Who is World Child?

World Child is a UK registered charity dedicated to helping poor, slum and street children.

From our bases in Romford, Essex (UK) and Coimbatore (India) we provide food, shelter, medical care and education for some of the worlds poorest children. 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!

World Child 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 millions of children living in slums and on the streets all over the world. Some are orphans, others are runaways escaping poverty, neglect or abuse. Currently we are working in India through our office in Coimbatore. Street children in India often leave their original villages 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 by train, sweeping the carriages trying to earn rupees as they go. These families and children are drawn to big towns 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 collecting rags or 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.

The children shown in the photo below, were street children living below the breadline, now they are happy, well fed, educated and loved.