India - Aashray

Aashray is a local organisation in the city of Hyderabad, South India, and is affiliated with Down2Earth, Gesture International and Action Aid, India. Since 2003, Aashray has interacted with over 700 children on the streets and rehabilitated over 400 children. Aashray has rescued over 30 children from various forms of exploitation, and given medical support to more than 100 children. Aashray’s No.1 priority is home repatriation, based on the belief that where possible, the best place for a child to grow up is with the love and affection of their own family. Most of the incidents that cause a child to run away are temporary in nature, but once they realize this they are too afraid or lack funds to return home. So Aashray will counsel a child to identify their reasons for running away, and search for their parents with the support of the police, local councils and post offices.

Home Placement

Once they make contact with the child's parents, Aashray travels to a street child's home to speak to the parents, counsel them and make arrangements to reunite the child back into the family. In 80% of cases, families can be successfully reunited. Aashray has reunited 250 children with their parents and provided further counselling support to the families to prevent further displacements.