Background
This is a new project which commenced in December 2003 and focuses on youth between the ages of 12 to 20 years engaged in scrap mica mining in Giridih District of Jhakrhand State, India. 
AID has been working with mica children for a decade. It's experience showed that a centre based service activities have limited relevance in terms of sustained benefits to the children. The project therefore plans to utilize the potential which the young people have to change the system and make differences in their lives, mainly in  two areas :

• Rights of  mica workers to guaranteed minimum livelihood i.e. minimum wages and minimum social security.

• Recognition of existing livelihood through mica mining by government and legal and policy protection for small-scale mining.

It  is also focusing on the problems of hunger, starvation, poverty and insecure livelihood for 30,000 people belonging to un-organized tribal and untouchable families (adults and children) in the area.

So far the project has been implemented in 20 villages in Tisri block. The experience to be gained in 20 villages will then be used to influence the other mica villages with the similar problems.

Activities

The project has the following key activities:

• Capacity building for mobilisation of mica workers, formation and strengthening of workers union,  SHGs for women workers and cluster and single area federations

• Engagement in self-initiated workers group learning, analysis and planning.

• Local government and worker forum partnerships to utilize  government programmes, co-operative sale of mica and promotion of micro credit support.

• Pro-poor policy advocacy and networking, alliance building and collective action.

Since the project did not start until December 2003, only the preparatory activities have been completed and are reported :

• The project is formally established in the period with the appointment of all the professional and local staff for its implementation.

• An operational plan for one year and all bench marking, recording, reporting and review systems were completed.

• A survey of the number of young mica workers and identification of participants of the project was completed. The survey results were disseminated into villagers and other key players through workshops and meetings. Also training was given to village leaders and women groups.

• Study on the perspectives of government, mining authorities, legal policies related to the mica mining, mica labour and environment were completed. The advocacy materials preparation is underway to influence key stakeholders.

Objectives
The aim of the project is achievement of self-help, self-governing and self-supporting system for young mica workers for ensuring right to livelihood through influencing government for pro-poor mining and labour policies of government.

The objective is creation of sustainable young mica workers unions/ forums for collective action for better wages, reduction of child labour in mica mining and poverty reduction.