You Can Help Uplift The Plight Of Street Children In India

By Author: Namrata Joshi
Total Articles: 6
Comment this article

India is a country of millions. People are living all over the country – be it the rural areas or the urban cities. Metropolitans, in particular, may appear to be all about the glitter, entertainment, and enjoyment but there is a lot more struggle in the big cities, especially in the underbelly. Street children, in particular, face a lot of struggle due to the deprivation they face due to poverty.

Many underprivileged children in India live on the streets without any access to essential resources or the guidance of responsible mentors. Many utilities are required for a child’s healthy growth, including hot and nutritious meals, regular schooling, medical facilities, personality development sessions etc. - all of this is unavailable to these at-risk children.

Street children often run away from their homes in the villages to escape the trauma of living in acute poverty or to leave behind physical and emotional abuse – not knowing that an even tougher life awaits them in the big city. Many children end up joining gangs or struggle to safely live alone. There are also many cases where children fall prey to harmful ...
... and destructive environments and eventually engage with gang members, peddlers, thieves etc. This is exactly why children, during their impressionable years, need the presence of guardians to help them understand morality, care, and protection.

Media also plays a pivotal role in highlighting, or the lack of it, the issues that street children face daily. The crisis of street children, child abuse, child labour and other such integral causes need a lot more traction and attention than it currently does. Be it movies or news coverage, there is either misrepresentation or extreme appearance of the street life that is shown – neither of which helps the plight of street children.

Salaam Baalak Trust, the well-known non-profit organisation in India, has been of service to the upliftment of street children for more than three decades. The non-profit has been supporting children by offering children’s shelters with full time and short-stay facilities. The NGO also provides varied programs focusing on education, mental health, vocational training etc. You can donate to SBT’s work for street children’s education and help ensure that the rescue of street children can take place at a larger scale. Donate now!