Children welfare programmes in India

‘There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way it treats its children’- - - - - Nelson Mandela

40% of India's population is below 18 years of age, which means that at 400 million our country has the world’s largest child population. However, it is heartbreaking that less than half of India’s children between the ages of 6 to 14 do not go to school especially in rural areas. The concept of organized child welfare in India began after independence itself, as certain formal commitments were made and strategies were legalized to provide children with basic rights. These exist in the form of clauses in the Indian constitution, national policies and legislations. In spite of these constitutional safeguards, children of our society, especially the poor and underprivileged are being denied their basic rights and dignity as human beings.

We all have a duty towards our society and our children. ‘Lakshyam’ an NGO based in Delhi, comes as a ray of hope to these underprivileged children, providing the much-needed healing touch to their often-neglected existence. We at Lakshyam strive to act as a guardian endeavoring to offer them a better life and a brighter future through our various child welfare programmes in India. Lakshyam’s Butterfly Program provides remedial education for street children and dropouts and Toy Library gives toys & books to each child.

Circumstances involving poverty and hunger thrust these children out of their homes and into the cruel world where they are forced into child labor and indignity. They are the ones often encountered selling toys at red lights, searching for scraps in dustbins, ragpickers helping out in garbage dumps, begging and doing various other odd jobs often to be exploited by an external figure. Lakshyam is striving to free them from these shackles by opening the doors of education. Our various workshops and activities aim to provide young children with a holistic education to nurture them for the future.

Often after enrolling due to lack of means or family pressure, children are made to drop out, thus being unable to achieve their goals and break out of the cycle of poverty. Our curriculum inculcates theoretical, practical knowledge and personality development to provide a holistic education. Our remedial and bridge center provides free of cost tutorials with lessons in Hindi, English, Maths being taught. We also show the importance of health, hygiene, and sanitation, which help inculcate good habits and values that play a significant role in their development. In addition, fun social activities and celebration of various festivals like Holi, Children’s Day as well as their birthdays make children feel special and provide them an opportunity to bond with others their age instead of being thrust in hazardous work conditions. Workshops and educational field trips help the children attain knowledge and feed their inquisitive and creative spirit.

 By providing the necessary help, we strive to make sure they can make their dreams reality and not imagine it to be a fantasy out of their reach. All children have the potential to achieve great heights; it is up to us as a community to be able to provide them that push.