Sports Goods Foundation of India (SGFI) is a joint effort of 25 exporters of sports goods firms and is registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 in 1998-1999. It was registered as an NGO and is non-profit making organization which is committed to the prevention and rehabilitation of child labour in sports goods industry. The current membership is available to 26 sports goods firms who are exporting their goods to different countries. This programme has been initiated to prevent and rehabilitate child labour in Jalandhar cluster.
The main objectives of the organization are:
- To prevent and progressively eliminate child labour in the manufacture or stitching of Soccer balls.
- To facilitate an attitudinal change in the community as well as the worker’s families regarding the importance of education and evils of child labour.
- To promote education in the inflatable balls stitching community.
Under the guidance of the World Federation of Sporting Goods Industries (WFSGI), Indian Super League (ISL), and major sports goods companies, the organization hired the well-known auditing company SGS (Société General de Surveillance) for external monitoring of the stitching locations. The list of these locations was provided by the manufacturers on the basis of their internal monitoring. The external monitoring was funded by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). While the manufacturers contribute a percentage of their export earnings for the rehabilitation of the children.
There are various donor and technical organizations which have partnered with SGFI.
WFSGI: The World Federation of Sporting Goods Industries, Switzerland has been involved with the Foundation to address the child labour since its inception. They have been working hard to coordinate efforts of the major international brands and the manufacturers.
SGS India Pvt. Ltd: The auditing company SGS (Societe General de Surveillance) was hired to take up the external monitoring of the stitching locations. The company had set up an office in Jalandhar and is also the certifying body for ISO 9001:2000 of the cluster and auditing the monitoring program regularly.
FIFA Marketing: funded the monitoring program by SGS for four years Jan-2000 to Dec-2003. FIFA Marketing has allowed its licensees to produce these balls in India only from firms that are members of the Foundation and who are all in compliance with the rules of the foundation.
UNICEF: United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, it brought enormous wealth of knowledge on issues related to the exploitation of children, social awareness for the Foundation.
SCF-UK: Save the Children’s Fund-UK, was involved in this program even before the Foundation was officially started. Their active participation in the program along with UNICEF has been the key factor in getting the social protection program started. They suggested that a steering committee be formed between the Foundation and its partners so that the monitoring and social protection program can constantly be reviewed.
Govt. of India, Dept. of Labour: has been supporting the Foundation and its objectives from the beginning. There was a key role in the establishment of the 27 Transitional Schools in Jalandhar, 8 of which were being run by the Foundation. They provide a substantial grant for the running of these schools and in shaping the social protection program.
United Nations Industrial Development Organization- Cluster Development Project (UNIDO-CDP): SGFI has been sub-contracted a three-year project on Corporate Social Responsibility by United Nations Industrial Development Organization- Cluster Development Project (UNIDO-CDP). This project is called Social and Environmental Responsibility of Businesses (SERB). Under this project SGFI has scaled up its child labour project with more community participation and home-based workers, strengthened educational initiatives, focus on health and safety at workplace and Environment issues. SGFI is also providing advice to its members on Social Compliance to handle social audits done by their respective customers.
Lions Club – Jalandhar East: Lions Club has partnered with SGFI for health awareness camps. The team of doctors is from Lions Clubs. SGFI has also created 5 tuition centers that have been adopted by 5 different lions clubs.
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC): SGFI has partnered with LIC to promote micro insurance scheme ‘Jeevan Madhur’ & ‘Bhagyalakshmi’ amongst its household workers. Till date it has covered 3000 workers.
Address: Sports Goods Foundation of India.
Sunrise Apartments, Flat # 2, Ground Floor, Tilak Nagar Road, Off Nakodar Road,
Jalandhar, Punjab -144003.
Phone:
+91-181-2685173 | +91-9216020377
Mail: [email protected]
Website: www.sgfi.org.
