20-year-old Kajal Kumari, from Domchanch in the Koderma district, addressed world leaders at a United Nations summit on transforming education early this week. Kajal Kumari was rescued as a child labourer from Jharkhand’s mica mines six years ago.

On Monday, at the UN's headquarter in New York, Kajal appealed at the Transforming Education Summit that Global leaders should invest more in education to develop opportunities for children that will allow them to come out of the clasp of child labour and exploitation.

Kajal spoke as a child leader representative at the summit- a key initiative of Our Common Agenda established by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in September 2021. She shared her past experiences as a child labourer and now as a young leader of (BMG or child-friendly village) Bal Mitra Gram.

Kajal emphasized the significance of the total abolishment of child labour and child marriage in India and other parts of the world. She spotlighted how these bitter experiences of evil social practices adversely influence young minds and the souls of children.

The girl who studies geography at Domchanch college and desires to be a police inspector stated that education is the key for children, as it enables them to break the restraints of illiteracy and poverty that push them to work as child labourers or in early marriage.

BMG- developed by Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, aspires to stop child exploitation like child labour, child trafficking, and child marriage right at its source by managing other cross-cutting issues like education, livelihood, and sexual abuse.

Kajal worked as mica labour in the mines near her village to support her family at a tender age. She actively participated in BMG after she was rescued by the BMG and elected as the President of the Children’s Council (the Bal Panchayat).

As President, Kajal helped withdraw children from mica mines, enrolled them in school, controlled child marriages, boosted awareness in her and surrounding villages, and helped the community acquire access to the government’s welfare programmes.

Kajal has stopped three child marriages and helped 35 children escape mica mines. She has also facilitated children in her village to continue their education via online classes during the Covid-19 lockdown through mobile apps and guided some students.

The United Nations said in a statement after the summit with Covid-19 exposing the fault-lines of education systems globally- over 130 countries are dedicated to rebooting their education systems and revving action to terminate the learning crisis.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said instead of being the great enabler- education is quickly becoming the great divider. The rich have access to the best schools, resources, and universities, directing them to the best jobs, while the poor – especially girls – face enormous obstacles to getting the qualifications that could transform their lives.

On Tuesday, on the sidelines of the summit, Kajal emphasized the significance of education at the 4th Laureates and Leaders for Children summit, a brain-child of Kailash Satyarthi as a first-of-its-kind platform bringing jointly Nobel laureates and global leaders to create a sense of hurry to galvanize political will for making this world amicable where all children are educated, safe, and healthy.