Salaam Baalak Trust - working for street children

Introduction

Aasra is the first shelter home started by SBT in 2004. With a capacity of 50 children, it caters to
boys aged between 5 to 18 years. It is located in Najafgarh, New Delhi. Aasra home is a
recognized institution for vulnerable children in Delhi, registered as a child care institution
under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015.

Number of children 
there were 52 boys that availed the Aasra facility.

Education

Education is an integral component of SBT programme and very important for children living or
coming to shelters from difficult circumstances.
Non-Formal Education: All 52 children who availed this shelter facility were involved in non-
formal education classes. Dedicated teachers and volunteers conducted the NFE classes.
School: 41 children were admitted to regular schools and they are attending the classes regularly. All children were promoted to the next class after yearly examinations. 1 child passed the 10 th level (CBSE). National Institute of Open Schooling: 1 child was enrolled in the NIOS, which is a formal education.

Vocational Training: 2 children are in vocational training and the process of rehabilitation upon attaining adulthood is on. 1 boy is going for vocational training at Tech Mahindra Institute.

Children with special needs
2 children with special needs were placed with Muskaan in a vocational education programme.
SBT staff availed government ‘disability certificate’ for 1 child with special needs and 2 more are
in process.
2 children with special needs participated in the Delhi Special Olympic Games in Delhi.

Health Care

SBT medical team, including doctors, visited the shelter home regularly, checked children and
prescribed medical treatments for children with health issues. A dental clinic and health camp
was also organised in the home in this period.

Mental health programme is important component of SBT health care and dedicated mental
health professionals conduct group and individual sessions with the children. In this period, IQ
tests were done for 10 children in RML Hospital and Amar Jyoti Foundation.
COVID-19 Crisis Relief

Aadhaar Card provision
SBT organised a camp at Aasra home to facilitate the provision of Aadhaar Card (unique
identity) to children living in the home. This will not only provide a legitimate identity to these
children but also help in availing various government schemes and facilities of the government.

Restoration to families
In this period 4 children were restored to their families from this shelter home.
Celebration
Important events like festivals are celebrated in all children’s homes run by SBT.

Story of Change
A child D had left his home and family for some work in 2019. During that time a rally was
taking place and the boy joined the participants but soon he forgot the way home and could
not return home. D reached near Dwarka Sector 12 metro station while walking. And he was
found by Delhi Police personnel. When D was asked about his home and family, he could not
give any relevant information because he had an intellectual disability with speech delay. After
presenting the child before the district Child Welfare Committee, D was sent to the NGO Asha
Mission for Care and Protection. After sometime, the child was transferred to SBT Aasra
children’s home of SBT at Najafgarh because that shelter/ NGO was closed.
After D arrived at Aasra home, a number of counselling sessions were organised for him. Also, a
lot of effort was made to know the whereabouts of the child’s family, especially through the
Track the Missing Child but no information was found about the child. During the process of
making Aadhar Cards for the children at Aasra home, one of the Aadhar officials provided a lead
to D’s family. Soon SBT came to know D’s family is located at Patel Nagar, Delhi. When D’s
family was contacted, the family members informed that the child was missing for almost 3
years and they lodged a missing person report in the police station. Soon D was handed over to
the family as per the orders of the Child Welfare Committee. The child is very happy to be back
in the family.

Challenges

1. Challenge of dealing with children with special needs in the home, which
includes hearing and speech impairment children and also children with
physical impairment. These children need special attention and therapies.
SBT has limited resources and expertise for such children.
2. There are less number of government hospitals near to Aasra children’s
home.
3. Difficulties in rehabilitation of 17+ year old children with special needs, as
there are very few facilities for such young people.

Childline services run by SBT

Childline (1098) is a 24 hours helpline for children in distress, supported
by the Ministry of Women & Child Development. Salaam Baalak Trust
(SBT) runs Childline services for 3 zones, i.e. New Delhi district, Central
district and Old Delhi Railway Station (Railway Childline).
Childline - SBT works round the clock arranging for the affected child's
immediate needs, ranging from emotional support to medical care, shelter and protection,
before presenting a child before the Child Welfare Committee. Once the child is presented
before the Child Welfare Committee and assigned to a short stay home, Childline takes on the
task of tracing the child's family. Childline - Salaam Baalak Trust creates awareness about child
rights and its helpline service through open house discussions and awareness programmes
conducted at various public spots in the city. Childline - Salaam Baalak Trust synchronises its
work with District Labour Department, Indian Railways, Child Welfare Committee, National
Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Police, local Non-Governmental Organisations
(NGOs) working on children's issues, and other programs of Salaam Baalak Trust.

