us? BBA exploits rescues as a cash cow. It was no different during my stay at SACCS/BBA/Global March.

Feel free to leave a message if you think otherwise.

NL-Aid has warned all NGO’s who are doing business with BBA.

AUTHOR: Hans Sluijter
URL: www.NL-Aid.org
E-MAIL:

Category: child labour, effectiveness, South Asia, whistleblower
Tags: > > > > > > > > >

Comments

12 Responses to “Famous NGO in New Delhi: child rescues is nothing but a cash cow”

  1. Nadia Ul Rebaq
    december 21st, 2010 @ 04:57

    Salam Walae Kum

    I am a student of sociology and based out of Al Fujairah (UAE).

    I have been closely tracking the NGO sector of developing nations. After reading your blog, I tend to completely disagree with you as Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) has earned an unmistakable goodwill over the past 3 decades selflessly rescuing the children trapped in the clutches of bonded labour. An organization can fool governments and people at large for one year, two years or may be three years but it is impossible to fool everybody around continuously over the past 30 years.

    My friend has been an intern with BBA and she tells me how systematic and rule oriented their raid and rescue operations are. So your blog does not seem to support the truth.

    Let’s refrain from disturbing organizations that are relentlessly involved in serving humanity or else GOD will never forgive you.

    Al Ham Dulillah.

    Nadia Ul Rebaq.

  2. Erik Hoed
    december 21st, 2010 @ 09:03

    Hello Nadia,

    I know the author of this articles as well. I think you have not been in a position to read his Dutch report which is also published on this site. The author reflects many evidence, witness reports and otherwise. I can only tell you to be very critical about SACCS/BBA/Global March. Within the world of development cooperation, Kailash is very critized. Many officials laugh about him. The evidence aginst him is very strong.

    Alle best, Erik

  3. Nadia Ul Rebaq
    december 21st, 2010 @ 11:22

    Dear Erik,

    Salam Walae Kum.

    Earlier today, I checked about the policies and procedures with my friend who has worked with Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) as an Intern. She has apprised me that all the details of the children that are rescued by BBA are appropriately shared with the Government. Therefore it is a pretty transparent process.

    You claim that you know the Author of this article. Why is’nt he going to India and checking for himself all the details with the Government Authorities ??????

    This article is nothing more than a figment of the Author’s vivid imagination.

    I would re-iterate that let’s refrain from disturbing philanthropic organizations that are relentlessly serving humanity or else GOD will never forgive the miscreants.

    Al Ham Dulillah.

    Nadia Ul Rebaq.

  4. Martin Punaks
    december 21st, 2010 @ 15:07

    I am a British citizen who was employed by Bachpan Bachao Andolan for one and a half years between 2008 and 2010. My position in the organisation was Head of Reseource Mobilisation, although I was also closely involved in projects relating to Gap Inc and Merck. During my time at BBA I worked closely with other senior staff and National Committee members, and I saw no evidence to suggest that anything illegal or improperwas happening as suggested by the author of this article.

    Hans Sluijter is making highly speculative allegations against BBA based on no evidence whatsoever. If in deed it is true that he witnessed no “real child labour” during his internship at BBA (which incidentally no current staff actually remember), I wonder what he was actually doing during this period. During my time employed by BBA I took part in several raid and recues of children from illegal and exploitative work places. The children we recued had often been physically, mentally and sometimes sexually abused, and it offensive to them to suggest that this is somehow staged. During my time at BBA no deals were made to withold information about child labour in return for money; this is frankly ridiculous and would suggest to me that Hans Sluijter has been watching too many Hollywood movies!

    Rather than “thinking out loud”, Hans Sluijter should support his ‘thoughts’ with firm and clear evidence before trying to slur the name of a well respected NGO. Child slavery is a very serious and complex issue and BBA, together with many other professional NGOs and development agencies, are tackling it in the best ways they can. Rather than trying to make his name in development by discrediting BBA and other NGOs, I would recommend that Hans uses his energies more constructively by joining those of us trying to end child labour and child trafficking.

  5. Erik Hoed
    december 22nd, 2010 @ 07:17

    Nadia,

    as far as I can tell you: I have never seen in writing any evidence about the rescues.

