Provide Essential Life-Skills to Street Children

The program

Sadly, there are an estimated 100 million or more homeless children in India who do not have access to even the most basic of education and spend most of their time roaming the streets in search for food or anything valuable to sell. In the city of Delhi alone, India’s sprawling and crowded capital, it is estimated that there are close to 175,000 street children, of which 7-10 % are runaways who have fled their poverty-stricken families, many of whom simply could not afford to feed them. Forced to fend for themselves, these children are the worst affected by the cycle of poverty that has gripped this great nation. For this reason the help and assistance received from international volunteers is invaluable, not only in the provision of basic education, guidance and support, but in the simple act of giving love and attention – something that every child desires and deserves. Through this wonderful program volunteers can help to bring smile to the faces of these severely disadvantaged children by helping to create an environment conducive to their holistic development, which in turn enables them become a part of mainstream society and onward toward living a long and happy life.

Goals of this Project:

• Provide a safe place for street children and youth to come to for support
• Educate and empower vulnerable children and youth through various programs and initiatives  
• Improve the health and long term wellbeing of the street children of Delhi
• Provide an opportunity for cross cultural exchange between volunteers and locals

How you can help

Volunteers who choose to join this amazing project will work hands on, usually in small groups, at various shelter homes for street children in and around New Delhi. They can assist in providing essential life-skills including basic literacy, teaching general knowledge, etiquette/norms and manners while talking, sitting, moving, eating, reading, speaking etc. Sports, games and other recreational activities are conducted to develop their motor skills and physical stamina, and also helps them to feel part of a team. Volunteers also raise awareness of the importance of health, hygiene and nutrition, which is helpful in working towards a better living standard for the children. On this project the need for improvisation and creativity in teaching methods is paramount and can challenge even the most experienced volunteer, but the rewards are amazing and in many cases, instantly life-changing! Volunteers on this project will work 5-6 hours per day, 5 days a week, and are welcome to bring along pens, pencils, books and other teaching material which will help them with teaching their subject/topic of choice.

A volunteer’s work day on this project will generally last between 5 and 6 hours and while we ask all volunteers to be flexible in this regard, a typical daily schedule is likely to go something like this:

8:30am Breakfast at the volunteer house

9:30am Travel to the project site

Placements are located within a 20 - 40 minute commute from the volunteer house using local transport. Volunteers will be shown the transport options during their orientation and can choose the one that suits them best (bus, metro or rickshaw).

9:50am Pre-start meeting with the project supervisor

10:00am VOLUNTEERING DUTIES START

Lunch can be taken at nearby cafes and restaurants which the local team will point out during the orientation session.

4:00pm VOLUNTEERING DUTIES END

4:10pm Free time before dinner to spend either in the volunteer house or out in the city

6:00pm Dinner at the volunteer house

Evening Free time to spend exploring the city or relaxing in the comfort of the volunteer house.