India

Although India is one of the world’s fastest growing economies, it is home to the world’s largest population of street children, estimated at 18 million. Thousands of children, often from poor rural communities, who migrate to towns and cities in search of work, end up living on the streets in extreme poverty.

Adhar
Adhar is a local grassroots organisation based in Bolangir, a district situated in the western Orissa region of India. It was set up in 1992 to empower the most marginalised sectors of society, particularly street children, migrant children and child labourers. In May 2011, ICT established a partnership with Adhar, to support its work providing basic care and protection to these children and advocating for their rights to government entitlements.

Arunodhaya Centre for Street and Working Children
Arunodhaya Centre for Street and Working Children is a local NGO, based in Tamil Nadu, which was established in 1992 with the aim of preventing the exploitation of children and protecting their basic rights. ICT has been working in partnership with Arunodhaya since February 2009, supporting its work in Dindigul District in the south of Tamil Nadu. This important work aims to prevent children leaving home prematurely, as well supporting those children already living and working on the streets. This includes childcare support and maternal healthcare for women in remote rural areas, rehabilitation and reintegration of street and working children, and a number of awareness raising and advocacy initiatives. Arunodhaya is also carrying out vital work with girls working in Dindigul's textile/spinning mills, providing healthcare, legal advice and training in alternative livelihoods, as well as raising awareness about the reality of the work.

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Kalki Welfare Society
Kalki is a local grassroots NGO based in Pondicherry, South India. It was founded in 2008 by members of the local civil society, business community and academic sector in response to rising numbers of street children in the city. Having established a drop-in centre for street children, Kalki is now developing its outreach programme, focusing on reintegration of street and working children into society. Kalki works in partnership with other local organisations (government, business and civil society) in order to provide the best possible quality of services to the most vulnerable children. Rather than duplicating existing work. Kalki’s aim is to fill any gaps in existing services provided by the government and civil society to ensure that every child at risk is protected and offered a chance of a better future.

Click here to read Saraniya's story.

Interested in visiting India and also seeing the work that we support?
We are currently organising Trek Kerala in 2012. If you are interested please call us on +44 (0)20 7065 0970 or email us here for more information.

Partner Contacts:

Umashankar Sahu	Henry Sahayaraj	John Peter
Director	Programme Director	Programme Coordinator
Adhar	Arunodhaya Centre	Kalki Welfare Society
AT/PO Loisingha	98A, Kotturavunagar	No 13 Petit Canal Street
Bolangir - 767 020	Dindigul - 624 005	Pondicherry - 605 001
Orissa	Tamil Nadu	India
India	India	Tel: (+91) 965 5964035
Tel: (+91) 665 3274525	Tel: (+91) 451 6531723	Email: johnpeterhr@gmail.com
Email: adharbolangir@gmail.com	Email: arunodhayadindigul@yahoo.in	Web: www.kalkiwelfaresociety.org