    Erik

  6. Olex waterbij
    december 23rd, 2010 @ 10:28

    Martin,
    Can you give the details of the projects relating to Gap Inc. and Merck?
    Olex

  7. Kacey Morarity
    december 30th, 2010 @ 10:58

    Superior facts here, This is what i’m looking for. thanks, i’ve bookmark your web page.

  8. Evelijne Bruning
    januari 7th, 2011 @ 16:33

    Dear Hans,

    As agreed, I am reacting to your warning about BBA / Association for Voluntary Action being a ‘bogus’ organisation and the danger you foresee stemming from our financial involvement with them.
    We have indeed traced the payments you sent us from their audited annual statements in 2009 to our own books and records. The two payments match our own records. These transfers are not a donation, but payment for services delivered by BBA / Association for Voluntary Action. The Hunger Project in India hired a team of 6 actors, a bus and a driver from BBA for a Right to Information Campaign which was carried out satisfactorily and under supervision of THP staff in Bihar between October and December of 2009.

    We have a contract, a bill, an outcome report, as well as photos and ample media coverage of the campaign itself on our records. We have no reason at all whatsoever to doubt the delivery of services involved for which these payments were made.

    Furthermore, the team of THP in India, whose judgement I trust without any hesitation, assures me that BBA is a well-known organisation in India, which works closely with the Indian government and is currently nominated for a prestigious international award. Based on our experience, we see no reason to doubt their performance.

    Which leads me to conclude that I do not share your concern over our involvement with BBA. Finally, I would like to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention, because it is highly important to us to be able to investigate any allegations of (or suggestions of potential) misspendings. Because we take both our investors and our work seriously.

    If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely,

    Evelijne Bruning
    country director the Netherlands
    The Hunger Project

  9. Ramesh Gupta, Sr. Advocate,President BBA,
    januari 10th, 2011 @ 08:01

    Dear Hans,
    In an article published on the blog, NL-Aids.org in December 2010, you have alleged that child labourers were not being rescued by BBA and it included a stolen balance sheet from the BBA office.
    As explained to you before in 2009, we would like to reiterate that BBA has a rigourous system of documenting each and every child labourer that it rescues and rehabilitates. In fact, the out-of-school children that BBA interacts with are also documented in a systematic manner. The details of each rescue, cases registered thereafter, etc., and all such information is in public domain and may be easily found through Police records, Labour Departments records, Supreme Court of India and various High Courts’ records, and also with us. We will not be provoked into disclosing the details of the children and putting their lives or safety at risk.
    Any individual or organisation, including yourself, that wants to verify these can do so by simply visiting the BBA office and we would like to invite you to our headquarters in Delhi for the same where you can see all names, addresses, case details and even photographs of over 1000 children rescued by us in 2009-2010. These records are not public to ensure the safety of the child beneficiaries and in compliance with child protection legal mechanisms of India.
    Ramesh Gupta
    President
    Senior Advocate

  10. Nadia Ul Rebaq
    januari 10th, 2011 @ 08:15

    Salam Walae Kum,

    After reading your blog, I connected with my friends, other Government Agencies, NGOs etc, back in India for verifying your claims.

    I have been completely assured of BBA’s sanctity and the methodical approach that they adopt in rescuing the children.

    For putting your doubts at rest, why don’t you visit their Head Quarters in New Delhi and check for yourself once and for all ???

    Al Ham Dulillah.

    Nadia Ul Rebaq.

  11. Patricia de Leur
    januari 12th, 2011 @ 07:39

    Is Ramesh Gupta the president of BBA? Where is his statement about more then 70,000 rescues? He is only talking about a 1000. Has Kidsrights been sleeping? I was always doubting about this organisation. There is nothing to be found on their website about output, like many aid organizations. Indeed, Kidsright is very focussed on PR (I recognise PR-shopping), but there is also no comments from Kidsrights about these allegations. I would like to see evidence by BBA and Kidsrights !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  12. Adriaan Alders
    januari 12th, 2011 @ 08:32

    Kidsrights, I only see them when they need money

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