14,627 children living on Pune streets

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Mumbai, April 12, 2019 : On the occasion of 9th International Day for Street Children, Save the Children reiterated its commitment towards implementation of ‘UN General Comment No.21 on Children in Street Situations’ and pledged its commitment to equality, protection of every child, providing access to services and creating new solutions for all children in street situations.

To mark the day, Save the Children, in collaboration with Salaam Baalak Trust, New Vision and Hamara Foundation organised Children Consultations on ‘Child Rights’ in 30 identified hotspots located in Mumbai, Pune and Nashik. Children expressed their need to access their basic rights through drawing, painting and open group discussions. More than 400 children participated from Mumbai, Pune and Nashik.

As per the survey conducted by Save the Children in 2018, there are 71,058 children living in street situations in Mumbai, Pune and Nashik. Of this 52,536 children are from Mumbai, 14627 from Pune and 3,895 are from Nashik.

Film director Subhash Ghai ,“It is very painful to know that 20 lakh children live on the streets of India. They are denied basic rights and entitlements like food and shelter. I congratulate Salaam Baalak Trust and Save the Children for their initiative. They are celebrating 12th April as the International Street Children Day. We must all get together and ensure basic rights for children on the streets. Because we must make the invisible children visible. We must ensure that they have an identity, the power to speak up and a future. It is our duty.”

Save the Children through one of its largest interventions initiated in April 2018– Making #TheInvisibles Visible aims to create an enabling environment for all children living in street situations in India, thereby strengthening their access to right to survival, development, participation and protection, eventually unlocking their limitless potential. The programme aims to deliver impact across 4 states (Maharashtra, Delhi, UP, West Bengal) and 10 cities for children to experience increased enrolment in schools; access to healthcare services, upskilling and employment opportunities, and financial services. A total of 200,000 children provided legal identity proof. 70 percent of children in street situation linked to essential rights and entitlements to education, protection, health and nutrition schemes.

Data on Children Living in Street Situations in India

1 out of 4 children on the Indian streets sleep hungry at least once every week

Every 3rd child has faced some form of abuse

63% of children on the streets cannot read or write

70% children in street situations are employed in child labour

37% of children in street situations sleep on the pavements