PAUL ACADEMY
About the Lesson
“Children at Work” is a poignant short story that follows the journey of an eleven-year-old boy named Velu, who escapes abuse at home only to face the harsh realities of survival in a bustling Indian city. As he navigates the unfamiliar and unforgiving streets of Chennai, he meets Jaya, a street-smart girl who works as a ragpicker. Through her, Velu gets his first exposure to child labour, urban poverty, and the struggle for basic needs like food and shelter. The story vividly portrays the challenges faced by children living on the margins of society and raises important questions about responsibility, resilience, and dignity.
Text /Summary/Critical Analysis
📘 Study Material: “Children at Work”
✍️ By Gita Wolf, Anushka Ravishankar & Orijit Sen
🔹 1. Chapter Summary
🧒 Part I: Escape to the City
Velu, an eleven-year-old boy, runs away from home due to his father's abuse. After traveling without a ticket on the Kanyakumari Express, he arrives at Chennai Central station—hungry, frightened, and confused. A street-smart girl, Jaya, notices him and strikes a conversation, instantly recognising that Velu is new to the city.
🚶 Part II: First Taste of City Life
Velu hesitantly follows Jaya through the bustling streets of Chennai. She navigates the traffic confidently, while Velu struggles to keep up. After an hour of walking, they reach a marriage hall where Jaya collects edible leftovers from a garbage bin. Though shocked, Velu is too hungry to refuse and eats the food.
🛖 Part III: A Harsh Reality
Jaya takes Velu to her home near Buckingham Canal in Triplicane—an area filled with makeshift huts. She introduces Velu to the life of a ragpicker. She gives him shoes, a sack, and a stick, urging him to start working to survive. Velu hesitates but eventually agrees to work temporarily until he finds a better job.
🔸 2. Key Characters
🔹 Velu
An eleven-year-old runaway from a village.
Sensitive, confused, and initially hesitant.
Shows resilience by adapting to the city life for survival.
🔹 Jaya
A bold and independent girl of Velu’s age.
Street-smart, practical, and kind-hearted.
Helps Velu survive by introducing him to ragpicking.
🔸 3. Themes
💔 Child Labour & Survival
The story explores how children like Velu are forced into harsh jobs like ragpicking due to poverty and abuse.
🌆 Urban Struggles
Life in a big city like Chennai is portrayed as tough and fast-paced, especially for homeless children.
🧼 Waste and Value
The story shows that what is “trash” for some can be “treasure” for others—highlighting the informal recycling economy.
👫 Compassion and Friendship
Despite her tough exterior, Jaya helps Velu, showing that children can show empathy even in dire circumstances.
🔹 4. Vocabulary Builder
Word/Phrase | Meaning |
Wobbly | Shaky or unsteady |
Grimace | An expression of pain or discomfort |
Ragpickers | People who collect recyclable waste |
Puzzled | Confused or uncertain |
Chutney (slang) | Crushed or smashed (used humorously) |
Squashy | Soft and mushy |
Glumly | In a sad or depressed manner |
Dumped | Dropped carelessly |
Unreserved compartment | Train coach without reserved seating |
Tiffin | A light meal or snack |
✏️ 5. Practice Questions
📖 A. Comprehension Questions
Why did Velu run away from home?
How did Velu manage to travel to Chennai?
What kind of welcome did Velu receive in Chennai?
Describe how Jaya helped Velu find food.
What kind of work did Jaya do?
Why did Velu feel hesitant to become a ragpicker?
💬 B. Discussion-Based Questions
Is Velu a smart boy? Support your answer with examples from the story.
Do you think Jaya is brave and sensitive? Mention examples that reflect her personality.
Discuss the meaning of the phrase: "What one throws away as waste may be valuable to others."
🧠 6. Higher Order Thinking (HOTS)
If you were in Velu’s place, would you follow Jaya? Why or why not?
Do you think ragpicking should be allowed for children as a means of livelihood? Suggest alternatives.
