| If you have seen the film Slum Dog Millionaire, you will | | | | sitting alone and looked extremely tired. When the |
| be aware of the terrible poverty on the streets of | | | | worker initiated a conversation with him, he realized |
| Mumbai. Read on to discover the work that a UK | | | | that he could not speak or hear. Through sign |
| charity is doing to help street children in India. | | | | language, he made it clear that he was hungry and |
| India is the seventh largest and second most | | | | wanted sleep. The worker immediately gave him |
| populated country in the world with an estimated 1.1 | | | | food and asked him whether he wanted to go home. |
| billion people. According to the 2001 census, 78 million | | | | Mohan agreed and started walking with him. The |
| people are homeless in India and the country has the | | | | worker decided to take him directly to the shelter |
| largest number of street children in the world. | | | | where he was fed and slept throughout the next |
| UNICEF's estimate of 11 million street children in India | | | | day. |
| is considered to be a conservative figure. The Indian | | | | The following day, when the counselor started to |
| Embassy has estimated that there are 314,700 | | | | talk to him through sign language, Mohan showed a |
| street children in metros such as Bombay, Calcutta, | | | | place called Nadiad on the map of India. He showed |
| Madras, Kanpur, Bangalore and Hyderabad and around | | | | through actions that his father had beaten him, |
| 100,000 in Delhi alone. | | | | however, he wanted to go back to his family. He |
| India has the second largest rail network in the world. | | | | wrote his parents name on a sheet of paper but the |
| Children who run away from their homes both | | | | police and the Gujarat Childline were unable to trace |
| willingly and unwillingly use the railways to travel to | | | | his family. |
| other destinations. The train therefore becomes the | | | | Every time Mohan expressed his desperation go |
| primary mode of transportation and the railway | | | | home, his eyes welled up with tears. A decision was |
| junctions become home. | | | | taken to escort him to Nadiad city in an attempt to |
| Street children move between cities in trains | | | | find his family. They went to the nearby local train |
| frequently landing at major junctions. Their high | | | | station where Mohan exchanged glances with a |
| mobility makes it essential to work with a multitude | | | | hawker. Sachin spotted this and approached the |
| of voluntary organisations across states in order to | | | | hawker. He mentioned that he had seen him in his |
| have continued contact with the children and provide | | | | village and was able to give directions. The moment |
| support. | | | | they started heading towards that village, Mohan |
| It is for these very reasons that Railway Children set | | | | looked relaxed and began to smile. At the village, he |
| up its first project in India in 1996. Railway Children in | | | | guided Sachin to his house. |
| India addresses the complexity of these problems by | | | | His parents were overwhelmed with joy to see |
| primarily collaborating with local voluntary | | | | Mohan. Sachin assisted his parents to admit Mohan to |
| organisations. | | | | a special school. |
| MOHANS STORY | | | | Sachin was tired; however, when he saw the |
| 15 year old Mohan, was spotted at the Mumbai | | | | expression of Mohan's parents seeing their son after |
| Central Terminus by an outreach worker. He was | | | | a long time, his tiredness disappeared. |