 |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
 |
| USAID Information:
External Links:
|
|
|
|
|
New Delhi’s Children Find Shelter from the Street
FrontLines - June 2009
By Meeta Parti and Kathryn Viguerie
NEW DELHI—Growing up
desperately poor in West Bengal,
India, Vicky Roy felt sure that few
opportunities would come his
way. Hoping for a better life, he
ran away from home at the age of
11 and, like many homeless children
in India, he made his way to
the crowded New Delhi railway
station, where he spent six months
living on the train tracks.
Eking out a meager existence
collecting and selling plastic
bottles with other street children,
Roy found life on the railway
tracks dangerous and bleak.
Roy’s life, however, began to
change when he was referred to
the Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT),
a USAID-supported NGO that
helps street children.
Encouraged by another boy,
Roy entered SBT’s residential
program, which operates four
full-service shelters for children
in New Delhi and nearby
Haryana. In addition to shelter,
USAID assistance enables SBT
to provide food, medical care,
and the opportunity to attend
school. Even more important, the
shelters provide the children with
security, a sense of home, and a
chance to be children again.
Close to half a million street
children live in New Delhi.
Helpless and exploited, they suffer
from chronic malnutrition
and illness. Many become victims
of drug peddlers and child
traffickers or worse. |
Vicky Roy came to the
Salaam Balak Trust
residential program as
a homeless 11-year-old.
Now he is an accomplished
photographer.
|
Noting Roy’s interest in photography,
SBT arranged for him
to take a year-long course in photography
and further hone his
skills with a professional photographer
who volunteered at SBT.
With the consistent encouragement
and support of SBT,
today, at the age of 20, Roy is an
accomplished and internationally
recognized photographer who has
exhibited his photos in India,
England, and other countries.
Last year, Roy won a prestigious
scholarship from the U.S.-
based Wilhelm and Karl
Maybach Foundation, which
provides exceptionally talented
young adults from adverse circumstances
the opportunity to
connect and mentor with distinguished
global leaders.
SBT operates seven outreach
contact points near the Delhi railway
station and a 24-hour tollfree
helpline service for children
in distress. Social workers from
SBT visit the station platforms of
Delhi’s main railway station daily
and look for newly arrived runaways—
rescuing almost 30 girls
and 100 boys each month.
SBT also provides services—
including medical checkups, treatment,
health education, and referrals
to government hospitals—to
children who choose to remain on
the street or live in nearby slums,
but still need and want to access
services. Most of the children
supported by SBT receive formal
schooling, which includes lunch
each day.
In addition to their schooling,
children are encouraged to pursue
vocational training, open
bank accounts, and save money.
SBT runs a computer training
course and links with other institutes
for training on tailoring,
fashion design, automobile
repair, photography, and dance,
among others. In many cases,
the training is followed up by
industry placements.
To see examples of
Roy’s photos, go to
www.vickyroyphotography.com.
★
FrontLines is published
by the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs
U.S. Agency for International Development
To have FrontLines delivered
to you via postal mail, please subscribe.
Material should be submitted
by mail to Editor, FrontLines, USAID,
RRB, Suite 6.10, Washington, DC 20523-6100;
by FAX to 202-216-3035; or by e-mail to frontlines@usaid.gov
To view PDF files, download
the Adobe
Acrobat Reader.
Back to Top ^
|
