As life in India gets back to normal, and train services increase again, our teams are still providing vital outreach at the stations thanks to you, and we’re keeping children safe at our shelters where they can stay.
13-year-old Ansh is one of the children currently at the Ghaziabad shelter and he told us about what it’s like to be staying there.
“The shelter is just off the side street, a few hundred yards from the main station in Ghaziabad. This is where most of the children staying here are found by the outreach team. When they first arrive here they are often scared, cold and hungry so they get some food and medical care if they need it and then get given a bed in the dormitory.
It is quite simple and just has basic necessities but it is still a lot nicer and safer than sleeping on the streets outside. The team here makes sure everyone has clean clothes to wear and knows that they are safe.
While children like me are staying here we have access to lessons every day in the school room. We are taught maths and literacy and there are always books to read but we also get the chance to do some art too. That’s my favourite subject and I would like to make it my job – I love drawing and painting. There are special sessions on every week too – at the moment I am doing a karate class every week which is great as well as dance lessons.
When it is time to eat we all come together and for a lot of children they haven’t had three hot meals a day for a while so meal times are generally loud and busy. The Railway Children team is trying to trace my family.
It’s not easy as I can’t remember the address and I wandered a long way from home before they found me at the station. But while they look for them I know I am safe here and can eat and sleep without fear. Without Railway Children I would still be alone, or even with a gang or in trouble. I’m so lucky that they found me and that I have somewhere to stay.”
Thanks to your support we’ve been able to give safety and protection to hundreds of children like Ansh and our projects will continue to do so as India recovers from the pandemic with your help, thank you.
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