Migros - Kids school

Migros has always paid special attention to the problem of child labour. This problem cannot, however, be solved by bans alone. The families in the developing world who send their children to work need this money to survive. Migros looked for new ways to solve this dilemma.

With the K.I.D.S. foundation, Migros funds, for example, the construction and running of schools in selected production countries.

A project in southern India to set up an all-day school for at present 896 children with meals and medical care has been implemented. The construction of the school in Tirupur was made possible by the Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund’s “Fund for Specific Help.”

The project was conceived with the following goals:

Both, children as well as the local villagers will soon receive services in a health unit. The school is not solely for the children of Migros supplier’s employees, but is open for all local children.
In the near future, children and others residents of nearby villages will be treated in the school’s new medical facility.
All school children who come from near by villages will be brought to school and taken home again by school buses.
The project is also supported by many of Migro’s Indian cotton-knit suppliers.
All planning and construction work is carried out by local companies.


The school project

To improve the educational situation of the children of the workers of the textile industry in Tirupur, Migros decided to offer an alternative and financed, with their “Fund for Specific Help,” a school for all children from the nearby villages which was free of charge. This school offers good infrastructure, motivated teachers, educational materials, and free transport. The planning and construction of the school took over four years to realize. In 1999 it was possible to open a provisional school in which over 100 children were taught in six classes.

Migros’s suppliers were involved in the project, helping others to help themselves, right from the beginning. An appropriate property was located and purchased. All bureaucratic and construction hurdles were surpassed. On the 11th of December 2000 the school opened its doors for the kids. Since November 2002 additionally a full-time co-ordinator is placed at the schooling project’s disposal. Her task focuses on the smooth running of all activities in the Tirupur project. She co-ordinates the project and links the teaching staff with KIDS-Society and KIDS e.V. in Cologne respectively.

Buildings / Personnel

The property and school building currently provide:

• 24 classrooms (6 for the kindergarten, 14 for primary school, 4 for secondary school)
• Three science laboratories
• A computer room
• A sports room
• Sports / play grounds

The school’s infrastructure naturally includes a water source, rooftop cistern, electricity and sewerage canals.
Since 2003 the medical outpatient clinic was expanded as well as further classrooms were added.
New teaching material was purchased and teachers get trained regarding its educational-methodical capacity.
The actual personnel consists of:

• 32 primary school teachers and assistants respectively, plus the principal
• 16 non-teaching staff, including:

• Service and cleaning staff
• Security officers
• Drivers
• One doctor