Children at work Class - 8 Summary

 

Children at work Summary in English, Class 8 

Introduction

This story focuses on the living of slum children.It shows the pathetic conditions of ragpickers and how they are compelled to continue their living in such condition. It teaches us that we should help these children in their living and encourage them to study.

Velu

 This story is about an eleven year old boy named Velu. His  father used to beat him and his sister. He used to snatch every money he and his sister earned. Velu was fed up with the day to day abuses .So he decided to run away from home. He walked all day in Kannur ( a district in Tamilnadu), and later on boarded Kanyakumari Express. Kanyakumari express brought him to Chennai Central station.

Velu on Chennai Central Station

After getting down from the train he sat down on a bench. He saw people rushing with their luggage. Velu .A loudspeaker was shouting with announcements; some people were watching a big TV screen; some were sitting on the platform. Velu was feeling very weak, and his legs were shaking as he was very hungry. For two days he had not eaten anything. Velu felt miserable and exhausted. 

Velu met Jaya

A rag picker small girl with brown and dirty hair named Jaya saw him and talked about him. Initially, Velu was reluctant as she was a stranger to him. She told she could arrange some food for him. Velu had no option other than to follow her. Velu went behind her.

 She took him to busy roads with high traffic and dust. Velu was frightened by the traffic.He followed her through the crowded streets to a big building. A central jail came near him. Jaya warned him of police as police do not like ragpickers.

 Finally, they reached a marriage hall. There was a big garbage pile behind the hall.The scene here was very horrible with rotten smell in the air. Two goats were fighting for banana leaf and a cloud of flies buzzed around their legs. Jaya found two bananas and a vada. She gave a banana and the vada to Velu. Velu was reluctant to eat left-over food thrown in the bin. But he was hungry, and there was no other option. He gulped down banana and vada . They ate together.

Ragpickers Pathetic Condition

 Then Jaya took him to her home. There was a row of huts near some dirty puddles. It was a slum house made of broken steel sheet, and other useless materials like an old tire, plastic sheet, and bricks. Jaya gave him a big sack and asked him to help her. Velu was curious about why Jaya collect useless materials. Jaya explained that she sells it to Jam Bazaar Jaggu who then sells it to a factory. In factories these plastics and paper are recycled into a new one. Velu was not happy with the job. He decided if he gets another job, he would leave this dirty job.