India - homeless children

India has a large population of homeless children who lack a sufficient support system to enable them to get off the streets. These children are displaced from their homes due to various reasons. Many run away from their homes due to broken families, fear of failing in their exams, negative peer influence, lack of adequate parental care or much more trivial reasons. Many children are also abandoned and orphaned. These children end up in the cities in search of alternate life and are forced to live on the streets for their survival.

After spending a few days on the streets, they become insular, begin to avoid adults and forget that there is life beyond the streets. These children mostly occupy railway stations, easily accessible shelter where they form groups in order to safeguard themselves from danger. These groups of homeless children beg, polish boots, sweep train compartments, pickpocket, recycle rubbish and do all kinds of things to survive.

In the course of their time on the street these children are vulnerable to physical and mental abuse. Young adults that originated from the same background and sex workers tend to prey on homeless children for financial gain. So to seek refuge from this mental strain, street children develop habits such as smoking, sniffing chemical substances and drinking cough syrups, and alcohol, leading to negative health and psychological problems.

Every child has a right to basic human needs such as good nutrition, shelter, education and healthcare. Indian NGOs such as Aashray (our partner organisation in Hyderabad) maintain an outreach presence on the railway platforms and streets to identify and counsel unaccompanied children.

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.