Why we exist
Mining at KGF began under the British in 1880. After Independence the mines passed to the Karnataka government as Bharat Gold Mines, and later to the Government of India. At its peak nearly 30,000 employees and their families lived and worked here, with free ration, free medical care and recreation rooms provided.
When BGML was wound up in 2001, employees were left without terminal benefits. Free ration and medical care ended, and household life collapsed.
Children struggled to stay in school. Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) had been funding students’ education, but it closed without notice and the support stopped. Well-wishers and church establishments stepped in to look after students’ education and health.
Our own survey of mining families found lower education levels and poor health. About 90% of the former mine workers we recorded live with diabetes or another chronic illness.
