Salaam Baalak Trust

Last updated

Salaam Baalak Trust Delhi
AbbreviationSBT
Formation1988
Type Non Governmental Organisation
PurposeSupport for street children and working children
Location
Chairperson
Praveen Nair
Budget
Rs. 15 crore (2024-2025) [1]
Staff
Over 250
Volunteers
120 per year (including Indians and foreigners)
Website Salaam Baalak Trust, Delhi

Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT) is an Indian non-profit and non-governmental organization which provides support for street and working children in the Delhi-NCR. It was established in 1988 with the proceeds from the film Salaam Bombay! directed by Mira Nair. Programs at SBT include repatriation, providing education (formal education, informal education and open learning), basic literacy and schooling, full care facilities for the young (up to 18 years), drop-in shelters for older children, physical and mental health care, life-skills education, vocational training, sports, job placement and counselling in HIV/AIDS.

Contents

SBT runs seven 24-hour full care residential homes for children and teenagers all over India, of which two are devoted to girls (Arushi and Udaan - Rose Home). 10 contact points-day care centers, mostly near railway stations and three 24-hour toll-free helpline service (1098), cater to children in distress and problems all over India. Therefore, looking after nearly 10,000 children every year. Salaam Baalak Trust children, who have been trained in theatre, dance and puppetry, are giving performances all over the world.

Since 2007, SBT Delhi has been running the City Walk Program, a guided tour through Paharganj and New Delhi Railway Station area. The guides are former street children who went through the same process from the Trust. The walk aims to sensitise the guests about street life, street children and children in distress. During the Walk, the guides share their personal story of survival and walk them through the contact points/day care and residential homes. The walk, thus, also provides an opportunity for the young adults to improve their communication and marketing skills. All proceeds go directly towards the Trust to enable more opportunities. From April 2019 to March 2020, the City Walk Program did 902 walks and 8353 visitors were sensitised from across the world. [ citation needed ]

In addition to the City Walk tour, SBT also offers a Heritage Walk through Old Delhi, showcasing six hidden places, including markets, havelis, and five different religions that have existed in the area since 1638. This walk acquaints tourists with all that has survived in Old Delhi since Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal Emperor who made Delhi the capital of his empire. The walk takes tourists on an adventure ride through the city and lands panoramic views of Old Delhi from a spice market rooftop. It ends at one of SBT's contact points to offer a glimpse into what street children have survived.

History

SBT contact point for street children on a platform from New Delhi Railway Station Salaam Baalak Contact Point Platform New Delhi Railway Station.JPG
SBT contact point for street children on a platform from New Delhi Railway Station

Originally established in 1988 to rehabilitate the children who appeared in the film, Salaam Bombay! (1988) in Mumbai, Salaam Baalak Trust started working in 1989, and by 2005 it had 17 centres for street child throughout India. [2]

This struck a chord with the trustees, who identified the potential in India's street children. A trust was created where young street boys and girls could feel secure and could breathe hope. In New Delhi, SBT started its operations with a staff of 3 and 25 children in the open-air balcony of the Police Station at the New Delhi Railway Station. It has now grown to employ a staff of 142, providing support services in Delhi & NCR region. SBT currently functions through 13 Contact Points/Day Care Centers and 5 Shelter Homes, which provide a holistic child development. In its 25 years of operation, it has brought about a positive change in the lives of more than 50,000 children from India and abroad. SBT also manages an emergency Child Helpline (1098), which is a toll-free number to reach out to children in distress at any point of time.

Starting 1999, Family Health International (FHI), with funding from USAID, started working with the SBT, on HIV/AIDS education and prevention, while supplying, street children aged between 4 and 13 with food, medical aid, education, and essential supplies. [3] [4] [5] Over the years its shelters have been visited by various national and international dignitaries, including, Tony Blair and Cherie Blair (2005). [6] [7]

Since 2003, it has also been working with volunteers from University College Dublin Volunteers Overseas, (UCDVO). [8] In 2006, Salaam Baalak Trust won the ‘Civil Society Award’ from the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and UNAIDS. [9] Earlier in March, it started a guided city walk, through the areas managed by the Trust: its shelters, contact points, and areas around the New Delhi Railway Station in Paharganj, where the street children live and earn a living, doing menial jobs. The tour, guided by former street children themselves, sensitizes people about the lives of street children in Delhi, and the turnaround possible in the lives of these children, when given an opportunity. [10] [11] [12]


Its latest home, DMRC Children Home, built exclusively for boys, was opened in New Delhi (near Tis Hazari Metro Station) in August 2010 and provides shelter to over 100 boys. The Arushi centre at Gurgaon was opened in 2008 and provided support to around 86 girls, aged between 5 and 18.

Recently, SBT has tied up with the Central Queensland University, Australia to provide higher education to its children.

The legendary actor Manoj Bajpayee spoke about his experience working for this NGO in his earlier days and giving workshop in juvenile home in Dongiri in his latest "The Bombay Journey" interview.

