Kritiek op BBA, SACCS en PR-shopping met Kidsrights

NL-Aid reported about BBA and their fake rescues from child labor at 19th September 2010 (see ‘Famous NGO in New Delhi: child rescues is nothing but a cash cow’). Founder of SACCS, BBA and Global March is Kailash Satyarthi. NL-Aid will give you an overview of the critics over the years, supplemented with documents, witness reports and new evidence for English speakers.

1995

The first publication against SACCS/BBA is a book ‘Kinderen van de krokodil’ (Children of the crocodile), by Rudi Rotthier, ISBN 90 254 1243 2. Rotthier is wondering why nobody is asking question about a list of names of rescued children. He describes playing with numbers and shifting truths. But the book is more or less forgotten, even soon after publication.

Page 79:

Het verwonderde me dat niemand bij een toch welvarende organisatie als SACCS probeert de vermiste kinderen op te sporen, of tenminste de lijsten bij te werken (It surprised me that nobody at a wealthy organisation like SACCS is trying to trace missing children, or at least tries to update the lists).

1998

In 1998 I send a press release about my findings about SACCS. At 19th February 1998 the first whistle blower article was published in the Dutch newspapers (download newspaper articles). The newspaper clearly indicate the question marks around the number of rescued children. I had more criticism. An overview:

• Within an hour, I have even witnessed the total number of 30,000 rescues changing into 50,000 and without rescuing one kid.
• SACCS/BBA had is not liberating children at all, there are no names of rescued children.
• Child labour and rescues are staged by known children from a nearby school for the eyes of journalists and officials. They actually believe it’s real.
• I have witnessed fake press releases, like the total number of children at the Global March Launch in November 1997. Worldwide it was published that 5000 children attended the launch but in fact there are only a few dozens to shoot some photo’s.
• SACCS/BBA claimed to be a coalition of 400 NGOs, but these organisations don’t know about the existing of this coalition.
• In 1998 I have seen a rescue by SACCS/BBA on TV, with a Dutch famous presenter of a lotto show. After this rescue the presenter hands over a cheque. The child they rescue is a child I have seen before in the rehabilitation camp of SACCS/BBA (the Mukti Ashram). An acted reality.

After these comments, Sylvia Borren from Oxfam Novib (at that time Director Projects, later Managing Director of Oxfam Novib) declares: “Novib wil precies weten hoeveel kinderen Saccs uit ‘kinderslavernij’ heeft bevrijd”. (Translation: Novib wants to know exactly how many children are freed by SACCS from child slavery). At that time a comforting thought. The title of the report: ‘Rescue/Rehabilitation Intervention of SACCS on Child Servitude’. I could not read the report because Borren was not willing to cooperate with me.

2002

The second book with critical remarks: ‘India in slow motion’, by Mark Tully, ISBN-13: 978-0-14-028208-5. In chapter Misplaced Charity, Tully criticized Kailash Satyarthi. Satyarthi was one of the founders of Rugmark label. This label ensures western importers of buying child-labour-free carpets. Nowadays, Satyarthi and Rugmark are separated and the critics of this coverage does not reflect Rugmark, although they are mentioned. With the following quotations I only want to expound the ways of Satyarthi.

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