Role of SGFI in Empowerment of Children - A Case of Identification and Rehabilitation of Child Labour

Twenty five SME exporters of sports goods joined hands together voluntarily and created the Sports Goods Foundation of India (SGFI) in 1998 as an NGO. It is a non-profit making organisation committed to the prevention and rehabilitation of child labour in the sporting goods industry. Today SGFI membership consists of 33 manufacturers and exporters of footballs/volleyballs/rugby. These members are responsible for approximately 95% of the total exports of these inflatable balls. All members of SGFI are voluntarily contributing a fixed percentage of their exports of inflatable balls every month. Under the guidance and cooperation of agencies such as the WFSGI (World Federation of Sporting Goods Industry) and UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization), the SGFI identifies child labour and helps children to phase out of ball stitching work as quickly as possible, without causing any economic hardship to the families concerned, and provides them with educational and other opportunities. SGFI initiatives include the monitoring of home stitching, an education programme, health promotion, Self Help Groups (SHGs), and the recycling of underutilised goods within communities etc. The case highlights the working and contribution of SGFI towards empowerment of children and women in the sporting goods industry in Jalandhar. The case also emphasises the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its benefits for the industry. Today, the concept of CSR has gone beyond the traditional philanthropic approach and looks into strategic cooperation. However, the SME sector is yet to consider CSR as a tool for business enhancement. This is mainly because they are forced to prioritize short-term survival over longer-term strategic measures, and they often have few managerial and financial resources to invest in such measures. The initiatives like SGFI present a solution for these kinds of strategic challenges for the SMEs