Education for 600 Vulnerable Children in Kolkata

From the Dumping Ground to the Classroom: Romjan’s Journey Back to Childhood

At just 10 years old, Romjan was already carrying a responsibility no child should have to bear — helping his family survive. A Class IV student, Romjan lives in a highly vulnerable family situation after losing his father and being abandoned by his mother. He lives with his grandmother, siblings, and extended family, where every day is a struggle to arrange food and meet basic needs. His grandmother, Zohra, is the primary caregiver and survives through irregular daily wage work. With so little income coming into the household, Romjan was forced to become an earning member of the family while still a child.

Every morning, instead of beginning his day like other children, Romjan would leave home at around 6:00 a.m. and spend three hours at a nearby dumping ground collecting plastic bottles, scrap and other recyclable materials. After attending to his school responsibilities, he would return to work again from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. His daily earnings of only 80–100 (approximately USD 0.90–1.15) were used mainly to help buy food for himself and his grandmother.

The work exposed Romjan to sharp objects, contaminated waste, infections and other serious health and safety risks. He frequently suffered from cuts, cough, fatigue and other health problems. The long hours of work also affected his education. His school attendance was irregular, and he had little time or support for studying at home. Slowly, the classroom was becoming a place he could no longer attend regularly, while the dumping ground was becoming an increasingly familiar part of his childhood.

Beyond poverty, Romjan was also carrying the emotional weight of losing his father and being separated from his mother. He often felt lonely and insecure. Being teased by other children because of his work further affected his confidence and willingness to participate with his peers.

It was during a community-level survey that Romjan's situation came to the attention of the social work team. Recognising that he needed more than educational support alone, an intervention was planned around his education, protection, emotional well-being and family circumstances.

Through the Education Project of Tiljala SHED (TISHED), Romjan was enrolled in an after-school education programme where he began receiving regular remedial support to help him overcome his learning gaps. He also received nutritional supplementation, giving him additional support to remain engaged in learning. Alongside this, counselling and awareness sessions were held with Romjan and his family on child rights, the dangers of child labour and the importance of keeping him in school.

Support was also explored to reduce the family's dependence on Romjan's earnings. A small but regular income support for his grandmother helped ease some of the immediate financial pressure on him, allowing him to spend more time on his education.

The change became visible within just six months. Romjan's school attendance increased from approximately 40% to 85%. His reading skills improved, he became more engaged in the classroom, and his confidence in learning began to grow. Teachers and peers also noticed a positive change in his interactions. The boy who once spent much of his day searching through waste began to participate more confidently in school and educational activities.

Most importantly, Romjan has started to look beyond survival. He now speaks about his future and dreams of becoming a businessman. This simple aspiration carries enormous meaning for a child whose early years have been shaped by poverty, loss and hazardous work.

Romjan's story demonstrates what timely educational intervention can mean for a child. The support did not simply help him attend school; it helped create the conditions for him to learn, regain confidence, experience childhood and begin dreaming about his future.

For children like Romjan, education is more than books and classrooms. It is a protective space that can help keep children away from hazardous labour and give them the opportunity to build a life beyond poverty. When a child who once had to work for 80–100 a day begins attending school regularly and talking about becoming a businessman, it shows the power of creating the right opportunity at the right time.

The journey is not over. Romjan and his family remain economically vulnerable, and continued educational, nutritional and family support will be important to ensure that he does not return to hazardous work. But the first and most important change has already begun — Romjan is spending more of his childhood in the classroom and less of it at the dumping ground.

Support to the Education Project of TISHED can help more children like Romjan remain in school, overcome learning gaps, receive the care and encouragement they need, and dream beyond the circumstances into which they were born.

For a child who once worked to survive, every day in school is a step towards a different future.