What is a street child?
And are we helping them in LittleBigHelp?
There are several different elements and definitions to consider when assessing whether a child is a "street child."
There are several different elements and definitions to consider when assessing whether a child is a “street child.” One of them is that “the child depends on the streets to live and/or work, either alone or with other children or family members.” Another is “that children have a strong attachment to public places (streets, markets, train stations).”
At LittleBigHelp, we often see families living in small shacks in the slums, but we also meet some who live under a tarpaulin. For example, many survive by begging, and we see a lot of children at train stations. Many children fend for themselves in the slums until we start our school preparation program, where children can attend daily
But if we are completely honest, the most important thing for us is actually not whether a child can be recognized as a street child or not. LittleBigHelp’s purpose is to help and empower all vulnerable children in the slums of Kolkata to have a better life.
In many cases, we can do this through our Community Centers, where we offer an alternative to the streets and child labor. This often requires convincing the children’s families and building a trusting relationship with the children. Many children come to our Centers, and then we enroll them in the local school, where we help them complete their basic education.
Then there are cases where the family is struggling so much that our hostels are the best solution. It could be that the family or the child has been living on the streets, but it could also be a family in the slum that cannot afford to provide the child’s basic needs such as food and child protection. We believe that children are best off with their families, so children only come to our hostels when we see that the family’s situation cannot be improved within a short period.
Whether we answered our own questions, you can help assess, but an even more important way to help could be by supporting our work. You can do this by, for example, making a donation via MobilePay 56499 or by becoming a sponsor of our hostels. Read more below and sign up as a sponsor.
