Salaam Baalak Trust Report - July 2007

Marcus Fairhurst

Our Partnership with SBT continues to run as smoothly as a hamlet cigar. Dushyant, our contact in Delhi, is always excellent about getting interesting and enthusiastic feedback to us that we’re very grateful for.

The contact centre at Old Delhi Railway Station which we’re sponsoring has been up and running since Feb this year. Two members of staff plus one Volunteer work from 10am - 1.30pm six days a week to provide much needed food, medical aid, education & counselling to between 20-25 KIDS EVERY DAY!

A few stats courtesy of Dushyant:

From Feb-June:

• 154 children registered at the contact points
• 58 children have undergone medical check-ups for different ailments and received treatment by the SBT doctor whilst 7 have been referred to the government hospital.
• 4 children were reunited with their families by the staff at the contact point and twenty eight children through the Child line which staff helped them access.
• 32 children entered into full time shelter with SBT

Heartwarming stuff huh?! Something we should all be really proud of…

SBT also conducted a survey of 50 street kids to find out more about their fears, needs and vulnerabilities. They used these findings when they addressed a meeting of relevant parties; vendors, rickshaw pullers, railway officials and police etc, which they have also set up. A total of seventy people showed up – an excellent number that perhaps demonstrates that Indian society is starting to realize that it can’t simply look the other way.

In Other News:

A Photo exhibition entitled ‘Relative Values’ including work by the much celebrated ex-SBT artist Vicky Roy has gone on show at the John Hansard Gallery, Southampton so if any of you are down that neck of the woods perhaps it would a gander. In the meantime I’ll try to source some OPS exclusive prints for autumns newsletter! For more info follow this link: www.soton.ac.uk/~hansard/exhibition/offsite.htm#relative

Should I ever prove capable of entering the ranks of the employed I’ll definitely be paying a quick visit out to India in October/November time, perhaps a week with a few days in Delhi followed by some time in the mountains. Flights are surprisingly cheap and it really is a totally unique place so if you’ve got any holiday left and fancy a bit of an adventure let us know.

Marcus.