Together, we can protect more missing children – before it’s too late
Every day in India, amid the crowds and the chaos, 296 children* go missing…
...from homes, communities, parks and markets.
Lost and alone, many arrive at busy railway stations looking for food, money or the chance to escape.
But instead, for lots of these children, things only get worse and they often find themselves in dangerous situations.
Whilst public transport hubs can provide safety, shelter and opportunity, they can also be ideal hunting ground for predators, gangs and criminals. For many children, arriving at railway stations can be the beginning of them being lost to the streets for good.
But with your help, this International Missing Children's Day, we can find more children at risk and intervene before they are harmed.
When seven-year-old Neeraj** arrived, lost and alone, at a train station in India, there were no child support systems in place.
So he spent the next seven years on the streets – exploited and struggling to survive.
Thankfully, Neeraj found his way back to Ghaziabad railway station and, this time, our team were there to give him the care and protection he needed. Today, he is safely back home, attending school and doing well.
Read his story >
But for every child like Neeraj, there are many more who urgently need us.
An estimated 20,000 more each year, in fact. That’s why we want to expand our protection across more stations over the next five years.
The Delhi-Howrah mainline covers a vast stretch of India, from Delhi to Kolkata, and is a key route for child trafficking. Our outreach workers, based at stations along this route, are trained to spot children at risk, and our Child Help Desks provide a safe space for them. But there are 402 stations on this line, and we can’t be at all of them.
That’s why, across India, as well as in Tanzania and the UK, we work in partnership with police, railway staff, government officials and the public to identify vulnerable children when they are most at risk.
A gift today means we can increase the protection systems around these transport hubs and prevent more children from going missing, before it’s too late.
This International Missing Children's Day, will you help find every child?
Your donations will transform the lives of children in Tanzania, India and the UK - wherever the need is greatest.
**Name changed to protect identity.