The Asansol railway platform is home to many vulnerable children who have escaped neglect and exploitation. Initiatives like CCRP and Muktangan have helped children like Pawan and Bablu access education and support, while also providing resources to their families. Over the past three years, these efforts have positively impacted numerous children by restoring families, establishing child protection committees, and facilitating school admissions.

1. A JOURNEY TO CREATE
BIGGER DREAMS

2. The Asansol railway platform is home to many lost, abandoned, runaway and
otherwise separated children. The children often escape neglect, abuse and
exploitation in their families and communities to be on their own.

3. Returning to the family may not be a safe or desirable option for
these children. As a result, they end up working at the railway
platform and also find shelter in the various nooks and corners.

4. Pawan and Bablu, now school-goers, were once, one of them.

5. Pawan and Bablu, youngest among four brothers, are beaming with
excitement ever since they’ve started school.

6. Both brothers are passionate about cricket. Just the mere mention of
the game brings a smile to the faces.

7. A few years back, the scenario was different.

8. Their father took to alcoholism after he went blind in a factory accident
and their mother was unable to work after incurring
an injury at her workplace.
Their two elder brothers had migrated to different cities and settled there.

9. Hence, Pawan and Bablu were left to fend for the family and forced to
earn a living.

10. Everyday, they would go the railway station to pick up waste plastic
bottles and sell them to the local plastic factory. Sometimes, they would
sweep the trains to earn some extra income.

11. “There’s a school near my house,” Bablu says, “but it’s a private school
and quite costly. I don’t like collecting plastic bottles at the station,
neither do I like sweeping the trains.”

12. The outreach team of CCRP, a CRY initiative, got in
touch with the two brothers and helped them get
admission into Adarsh Hindi Vidyalaya.
But, the boys went back to work in a couple of days,
as there was no earning member in the household.

13. Fortunately, Muktangan (a CCRP initiative) was in search of a cook to
prepare meals for children. They immediately hired the boys’ mother
for the job.

14. Muktangan was envisaged as an open shelter programme for children
living in and around railway platforms in collaboration with the Railway
Protection Force and the Railway authorities.

15. The Muktangan centers not only provide children with food, shelter,
clothing and medical care but also give them access to basic education,
life skills development and a chance to attend formal schools.

16. “Muktadhara” is a new initiative where all children who are interested in
education are identified and provided with formal education through
non formal system of learning and psycho-social support.

17. Steady income in the house helped Bablu and Pawan go back to
school and have a shot at pursuing their dreams.

18. Like Bablu and Pawan, CCRP has helped many children get access to
education and many other facilities that were previously not available to
them

19. CRY identified the need to bring children in need of care and protection
(CNCP) into the mainstream in the eastern region
• Their aim was to link them to the Juvenile Justice system and other
Child Protection mechanisms that already exist
• Towards that goal, CRY identified the resource organization called
PRAJAK that runs an initiative termed Coalition for Child’s Right to
Protection (CCRP)
• CRY has worked closely with CCRP to develop a holistic and
comprehensive strategy for long term implications instead of just
focussing on immediate resolution and has helped them focus on the
children’s right to survival, development, protection and participation

20. Through awareness building and advocacy, CCRP and CRY have
built strong relationships, successful networking and proactive
engagement with the Railway Police Force and the directorate of
Social Welfare, Police, BSF, home officials, CWC and JJB members
as well as some civil society organizations.

21. In the last three years
• CCRP has restored over 160 children
• Reunified 146 children with their families
• 143 Child Protection Committees have been established
• 1732 children have been admitted to schools

22. This tremendous change was possible because of donors like you. Your
generous support has helped CRY and CCRP bring several children
closer to a happy and secure childhood and get access to
their basic rights.

23. We look forward to your continued participation towards ensuring
lasting change for many more children.