📝 7. Writing Activity
Topic: “A Day in the Life of a Ragpicker”Imagine you are Velu. Write a diary entry about your first day in Chennai and how your life changed after meeting Jaya. (150–200 words)
🧩 8. Activity Corner
🎨 Art Integration:
Draw a scene showing Velu and Jaya walking through the streets of Chennai, or create a poster on Child Rights and Protection.
🧱 Social Awareness:
Prepare a short speech or presentation on Child Labour and Education: Our Responsibility.
Questions/Answers/ Assessments
📘 Children at Work – 20 Questions & Answers
🔹 1. Why did Velu run away from home?
Answer: Velu ran away from home because he could no longer bear his father’s physical abuse and the fact that his father took away the money Velu and his sisters earned to spend on alcohol.
🔹 2. How did Velu reach Chennai from his village?
Answer: Velu walked to Kanur and then boarded the Kanyakumari Express to Chennai without a ticket. Luckily, no ticket collector came to the unreserved compartment.
🔹 3. What did Velu carry in his bundle?
Answer: Velu carried a shirt, a towel, and a comb in his bundle.
🔹 4. Who was the first person to speak to Velu in Chennai?
Answer: A girl named Jaya, around Velu's age, was the first person to speak to him at the Chennai Central station.
🔹 5. What kind of work did Jaya do?
Answer: Jaya was a ragpicker. She collected recyclable materials like plastic, bottles, and paper from rubbish bins and sold them to a man named Jam Bazaar Jaggu.
🔹 6. Why did Velu hesitate to follow Jaya?
Answer: Velu was unsure of where she was taking him and was nervous in the new environment, but eventually followed her as he had no other option.
🔹 7. What shocked Velu about the way Jaya got food?
Answer: Velu was shocked to see that Jaya collected food from a garbage bin behind a wedding hall.
🔹 8. How did Velu feel after eating the food from the bin?
Answer: Although Velu found the idea unpleasant, he was very hungry and felt much better after eating the banana and vada.
🔹 9. Describe the place where Jaya lived.
Answer: Jaya lived near Buckingham Canal in Triplicane in a row of huts made from materials like metal sheets, plastic, tyres, bricks, and wood.
🔹 10. What tools did Jaya give Velu for ragpicking?
Answer: Jaya gave Velu an old pair of shoes, a sack, and a stick to help him collect waste.
🔹 11. Who was Jam Bazaar Jaggu?
Answer: Jam Bazaar Jaggu was a man who bought recyclable items like paper and plastic from ragpickers and sold them to a factory.
🔹 12. What was Velu’s reaction to the idea of ragpicking?
Answer: Velu was initially shocked and reluctant, as he had never imagined digging through rubbish bins, but he decided to do it temporarily.
🔹 13. What does Jaya's character tell us about street children?
Answer: Jaya’s character shows that street children are often brave, independent, resourceful, and kind despite living in harsh conditions.
🔹 14. How does the story reflect the theme of child labour?
Answer: The story highlights how children like Velu and Jaya are forced to work in difficult, unsafe environments to survive, revealing the harsh realities of child labour.
🔹 15. What lesson does Velu learn by the end of the story?
Answer: Velu learns that surviving in the city is tough and that he must work hard and adapt to earn his living, even if it means starting with ragpicking.
🔹 16. What does the story teach us about resilience?
Answer: The story shows that children like Velu and Jaya display resilience by coping with difficulties, making decisions under pressure, and finding ways to survive.
🔹 17. What is the significance of the story’s title, “Children at Work”?
Answer: The title highlights the reality of many underprivileged children who are forced to work due to poverty and neglect instead of going to school and enjoying childhood.
🔹 18. What is meant by “You’ll be chutney” as said by Jaya?
Answer: It’s a humorous warning by Jaya, implying that Velu would get crushed by the traffic if he stood in the middle of the road like a grazing cow.
🔹 19. What is the message of the story about waste and recycling?
Answer: The story shows that discarded items like paper, plastic, and food may seem like waste to some but provide livelihood and survival to others, especially ragpickers.
🔹 20. What does Velu finally decide at the end of the story?
Answer: Velu decides to become a ragpicker temporarily, as he has no other means of survival, but hopes to find a better job in the future.
Download this study material by clicking the download arrow.
