One of the first impressions we get of our National Capital is the number of families, particularly women and children, living under flyovers or around traffic signals. It is a sad fact that nearly 70,000 children live on the streets of Delhi. Of these, more than 40,000 children are engaged in begging, rag picking, and selling items on the streets. These children need our support, not our pity, so that they can get the rights envisaged in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which India is a signatory.

Keeping in mind our vision of looking after the critical needs of disadvantaged children, Youthreach has partnered with The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) with the objective of rehabilitating 10,000 child beggars on the streets of Delhi over the coming year.

The project aims to elevate the lives of street children by identifying and providing educational, financial, and guardianship support to street children. The setting of residential schools by the Delhi government will further strengthen this project’s efforts.

We have divided Delhi into 10 districts and have been able to raise funds for 2 districts in Delhi. To implement the project in the West, South and Southeast Districts of Delhi, we have collaborated with Salaam Baalak Trust. Subsequently, the remaining 7 districts will also be covered. As of May 2023,

• 2245 children have been identified, for whom the process of rehabilitation has been initiated.
• 1130 school enrolments have been completed
• 623 Anganwadi enrolments have been completed
• 1391 Aadhar Cards creation process has been initiated
• 785 Bank accounts have been opened

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Leena Labroo for her support towards this project. Grateful thanks to AIS Glass Ltd., AVL India Pvt. Ltd., Krishna Group, Jai Springs, Kema Foundation, Sir Sobha Singh Trust, Avitech Nutrition Pvt. Ltd., and Ramni Nirula for their donations towards this project.

We request you to please join us in our effort towards bringing a change in the lives of these children, taking them back to school, and helping them exercise their basic right to education, health, and other amenities. Let us come together and make Delhi, the city we all love dearly, free of children begging on the streets.

For more information, Email to: ritika@youthreachindia.org

To donate please log onto https://www.youthreachindia.org/Donation/