Published Paper Details:

There are some conversations one never forgets, and one such conversation we had with a child while undergoing our study made us realise that even though we are at a peak of global economic boom, we have failed to consider these children belonging to the streets in every aspect. Be it education or basic healthcare, the street children are often being neglected. Seldom do we hear from our authorities, any major work being undertaken for these kids. Over the course of time spent studying these street Children, one can effectively agree that children are the first victims of the urbanisation that is being forced upon the world. There are several studies supporting my claim, that around 38000 kids live on the streets of Mumbai who are deprived of the basic facilities of food, clothing, and shelter that is required for their bare survival (according to a report published by TISS and Action Aid India, 2013). Their vulnerability is captured by the fact that two out of five of them have had to face physical, verbal, or sexual abuse and forced starvation at some point of time in their lives. Government protection like the Right to Education Act seems to bypass them, with nearly one out of four in the school-going age remaining homeless and illiterate. Hence, we believe incorporating these kids in the planning of towns and considering them at urban level is of prime importance, to ensure the primary right of all children: the right to their childhood, for which, we need to focus on the plight of the homeless children by creating some momentum to the existing Urban planning policy to ensure that no more children are delivered up to the harshness of life on the streets by introducing temporary and modular shelters. The first step in all of this is to provide shelter to them where they can live, learn, and work without pressurising the already crowded town of Mumbai.