Kuncai Technology has joined forces with Terre des Hommes to jointly combat the use of child labor in the mica supply chain.
Release Date:
2020-11-05
Kuncai has consistently prioritized supply-chain management for mica, adopting a zero-tolerance policy toward child labor and treating its use as a serious criminal offense. The company firmly prohibits the employment of child labor at every stage of its production process. However, as a responsible global corporate citizen, Kuncai’s ambitions extend beyond this commitment. In January 2016, Kuncai reached out to Terre des Hommes, an international organization dedicated to protecting children’s rights headquartered in the Netherlands, seeking collaboration to eradicate child labor from the mica supply chain. Kuncai’s proposal was swiftly endorsed by Terre des Hommes, and the two parties promptly initiated discussions on the design of a concrete joint project. Throughout the project‑design phase, Kuncai devoted significant time and effort to refining supply-chain governance, strengthening supply-chain oversight, and developing robust auditing mechanisms.
In March 2016, Terre des Hommes and Kuncai Company joined forces to launch the “Beauty and the Price” project, a three-year initiative (2016–2019) aimed at eradicating child labor in the mica supply chain, promoting the healthy development of minors, and providing better educational opportunities for school-age children. The project’s phased objectives include gradually eliminating child labor in the mica‑rich regions of Jharkhand, India, with the ultimate goal of freeing 100,000 children in the Kodarma and Khiridi districts of Jharkhand from child labor. To contribute its modest share, Kuncai Company and QolorTech, a partner of European Kuncai, will each donate €500,000 and €100,000, respectively—funds that account for approximately 10% of the project’s total budget. These contributions will support the construction of child‑care villages, provide assistance to economically disadvantaged families, help maintain their living standards and incomes, enable children to access education, and enhance the employability of impoverished households through vocational training, thereby creating employment opportunities. At the same time, Kuncai Company will serve as an ambassador for the “Beauty and the Price” project, working hand in hand with Terre des Hommes to ensure the project’s success.
In September 2016, Kuncai India was established. The company will procure mica directly from mining sites through Kuncai India and process it into mica flakes at its own processing facilities. The establishment of Kuncai India will strengthen the management and oversight of the Indian mica supply chain. Additionally, the company has engaged Bureau Veritas, a globally recognized independent third-party verification body, as its long-term auditor, and has joined non-governmental organizations such as Terre des Hommes and India’s BBA to participate in annual routine audits of the mica supply chain, thereby enhancing the quality of these audit processes.
The promotion of children’s rights to physical development, adequate nutrition, and education is a responsibility that rests with society as a whole. Eradicating child labor in the mica supply chain requires not only a structural and holistic analysis of the entire mica supply chain but also the concerted attention and active participation of all members of society—ranging from organizations dedicated to protecting at-risk children and local communities to governments, civil society groups, legal institutions, and private enterprises. As a partner in the “Beauty and the Cost” project, Kuncai Company calls on more individuals and stakeholders to join us in our collective efforts to address the issue of child labor. Though a single grain of rice may not rival the brilliance of the full moon, it nonetheless radiates its own light, illuminating a small corner of the world; and though a tender sprout may be too small to draw notice, it heralds the arrival of spring after winter. While individual efforts are limited, we aspire to make a difference in our own way. We firmly believe that together, we can achieve our shared goal: the elimination of child labor in the mica supply chain.
Previous item
Next item