Children's Protection in Mumbai

The city of Mumbai, India, produces up to 10,000 tons of garbage every day, which is mainly dumped on one of three landfill sites. Govandi is the oldest one in Mumbai and the fifth largest in the world. It attracts thousands of unemployed people, who earn a living by picking through the waste and selling what they find. An estimated 1,300 children live around and work at the site. They work under the toughest conditions, and their lives are characterized by poverty, illness, malnutrition, and a lack of clean water and medical care. The children have no time for school, and the area suffers from many social problems, including violence, drugs, unemployment, sexual abuse, discrimination against women, child marriages, and child trafficking.

Through the project, Kindernothilfe and Karunya Trust provide basic health services and daily meals, improving people’s health and their life chances. Having enough healthy food gives children the energy they need to follow their lessons in school, so they can obtain an education and professional qualifications.

Asmira's Journey

From the beginning of Asmira's schooling, one of the beneficiaries of this program, she used to find it very difficult to read and write in Hindi, the national language in India, even though she had a great desire to learn the language. Her fear of corrections even stopped her from trying.

However, with the support of additional sessions at the project center, Asmira was able to accomplish a relatively good fluency in Hindi. She became more comfortable and gained confidence in class. She is eager to learn more and improve further.