Page last updated 1/18/2009
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Children Walking Tall
Founded in 2004, Children Walking Tall is a registered UK charity dedicated to helping slum and street children in India. From our base in Goa, we provide food, shelter, medical care and education for some of the poorest children in India. In a safe, playful environment, they receive a fun and creative education, and also have plenty of time to do what children the world over should do, which is PLAY!
Children Walking Tall was established to give these children a springboard out of poverty. It aims to give the children something most have never had before: a childhood worth remembering.
Who are these children?
There are thousands of children living in slums and on the streets of Goa alone. Some are orphans, others are runaways escaping poverty or abuse. These children originate from all over India and often come with their families looking for work. They build basic homes from bamboo, plastic, cardboard or corrugated iron, forming slum communities on any spare land they can find. Many make the long journey to Goa by train, sweeping the carriages trying to earn rupees as they go. These families and children are drawn to Goa in the belief that tourists will provide them with everything they need, but this is far from true. Street children can often be found roaming the streets begging for money and sleeping under bridges or bus stations at night. They are frequently in trouble with the locals, who fear they will have a bad effect on business. Some earn money by rag picking or selling plastic bags in the fish markets, working up to 13 hours a day. Some start begging as soon as they are old enough to walk. Their vulnerability bring in a small amount of money, but as they get older and lose the look of innocence, many find it difficult to beg and are more likely to be classed by tourists as a threat than a child in need. Spurned in this way, many resort to petty crime and substance abuse. These children are at great risk from malnutrition, abuse, illness and neglect.
Visit the Children Walking Tall web site.
