Support Us as We Build Opportunities and Help Street Children Build Futures Beyond Survival

UNICEF estimates that nearly 18 million children in India live in street situations, spending their days and often their entire childhoods, in and around railway stations, informal settlements, traffic signals, and other public spaces. Many grow up excluded from quality education, social protection systems, supportive relationships, and opportunities that most children rely on to build a secure future.

Although visible to us every day, these children are often overlooked. The challenge extends far beyond poverty. Many navigate childhood without safe spaces to learn, trusted adults who can guide them, or opportunities to participate in decisions affecting their lives. The absence of these support systems often limits their ability to access opportunities, exercise agency, and imagine possibilities beyond their immediate circumstances.

For more than six years, Rag Dreams' Weavers Association (RDWA) has been working alongside children in street situations to help address these challenges. We do this by connecting children with trained youth mentors who provide consistent support, encouragement, guidance, and opportunities for learning and growth.

We know that even when children demonstrate remarkable resilience, the absence of empathetic relationships and supportive systems continues to hold them back. That is why our work focuses on creating long-term support structures around children rather than one-time interventions.

Through direct partnerships with Indian Railways, the Bharat RailVidya Fellowship engages over 120 youth fellows and reaches more than 1,000 street-connected children each year, particularly those living in and around railway-connected communities. Fellows create safe and supportive environments where children can build confidence, develop meaningful relationships, access opportunities, strengthen their sense of agency, and actively participate in shaping their futures.

Today, this work extends across communities in Delhi, Maharashtra (Mumbai and Thane), Uttar Pradesh, and other parts of India, ensuring that street-connected children are seen, heard, and supported.

With your support, we can strengthen long-term support systems around children, train more youth fellows to become empathetic mentors, and expand opportunities for children living in street situations.

Your contribution is more than a donation—it is an investment in confidence, relationships, agency, and possibility. Together, we can help create a future where street-connected children are not defined by their circumstances, but by the opportunities they are able to access and the futures they are able to build.