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan White</span> AIDS spokesperson and "poster boy" (1971–1990)

Ryan Wayne White was an American teenager from Kokomo, Indiana, who became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS in the United States after his school barred him from attending classes following a diagnosis of AIDS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paharganj</span> Neighbourhood of Delhi in Central Delhi, India

Paharganj is a neighbourhood of Central Delhi, located just west of the New Delhi Railway Station. Known as Shahganj or King's ganj or market place during Mughal era, it is one of the three administrative subdivisions, of the Central Delhi district, of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, with the other two being, Darya Ganj and Karol Bagh.

<i>Salaam Bombay!</i> 1988 Indian film by Mira Nair

Salaam Bombay! is a 1988 Indian Hindi-language drama film, directed, co-written and co-produced by Mira Nair. The screenwriter was Nair's creative collaborator Sooni Taraporevala. This was the first feature film directed by Nair. The film depicts the daily lives of children living in slums in Bombay, India's largest city. It stars Shafiq Syed, Raghuvir Yadav, Anita Kanwar, Nana Patekar, Hansa Vithal and Chanda Sharma.

Sanlaap is an Indian feminist non-governmental organisation, established by Indrani Sinha in 1987 in Calcutta. Based in Calcutta, the group aims to protect the human rights of women and girls. Sanlaap is a developmental organisation that works towards correction of social imbalances which present themselves as gender injustice and violence against women and children. The primary work is focused against trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and forced prostitution. As part of its work, the group starts shops to train girls to make a living and foster their independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in India</span>

HIV/AIDS in India is an epidemic. The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) estimated that 3.14 million people lived with HIV/AIDS in India in 2023. Despite being home to the world's third-largest population of persons with HIV/AIDS, the AIDS prevalence rate in India is lower than that of many other countries. In 2016, India's AIDS prevalence rate stood at approximately 0.30%—the 80th highest in the world. Treatment of HIV/AIDS is via a combination of antiretroviral drugs and education programs to help people avoid infection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Ribbon Express</span>

Red Ribbon Express is an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign train by the Indian Railways. The motto of the Red Ribbon Express is "Embarking on the journey of life".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dadi Pudumjee</span> Indian puppeteer awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

Dadi Pudumjee is a leading puppeteer in India and he is the founder of The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992.

Officially the AIDS-HIV pandemic came to Iraq via contaminated blood in 1986, with haemophiliacs being the primary victims. Over the decades, educational and treatment initiatives have been slowed by prevailing cultural values as well as severe economic hardships brought about by sanctions and war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in Rwanda</span>

Rwanda faces a generalized epidemic, with an HIV prevalence rate of 3.1 percent among adults ages 15 to 49. The prevalence rate has remained relatively stable, with an overall decline since the late 1990s, partly due to improved HIV surveillance methodology. In general, HIV prevalence is higher in urban areas than in rural areas, and women are at higher risk of HIV infection than men. Young women ages 15 to 24 are twice as likely to be infected with HIV as young men in the same age group. Populations at higher risk of HIV infection include people in prostitution and men attending clinics for sexually transmitted infections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in Nepal</span>

The first HIV/AIDS cases in Nepal were reported in 1988. The HIV epidemic is largely attributed to sexual transmissions and account for more than 85% of the total new HIV infections. Coinciding with the outbreak of civil unrest, there was a drastic increase in the new cases in 1996. The infection rate of HIV/AIDS in Nepal among the adult population is estimated to be below the 1 percent threshold which is considered "generalized and severe". However, the prevalence rate masks a concentrated epidemic among at-risk populations such as female sex workers (FSWs), male sex workers (MSWs), injecting drug users (IDUs), men who have sex with men (MSM), Transgender Groups (TG), migrants and male labor migrants (MLMs) as well as their spouses. Socio-Cultural taboos and stigmas that pose an issue for open discussion concerning sex education and sex habits to practice has manifest crucial role in spread of HIV/AIDS in Nepal. With this, factors such as poverty, illiteracy, political instability combined with gender inequality make the tasks challenging.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thai Children's Trust</span>

The Thai Children's Trust, formerly Pattaya Orphanage Trust, is a registered charitable organization in the United Kingdom which supports vulnerable and disadvantaged children in Thailand. It helps fund projects for orphans, refugee children, HIV positive children and children with AIDS, homeless children, tsunami orphans and children and young people with disabilities. The Trust has recently helped support the Teacher Preparation Center, a training school for mobile teacher trainers, in Mae Sot. The TPC trains trainers who work in the Eastern states of Burma/Myanmar, trying to restore and improve educational standards in areas ravaged by years of civil war. The Trust has also found some funding for villageONE, a project combining education and community development which hopes to start work in Mon State, Burma/Myanmar, later this year.

Prostitution in Tanzania is illegal but widespread. UNAIDS estimate there to be 155,450 prostitutes in the country. Many women and young girls are forced into prostitution due to poverty, lack of job opportunities, culture, and the disintegration of the family unit. Many university students have to turn to prostitution for economic reasons.

