New Delhi{ The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have met some of India’s poorest and most vulnerable children fending for themselves at New Delhi railway station.
Kate and William heard first-hand from a number of street children about how they had run away from home due to abuse or poverty. They ended up at Delhi station where they were a target for prostitution, people trafficking or sexual and physical abuse.
The royals visited a drop-in centre run by Salaam Baalak Trust at the capital’s station – where on average 6,600 children travel to each year, often on their own.
The charity helps children aged from five to 18 years providing food, education, healthcare and shelter.
Kate, wearing a striking full-length patterned red dress, and William first joined in a lesson with boys who were living in the nearby station.
The couple sat down and William asked: “What’s the game you’re playing? Ah, carrom board. Can you show us how to play?”
Flicking the draught, he laughed as it went too far and invited his wife to have a go.
The charity’s director Sanjoy Roy told the couple about the charity’s work: “The boys come here for four hours of lessons and some food every day. When they’re not here, they’re at the railway station.”
William asked: “Is that dangerous?”
Roy replied: “Yes, so they try to stick together.
“We look after around 7,000 kids a year, but every day around 40 to 50 new children arrive at the station.
“They often have to deal with trauma, learning difficulties, ADHD and we have special programmes to help them with that.
“These children that we look after are the most vulnerable. Some may have their eyes gauged out or hands hacked off.
“The primary reasons they run away from home are misunderstanding with step-parents, physical and mental abuse, incredible poverty or a life event such as forced marriage.”
The charity has six homes, 21 contact centres and three Childline centres near stations, bus stands and railway stations across Delhi.
William asked: “What can we do to help?”
Roy replied: “Spread the word. People think of them as street kids, beggars, thieves but they are just children.
“They deserve an education, future and a life. They have a right to a childhood.”
The Salaam Baalak Trust was set up in 1998 with the proceeds from the film Salaam Bombay, which told the story of vulnerable street children.
Some of the boys that Kate and William met at the drop-in centre – just one room in Delhi station’s police headquarters where the charity first started – were recovering drug addicts.
They met Amir, 16, who became addicted to glue-sniffing nine months ago while living rough at the train station.
Counsellors from Salaam Baalak had helped him get detox treatment and now he’s clean.
Kate asked the kids: “Do you make good friends?” And when they nodded she said: “Its so interesting.”
William asked them what they hoped to be in the future. One said a doctor, another policeman and a third wanted to run his own shop.
The couple were then introduced to Dr Amit Sen, head psychiatrist, Dr Mazhar Khan, mental health councillor and Praveen Jha, from Childline India which works in partnership with the charity helping the homeless children.
Chatting in the room where the charity started in 1988 with just three staff, Kate said: “We were just saying how amazing this charity is.”
William said: “It’s very interesting that the kids want professional careers.
“In the UK you ask them and they say footballers or pop stars.
“Is there the opportunity for them to do it, to have these professional careers-that’s the question?”
The charity’s managing director Sanjoy Roy said: “We hope so. We look after around 7,000 kids a year but cities are not the place for kids.
“If we can’t get them home the only thing to do is to send them back to school as soon as possible.
“We want them to study to enable them to have a future.”
As part of their mission to highlight mental health issues, the couple were very keen to learn about how the subject is viewed in India.
Kate asked: “What’s society’s view on mental health? Is it spoken about or is there stigma?”
William commented: “In the Western world it still hasn’t elevated itself to the highest levels.”
Mr Roy said that it was spoken about but the charity has been asked to work with the government and “spread the word”.
He said: “On the last census 110 million children were out of school and mental health is a real challenge. We want it to be looked at as a major issue,” and Kate interjected “And as early as possible.”
Later the Cambridges visited a boys’ home near Delhi station where around 50 boys live in the four-storey building.
They were greeted in traditional Indian style with red tika spots placed on their forehead and flower garlands placed around their necks.
After climbing four flights of stairs to the roof terrace, they chatted to some of the boys and joined in their art work.
Having been presented with some of their drawings, Kate said: “Did you do this? It’s beautiful, well done. Shall I do a drawing for you?”
Kate sat down next to Shansad Abdul, 12, who asked her to draw a picture of her house.
It was not clear exactly which of her homes she drew, but the resulting picture with its large chimney, slated roof and big front door bore a close resemblance to her Norfolk mansion Anmer Hall.
Shansad helped her colour it in adding blue clouds and a large yellow sun. Speaking through a translator he said afterwards: “I liked doing it with her very much and I learnt how to draw trees and greenery.
“She was a very good lady and very happy to sit and draw with me.
“I ran away from home because my family are very poor and couldn’t look after me.
“I came to Delhi from Purniya in the state of Bihar because I knew my older brother was married and living here.
“I came on my own and all I knew was that I wanted to find him.
“But when I went to his address he had moved and I had no knowledge of where he was and nowhere to go.
“Childline found me at the station and brought me here – I’ve been here for two months.
“My brother doesn’t know I’m here. I’m happy but I do miss my parents. They don’t know I’m here as I have no way of contacting them.”
The royal couple also met the Salaam Baalak Trust’s founder Praveen Nair, 85, who used money from her daughter’s Oscar-nominated film Salaam Bombay to establish it 28 years ago.
Mrs Nair was very impressed with their interest, she said: “It’s really very heartening to see well-to-do people are aware of the problems and they come and see it for themselves.
“It’s very fulfilling for me, the staff and the kids, to come and see us.
“It’s very good for the children as it makes them feel important and goes a long way to building their self-confidence.
“It was a revelation to see that they were like anyone else, like you or I. They didn’t say ‘oh it’s dirty’ or refuse to shake people’s hands.
“That is the pre-conceived opinion for all well-to-do people and Britishers.”
Kate and William then returned to the High Commissioner’s residence for private meetings with two other NGOs.
They also met embassy staff and children who live in the compound. Kate then changed into a stunning jade Alice Temperley dress for a lunch with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.
Source: Dailymail