Break-up of Childline calls/ cases handled by SBT in this period - Jan to June 2022

Zone                                 Girls                 Boys                                                  Total
New Delhi district               172               236                                                      408
Central district                    297              152                                                       449

Old Delhi Railway Station   543              108                                                         651

Total                                 1012              496                                                       1508

Other Activities of Childline- SBT

a. SBT- Childline (3 zones) conducted 15 Police Sensitization Trainings on child rights,
protection and Childline (1098) at different police stations that comes under its
jurisdiction

b. SBT- Childline teams conducted 80 Outreach programmes such as Day Awareness, Open
House with children, families and stakeholders and reached out to over 700 people.
Night Outreach was conducted and the participating members held awareness
discussions at dhabas, petroleum pumps, hospitals, bus stands, parks and communities.

c. 21 children were set free from Child Labour at Naraina area on 24th May 2022. SBT van
was broken by the crowed though stone pelting at night but the children rescued were
brought to a shelter home safely.

d. In all 31 children were rescued & freed from child labor and begging from different
locations (Childline zones under SBT).

e. The World Day against Child Labour was observed at Sapera Basti on 12 th June 2022. 80
community people along with children participated in the rally.

f. International Women’s Day was celebrated with an NGO- Plan India on 8 th March 2022
at Mahipalpur. SBT team sensitized people there about child marriage, sharing that it is
prohibited and a violation of laws and child rights.

g. The National Girl Child Day (24 th January) was celebrated with the communities in
Baljeet Nagar, Lal Mandir. People were aware about sex selective abortion and child
marriage.
h. A workshop on Social Investigation Report (SIR) was facilitated by SBT- Childline
members at Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) on 27 th May 2022.

i. Childline- SBT organized 2 sensitization programmes with Anganwadi workers at Karol
bagh, Anand Parvat and Hardyan Singh Road. Participants were made aware about 1098
and open discussions were held on children’s issues and services for them.

j. International Yoga Day was celebrated with children at Naraina Cantonment Playground
on 20 th June 2022.

k. Three Child Help Group meetings were conducted in which primary railway officials met
and discussed the issues regarding Child Help Desk (CHD) running and children helped.
The Station Manager has a very positive approach towards Childline- SBT.

l. SBT- Childline conducted 617 children rescues at different areas of its jurisdiction due to
which the children were freed from child labour, bonded child labour, begging and
substance abuse.

m. SBT-Childline teams assisted in the process of providing Aadhaar card to 14 children so
as to connect them with government schemes.

n. Ration was distributed to 41 children (families in distress) based on emergency calls
received.

Food and Nutrition at Salaam Baalak Trust

SBT recognises that nutritious food is vital for children’s growth and development, and very
significant for children coming from vulnerable backgrounds. To meet the nutritional needs of
children, nutritionally-balanced and hot-cooked meals are served at 7 residential centres and
10 contact points (street corners, markets, parks, etc.) The meals are prepared in the kitchen
space provided at the residential centres under the supervision of staff members to ensure safe
and hygienic practices. In some cases, children have special nutritional requirements due to
illness such as tuberculosis and malnutrition. Such children are provided with special nutrition
including protein supplements, additional servings of fruits and milk as prescribed by the
doctor.

Numbers of children catered to

Through the 7 shelters SBT provides food to nearly 1000 children on a daily basis. The number
of children at the contact points varies from 20 to 100 children. Last year (April 2021 to March
2022), SBT reached out to 4704 children (1871 girls and 2833 boys) in need of care and
protection.

Food Provision and Menu
At each shelter, SBT provides meals 4 times i.e. breakfast, lunch, evening snacks and dinner. We
provide special meal like non veg, 1 once in a month, egg 3 times a week ,special feast like
matter paneer, puri, raita and sweets during special occasions like Holi, Republic Day, etc.
At each shelter, while preparing the menu, children’s views are taken by having meeting with
the children.

Quality Control
In order to ensure quality and tasty food provision to children stringent quality checks are made
by the coordinator and staff at the home at different stages from buying the raw materials to
preparing the actual food. Staff members make regular checks in a day in the kitchen while
meals are being prepared so that the cooks observe cleanliness and hygiene. In addition, before
the meals are served to the children, the coordinator or a staff member tastes all the dishes to
ensure food is palatable and safe. To further improve the quality of meals the budget for
breakfast, lunch and dinner has been increased.

Special Nutrition
Apart from the regular meals, special nutrition is provided to weak or ill children on doctor’s
advice. Special nutrition comprises milk, eggs, paneer, curd, juice, etc.
Special Meals
Sometimes special meals are provided to children as people donate on special occasions. So
children get to enjoy puri sabji, daal makhani, pulao, sweets, ice cream, etc.