The Naz Foundation (India) Trust is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in that country that works on HIV/AIDS and sexual health. It is based in the Indian capital of New Delhi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salaam Baalak City Walk – New Delhi</span>

The City Walk is a guided tour around New Delhi Railway Station and Paharganj area in which former street children share their personal story of survival with the participants and show them the contact points and shelter homes Salaam Baalak Trust provides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homelessness in India</span> Major social issue in India

Homelessness is a major issue in India. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights defines 'homeless' as those who do not live in a regular residence. The United Nations Economic and Social Council Statement has a broader definition for homelessness; it defines homelessness as follows: ‘When we are talking about housing, we are not just talking about four walls and a roof. The right to adequate housing is about security of tenure, affordability, access to services and cultural adequacy. It is about protection from forced eviction and displacement, fighting homelessness, poverty and exclusion. India defines 'homeless' as those who do not live in Census houses, but rather stay on pavements, roadsides, railway platforms, staircases, temples, streets, in pipes, or other open spaces. There are 1.77 million homeless people in India, or 0.15% of the country's total population, according to the 2011 census consisting of single men, women, mothers, the elderly, and the disabled. However, it is argued that the numbers are far greater than accounted by the point in time method. For example, while the Census of 2011 counted 46,724 homeless individuals in Delhi, the Indo-Global Social Service Society counted them to be 88,410, and another organization called the Delhi Development Authority counted them to be 150,000. Furthermore, there is a high proportion of mentally ill and street children in the homeless population. There are 18 million street children in India, the largest number of any country in the world, with 11 million being urban. Finally, more than three million men and women are homeless in India's capital city of New Delhi; the same population in Canada would make up approximately 30 electoral districts. A family of four members has an average of five homeless generations in India.

CHILDLINE 1098 is a service of Ministry of Women and Child Development. Childline India Foundation is a non-government organisation (NGO) in India that operates a telephone helpline called Childline, for children in distress. It was India's first 24-hour, toll free, phone outreach service for children. Childline 1098 service is available all over India. It is available in 602+ districts, 144+ railway stations and 11 bus terminals have Child Help Desks.

Humsafar Trust is an NGO in Mumbai that promotes LGBT rights. Founded by Ashok Row Kavi, Suhail Abbasi, and Sridhar Rangayan in 1994, it is one of the largest and most active of such organisations in India. It provides counselling, advocacy and healthcare to LGBT communities and has helped reduce violence, discrimination and stigma against them. Humsafar Trust is the convenor member of Integrated Network for Sexual Minorities (INFOSEM).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Street children in India</span>

A street child is a child "for whom the street has become his or her habitual abode and/or source of livelihood; and who is inadequately protected, supervised, or directed by responsible adults".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">India HIV/AIDS Alliance</span> Indian non-governmental organisation

Founded in 1999, Alliance India is a non-governmental organisation operating in partnership with civil society, government and communities to support sustained responses to HIV in India that protect rights and improve health. Complementing the Indian national programme, we build capacity, provide technical support and advocate to strengthen the delivery of effective, innovative, community-based HIV programmes to vulnerable populations: sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender people, hijras, people who inject drugs (PWID), and people living with HIV.

The Congo Children Trust is a registered charity in Wales and England. They support street children in the D.R.Congo through projects and partner organisations. The vision of the Congo Children Trust is to "improve the quality of life for children living on the streets in the Democratic Republic of Congo".

References

  1. Annual Report, Salaam Baalak Trust
  2. Salaam Baalak Trust Mercy in Her Eyes: The Films of Mira Nair, by John Kenneth Muir. Published by Hal Leonard, 2006. ISBN   1-55783-649-3, ISBN   978-1-55783-649-6. page 61.
  3. Street Children and Youth Get a Chance in India Family Health International.
  4. U.S. Official Visits Salaam Baalak Trust's Shelter for Children newdelhi.usembassy.gov. 28 April 2006.
  5. U.S. Assistant Secretary Richard Boucher Visits Salaam Baalak's Shelter for Children USAID, 5 August 2006.
  6. PM visits project aimed at helping poorest Indian kids www.number10.gov.uk- Prime Minister of the United Kingdom website, 8 September 2005.
  7. Meeting Delhi's street children BBC News, 7 September 2005.
  8. Work in Delhi University College Dublin Volunteers Overseas .
  9. FHI-Supported Projects Recognized on World AIDS Day Family Health International, "Salaam Balaak Trust for an HIV prevention project targeting vulnerable street children and youth in Delhi".
  10. Indian Street Kids Offer Glimpse Into Their Lives With Guided Tours Archived 2012-01-18 at the Wayback Machine South Asian Women's Forum, 22 May 2006.
  11. Runaway guides The Hindu, Businessline, 6 April 2007.
  12. Discover a Delhi underbelly you never knew, through the eyes of child guides The Telegraph (Kolkata)|The Telegraph, 12 March 2007.