Salaam Balaak Trust, Delhi 2008

www.salaambaalaktrust.com

Whilst I’m sure most of you are familiar with Salaam Balak Trust and the great work they do in addressing the plight of street children in India, let me just give a quick recap for some of our newer members.

SBT is a non-profit organisation established in 1988 following the success of ‘Salaam Bombay’, the film shown at our recent and highly successful screening night that generated around £1400. SBT reaches out to about 5000 children a year, providing shelter, food, education, medical aid, entertainment and where appropriate repatriation. The trust runs 4 full time residential centers and 7 daily contact points for girls and boys as well as staffing a help line service for children in distress.

Since February we have provided significant help in funding the newest contact center at Old Delhi Railway station. After meeting any immediate needs; medical help, nutrition, clothes etc, staff keep a track of all new arrivals and encourage them to register with the center, an important first step in trying to introduce some safety into what is a perilous existence, fraught with violence and danger.  

The centre assesses medical needs and takes children to dispensaries to cure various ailments as well as facilitating hospital visits and treatment in more serious cases.  It also spreads awareness about a variety of important issues, notably STDs and general hygiene, whilst staff also teach basic literacy skills and arrange for children to enroll in schools once they have been placed with a full time shelter.

The trust has shown admirable innovation in tackling the problems street children face in as holistic a way as possible. Arranging forums with the various other parties who interact with street children; police, railway officials, restaurant owners, coolies etc has helped education these groups about the hardships the children face and discussed with them how they can help. 

The positive impact that SBT is having on thousands of street children in India is phenomenal, transforming lives filled with violence, hunger and despair into a childhood, well not quite as we might know it, but still an upbringing surrounded by support, affection and opportunity. Children who would quite simply have had no chance of living a normal life are growing up to be happy, confident and educated young men and women.

Our relationship with SBT has been excellent. Dushyant, our contact there, has consistently provided interesting, prompt and detailed feedback, providing figures on the number of children registered treated etc as well as information on the associated costs. The numbers for 07 and the budget for next year can be seen below.

The plan for next year is much the same as last. That OPS will continue to be the main sponsor for the contact point at Old Delhi railway station. We also plan to become more involved with facilitating visits and volunteering with SBT for any members or friends who should happen to be visiting Delhi. Letter writing schemes that will help the children with there English are also a plan for the coming year as well as an idea we have had that will see children from SBT in Delhi communicate with children associated with Seeds of hope in Peru by letter, e-mail and photos.

My report clearly paints a glowing picture of SBT as an organization and right it should, I can only say good things about the organization and the staff there and recommend them whole heartedly for 08.

Cheers - Marcus

Figures for 07

344 Total no. of children registered

No of children provided Medical Support
134 Health Check up
45 Hospital referrals

No of children Repatriated
38 Through Childline
7 By staff members

57 No of children provided shelter facilities

250 No of children provided basic literacy skill

Anticipated budget for  2008
(Based on 400 children)

£3,228.30