Each time we provide 50 children, youth and adults with nutritious food, clean water, make cloth banks available and encourage people to wash their existing clothes. A barber provides haircutting services and medical checkups are given. Volunteers provide engagements such as freestyle art activities, games and dance workshops for their entertainment and participation.
We also provide counselling and referral services. During the day, representatives from various organisations interact with the participants and encourage children, persons with disabilities and the elderly to join into caretaking organisations such as hostels.
The campaign was held in the ITI Centre close to RTC X Roads. The ITI Centre, sponsored by SATYAM Foundation, provides free vocational courses to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Volunteer participation is crucial in making Basic Needs Campaigns a success. Volunteers from Down2Earth, SATYAM Computers and ITI students made information posters, registered 41 personal details, manned the cloth bank, rushed out to buy soap, engaged children in a game of 'Coco', served food and even brought in a lady claiming to be 104 years from the streets.
Volunteers also help with follow up. Six children came directly back from the BNC to Aashray- Home Away from Home drop in shelter, and one beggar woman consented to join her son into a Residential Bridge Centre. To help these children get settled, it is important to spend time with them in the following days by providing child-centric engagements.
BACKGROUND
Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh is the fifth largest city in India with a rich heritage of 400 years and known world over for its Tahzeeb (culture). Its history, social and cultural traditions are full of interest. It is one of the few cities where the ebb and flow of life co-exists with a colorful variety of floating crowd and historic localities. Hyderabad is also known for its cosmopolitan nature where different cultures and communities co-existed and flourished together.
Hyderabad is among the few Indian cities that has a well-preserved cultural heritage. Hyderabad invokes nostalgia among old residents for its culture and fine arts. Much more than anything, Hyderabad presents a true picture of secularism. Hyderabad is unique in being one of the few cities where tradition and technology co-exist. Hyderabad is steering the nation to new dimensions in the field of Information Technology, Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals and Business Management to emerge as a city of immense business opportunities.
However, the city has been witnessing rapid growth in urban population between 1981 and 1999. The mushroom growth of population and influx of people of different strata from adjoining districts and states has in fact affected the overall scenario of Hyderabad. As a result, we see today people living in small huts or temporary structures in over crowded and illegally occupied localities called slums. It is further more surprising to see people living without any structure, on the roadside, pavements, footpaths etc. and thus starts the count for the homeless population in Hyderabad.
According to an estimate made by Action Aid – India (an INGO) there is a population of around 50,000 homeless in Hyderabad. In another study conducted by HCHW (an NGO), 10,466 beggars were found in Hyderabad, out of which 60% have been reported homeless. It is interesting to note that the homeless population lives mostly in the northern part including Secunderabad, and only 24.5% homeless live in the southern part (old city) of the city. District Administration of Hyderabad identified 10,466 beggars while conducting the full-fledged study on beggars in Hyderabad in 2005. More than 12% of beggars (approximately 1,300) were found to be children.The study identified another group of 7,608 children who have been defined as Children at Risk. These are the children of the beggars who have not yet entered into begging and if they will not get care today, then the possibilities of their entering into begging are very high.
