Be the difference that makes a difference

May love pass through our hearts into all that we do
- Indian Poet Rabindranath Tagore

Our hearts were opened and moved in unchangeable ways as the site team from RB Pharmaceuticals Cindy, Judy, Joanne (US) and Sandra (UK), along with our new friends from Save the Children Rebecca (UK), Lisa (UK) and Manab (India) spent an emotional and inspirational day visiting a brick kiln factory, bridge course centre and government aided school.

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RB Pharmaceutical’s pioneering initiative with Save the Children aims to help improve the lives of children working in brick kiln factories in the rural areas of West Bengali, India.
Thousands of children are trapped in brick kiln factories many trafficked or kidnapped from the rural areas of West Bengali.

Since 2008 Save the Children has been working to eradicate child labour, provode childcare for working mothers and education centres for children. And RB is honoured to partner with them in sharing our resources of time, talent and finances in this joint mission to ‘be the difference that makes a difference’.

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More than half the workers are women and children who are expected to carry 88 lbs of bricks on their heads for 656 feet 15-20 times per day (2 and 1/2 miles each day).

Can you image what it would be like to carry 88lbs of bricks on your head 70 – 80 times a day, 6 days a week, in temperatures reaching 100 degrees and high humidity for $1 dollar a week? What would it be like for you to watch your children carrying out the same gruelling labour day in and day out with no way out?

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When foreign visitors came would you have the energy and kindness of heart to offer a smile, show them how to make a brick and answer questions about their work and life? The brick kiln workers of West Bengal can and did. Everywhere we went, we were met with gentle kindness, curiosity and a generous spirit. Stirring us to dream bigger than we could have imagined to build a sustainable partnership between RBP and Save the Children to help eradicate child labor from the brick kilns.

Today we witnessed the gruelling labor as well as the HOPE for the young children being educated on site in a bridge care centre. We saw the smiles of the children as the wonderful teach reviewed their lesson plan of the day. We met families whose children are the first generation to receive any education at all thanks to the good work of Save the Children team in Kolkata. Only 2 years ago, education wasn’t even a dream for these families. Where would you be without education? In what ways might you be moved to take “ownership” of helping educate a child who may go on to dream the audacious dream of a life outside a brick kiln factory?

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Thank you Bart Becht, Shaun Thaxter and Rick Powers for lighting the fire. We are committed. We cannot wait to see how many from our RBP family will join us!