Impacts of Nutritious Food on Children
SBT staff including the medical team members have observed the following changes in children
due to the adequate and proper food provision to children under SBT care:
Medical check-ups show that most of the children are growing according to their age
with ideal body weight and height.
There are less cases of illness or sickness in the children’s home.
Children are enjoying the meals, eating together (regular feedback taken)
Children are learning to eat together, share and serve others

Children have developed the habit of praying before the meals (being grateful, thankful)
Since meals are served at a particular time, children are acquiring a sense of having
meals on time (punctuality)

Testimonies of a children
Mohan (name changed), a child suffering from tuberculosis said “ jab se mai bimar hua
sirji ne mujhe 6 mahine tak daba diya es ke sath hame egg, milk, fruits, paneer,
bournvita, daily milta gaya es se mai thik ho gay ab mai school jar aha hu sir ji ka
dhanybad” (I have been down with illness for 6 months but with the provision of eggs,
milk, fruits, paneer, bournvita daily I have recovered, going to school now. Thanks to
sirji)
A child, Shobha said “My sudden weight loss and weakness led to a routine medical
check–up wherein I was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. Apart from medication, I was
advised to take milk daily along with fruits. This special diet has helped me, as now my
weight has improved.”
Testimonies of staff members
Neelam (food incharge, Udaan Home) says “Morning breakfast is provided to all children
before 7:00 AM on school days and before 8:00 AM on holidays. The menu is fixed, but
at times we make changes depending on the weather and availability of ingredients.”
Sarita (medical social worker) expresses “special diet includes seasonal fruits, eggs and
milk, given as advised by the doctor. It is given on regular basis. Considerable
improvement in the health status of many girls is visible and recorded.”

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Annual Report of Salaam Baalak Trust (April 2021 to March 2022)

Vulnerable Children Reached and Supported

SBT provided various facilities and services to children in need of care and protection through its long-term and short-term residential centres described below

Name of Centre    - Catering to Boys or Girls

Aasra  Boys

Aasra was the first shelter home started by SBT. With a capacity of 50 it caters to boys between 5 to 18 years. It is located in Najafgarh, New Delhi.

 ApnaGhar  Boys

It is a short stay centre, where 30 children come stay short duration and then they are either restored or placed in a long stay home. The centre is located in Multani Dhanda Paharganj, Delhi

DMRC  Boys

DMRC Children’s Home was established as part of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s corporate social responsibility. The home houses 125 boys from the age of five to below 18 years. It is located near Tis Hazari Court, Delhi

Old Delhi Railway Station (ODRS) Open Shelter Boys

ODRS is an open centre catering to 30 boys. It is a short stay centre, where children come for a short duration and then they are either restored or placed in a long stay home.

Arushi Girls

Arushi was first girls’ shelter home under SBT. It is an initiative to offer 24 hour shelter to 50 girls between the ages of five years to 18 years living on the streets. The centre is located in Gurgaon.

Udaan-Rose Girls

Udaan-Rose Home was initiated with the support of Give 2 Asia in March 2010. It started with eight girls and currently shelters 60 girls at a time. This home is located in Kamla Nagar, New Delhi

Note: all these residential centres are registered as child care institutions under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

 Girl grows out of extreme family hardships and ready to fly the skies

Komal (name changed) is now a 19 year old girl, intelligent, smart and full of potential!

Five years ago, Komal (a child) was brought to SBT through another NGO. Komal’s father had passed away few years back and her mother had to deal with severe health issues. Komal’s younger sibling too suffered from major health issues. Due to the vulnerable situation, Komal was placed in a long-term care home for girls run by SBT.

 Komal was given a comfortable environment so that she could settle in. Initially, she was enrolled in Non Formal Education and was provided mental health support. After a while she wasenrolled in formal education in Anantam Public School and later she was enrolled in Aarsha Public School.

Recently Komal completed her 12^th standard and in interested to pursue an Air Hostess training at Frankfinn institute. She is an active child and loves to participate in all the activities of the centre.  She has the capability to perform well.

SBT is committed to support Komal in completing her graduation and to undertake the Air Hostess training.

 Boy with special needs learns to cope with the world

Tridev (name changed) is a 6 year old boy with intellectual disability (including problem with speech), living in Aasra home for boys run by SBT.  The boy is living in the centre with the support of caretakers round the clock.

 Tridev was found on the street in Tilak Nagar area of Delhi by the police. Since the boy could not communicate due to his disability, he was produced before the district Child Welfare Committee (CWC). There was no trace of Tridev’s family. Soon the CWC ordered the child to be placed in a children’s home run by SBT.

 After sometime in the children’s home, Tridev fell ill and the medical checks found that he had a stone in his gall bladder. He was admitted to Deen Dayal Upadhay Hospital where he underwent a surgery. Further medical interventions revealed that the boy suffers from mild intellectual disability. He has a poor eye contact and unable to respond to social interactions. His language is not present but he can express need non-verbally (pointing and gesture). Fine motor skills are present but he has poor grip to hold objects.

