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Why we work for children in India

Indian street children are homeless because their families are without shelter due to poverty and migration, because they have been abandoned or have run away from home. Some have a home, but drift into the street during the day. Many children have run away from home because they have been beaten and/or sexually abused. The same fate catches up with them on the streets.

Childhood
Integrity
Equality
Childhood

Poverty hits children particularly hard

  • 2/3

    2/3 of children in India live in poverty

  • 4 Mio.

    4 million children live on the street in India

  • 40 Mio.

    India has 40,000,000 illiterate people under 15 years old and 280,000,000 illiterate people over 15 years old

  • 50 Mio.

    50 million children regularly work. However, the majority of street children work in very unsafe positions (i.e. waste recycling or as domestic servants). Others earn their living from begging, stealing, prostitution etc.

Integrity

Poverty can be deadly

  • 1.7 mio.

    1.7 million children die in India every year. 90 % of these die as a result of starvation and malnutrition

  • 106’958

    In 2016, 106,958 acts of violence were registered against children. According to estimations, 10 % of all cases at the most were on file at all

  • every 15 minutes

    A child is sexually abused in India every 15 minutes

  • Teenager pregnancy

    Teenage pregnancy means an increased risk of mortality for mother and child

Equal rights

Poverty prevents equality

  • Education

    Education for boys is given preference

  • 223'000'000 child brides

    Out of 223 million child brides, 102 million are under 15 years old. One our of four women are married before 18 years old

  • Expensive

    Girls are a burden on their family as, even today, a high dowry must be paid for a marriage. As girls marry into another family, they are not able to care for their parents in old age

  • 7 percent
    The mortality rate of girls is 7% higher than that of boys. Girls are more likely to be malnourished and less likely to receive medical care
  • 200 less
    Up to 200 fewer girls: The birth rate of 800-900 girls per 1000 boys is a strong indication of selective abortions
  • Violence against women and children

    Violence against women and children is often not seen as injustice in India

Child labour

Child labor is widespread in India. According to Indian government statistics, 20 million children are considered workers; other sources indicate 50 million. In the district of Ganjam (Orissa) there are about 48'000 street children, of which about 5% work in safe jobs. However, the majority of street children work in very insecure jobs (e.g. waste recycling). Others earn their living by begging, stealing, prostitution etc.

Health

50% of the children in India were classified as malnourished by UNICEF. Only two in three Indian children are vaccinated. Therefore many street children suffer from various diseases like leprosy, malaria, typhoid, jaundice, polio, asthma, skin diseases, tuberculosis, etc. The rate of HIV/AIDS infected Indians is still below 0,7% (epidemic limit), but the risk of infection of street children is enormously high, because they are sexually more active and many of them work as prostitutes. Since street children are dependent on free treatment, they are often not admitted by hospitals. 

Gender equality

Discrimination against girls increases with increasing poverty. The birth rate of 800-900 girls (depending on the region) per 1000 boys is a strong indicator of selective abortions. The mortality rate for young girls is 7% higher than for boys. Girls are generally more frequently and more severely malnourished than boys.

Education

Behind the relatively good school statistics in India are many children who are registered at school but stay away from the classroom. The UNESCO figures on illiteracy in India prove this fact. India currently has about 40,000,000 illiterate children under the age of 15 and 280,000,000 illiterate children over 15.

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