The project offers shelter and the prospect of a new life to some of
Kolkata’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable children..
Facts about Kolkata's street girls –
“Ugly things happen at night”, Ruma aged 11
> Girls as young as four have to resort to begging and collecting
rubbish to support themselves and sometimes their families.
> On the streets they are at risk of regular beatings and very often
sexual abuse.
> Girls as young as eight are forced into prostitution in order to
survive
> Street girls are easy targets because they are young, vulnerable,
desperate, and ignorant of their rights.
> Many are orphans, or have run away from home - from poverty, and often
from physical and sexual abuse.
> On a good day these children earn 150 rupees (£1.50/$3.00).
> For many it is the only life they have known.
We strive to break this cycle by offering a place of safety and refuge
to these girls. As well as tending to their physical needs, we also
offer them the opportunities of learning valuable life skills as well as
obtaining a mainstream education. But most of all we offer them a loving
environment where they feel that they belong and where they can grow