Despite the challenges, there has been significant change in the overall situation of Tridev due to the efforts of all the staff of SBT. Today Tridev is able to sit in a group and play with others. He also engages in individual activities. Efforts are on to see that he is able to speak few words and communicate better with gestures. Tridev would be involved in speech therapy and special education soon.

Tridev is cognitively very sound. He understands human emotions and feelings. Even though he finds it hard to empathise, he understands the repercussions of his behavior on the outside world. He is a jovial boy and enjoys being around people he is comfortable with. He has a sense of possession as well. He likes to dress up and engages in some age appropriate activities.  Tridev doesn't harm others and has an affinity to animals and is gentle with them. Tridev’s biggest strength is that his weaknesses are due to his past events and a result of his conditioned mind rather than innate, which leaves tremendous room for change and improvement.

• sbt_report__shelter_homes_updates_2.docx (DOCX)
• SBT_annual_report_202021_final.pdf (PDF)
  

Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT) provided various facilities and services to children in need of care and protection through its long-term and short-term residential centres described below:

Name of Centre

Brief Overview

Aasra Children’s home for boys 

Aasra is the first shelter home started by SBT in 2004. With a capacity of 50 children, it caters to boys aged between 5 to 18 years. It is located in Najafgarh, New Delhi.

Apna Ghar open shelter for boys

It is a short stay centre, where 30 children can stay for short duration and then they are either restored back to their families or placed in a long stay home. The centre is located in Multani Dhanda Paharganj, Delhi

DMRC Children’s home for boys 

DMRC Children’s Home was established as part of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s corporate social responsibility. The home houses 125 boys from the age of 6 to 18 years. It is located near the Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi

Old Delhi Railway Station (ODRS) Open Shelter

ODRS is an open centre catering to 30 boys. It is a short stay centre, where children come for a short duration and then they are either restored back to families or placed in a long stay home.

Aarushi Children’s home for girls

Arushi was the first girls’ shelter home under SBT. It offers 24 hour shelter to 50 girls between the ages of five years to 18 years living on the streets. The centre is located in Gurgaon.

Udaan-Rose Children’s home for girls

Udaan-Rose Home was initiated with the support of Give 2 Asia in March 2010. It started with eight girls and currently shelters 60 girls at a time. This home is located in Kamla Nagar, New Delhi

Uday Open Shelter for boys

Uday Open Shelter was set up in January 2018 and operates in an area adjacent to Ghaziabad Railway Station. With child protection services being strengthened at New Delhi and Old Delhi Railway Station, traffickers and runaway children now get off a few stations before. Ghaziabad Railway Station happens to be one of these new hot spots. Thus, Uday OS, with a capacity of 25 children, was initiated to cater to the needs of this vulnerable section of children.

Note: All these residential centres are registered as child care institutions under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

Major Achievements

     In this period, SBT provided residential services to 984 children (234 girls and 750 boys). Out of this, 650 were new children who came into these homes in this period.

     68 children were transferred to other NGOs

     47 children were referred to the mental health programme of SBT (including children with special needs)

     540 children were restored to their families

     1 child was repatriated to the country of origin.

Education

Education is one important component of SBT programme. Details are below:

1. 214 children were enrolled in formal schools. These are mostly government schools located near the children’s centres and few private schools depending on the children’s capabilities/ situation.
2. 684 children were involved in non-formal education (NFE). Through its educators and volunteers SBT conducts NFE classes for children in its centres, with the intention of imparting basic academic knowledge and assist children in their school education.

Play/ Sports

Just as education is important, play is equally important for a child’s physical and mental well-being. Therefore, SBT organises sports and cultural activities for children within the shelter premises like group games, carom, ludo, badminton, kick-boxing, theatre, etc. When the situation is fine and opportunities are available children are also taken outside for activities, e.g. parks, sports facilities, etc.

Health Care

1. 879 children were provided with medical treatment in this period.
2. There were 12 serious cases of health, viz. abdominal tuberculosis, brain T.B, chest T.B, shoulder surgery, eye surgery, kidney stone, neurotic disorder, psychiatric and seizure disorder.

COVID-19 related safety protocols were maintained at all centres/ residential homes run by SBT.

Mental Health Programme

• 2233 individual counseling sessions were conducted.
• 168 group sessions were held.

Skills Development/ Vocational Training

In this period, 118 children/ adolescents were involved in skills development or vocational training which included fine arts, fitness training, computer application, beautician course, food preparation and catering, hospitality industry training, commercial art, photography, pottery and Salaam City Walk (tourist guides).

In this period, 1 young adult was able to find employment after completing a vocational training programme.

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