From ragpicking to resilience
In Chandmari, a community near Ghaziabad station in India, poverty and child labour are daily realities. But one fiery young girl refused to give up on her education. This is her story.
Date: 6th June 2025
When our team first arrived in the area, they found many children collecting waste and old bottles at stations to earn just a few rupees a day. Many children boarded and alighted from moving trains. Among them, eleven-year-old Dhriti’s story stood out.
Our team in India established a Child Activity Centre, a safe space for children to learn and play. Curious, Dhriti made her way to the centre. There, she discovered a love for books, art and academics.
But her parents, who were struggling to make ends meet, insisted she continue collecting waste to support the family. When our Community Mobiliser, Roshan Kumar, spoke with Dhriti’s parents, he was met with a cold truth:
“The nearest public school is so distant. Even if we wish to, we cannot send her there. Private school is out of the question. It will be more helpful if she works and contributes to our income instead.”
But Dhriti was not about to give up.
She struck a deal with her parents. If they allowed her to attend classes during the day, she would continue collecting waste after school.
Dhriti became a student by day and worked at night. She used her earnings to contribute toward her school fees.
“To begin with, we backed her resolve by facilitating her enrolment in a nearby school,” shares Roshan.
Over time, our team supported Dhriti’s family with essentials like a school kit and ration supplies.
Mr. Kumar said:
“Over time, Dhriti not only continued going to school regularly but also emerged as a celebrated peer influencer of the community, bringing eight to nine other children like her to the center and urging our team to enroll them in schools as well.”
Leaving behind a source of income for the promise of education wasn’t easy. When asked about challenges along the way, Mr. Kumar recalls:
“One day, we received a call from Dhriti’s school informing us that she had not attended school for the past 4 days.
“We could confirm this as she had not visited the center either. However, Dhriti turned up the next day and informed us that she had to resume collecting waste for a few days to earn money for her school fees, as her parents couldn’t afford them.”
This was a reminder that progress isn’t always linear — and that consistent support is vital.
Thanks to Dhriti’s resilience and our interventions, she returned to her studies. At the activity center, she threw herself into Karate classes, helping her master strength and discipline.
After weeks of training, Dhriti participated in a Karate championship. She joined over 80 children supported by Railway Children India.
In a room filled with cheers, nerves, and resolve, Dhriti won a bronze medal.
When her daughter return home with a medal around her neck, Dhriti’s mother needed no more convincing. The promise of education — and of Dhriti’s future — was now crystal clear.
The family gathered the money needed for school fees and enrolled Dhriti’s younger brother in school.
In a home where education was once a distant dream, a medal became a symbol of transformation.
Today, Dhriti continues to attend school regularly. Inspired by her resilience and talent, her parents have vowed never to send to collect waste again.
Thanks to our community team and peer leaders like Dhriti, real change is taking root in Chadmari.
In just one year, we helped resolve 11 child labour cases from this community alone. Thirty-two children were enrolled in schools. And many more now participating in structured learning and activity programmes.
Dhriti’s story is not just about escaping child labour. It’s about reclaiming childhood, changing the future and the limitless power of one determined voice.
*Names changed and models used to protect children’s identities.
Through our flagship youth participation programme, Youth Platform, young people are shaping our training materials, influencing key decisions and ensuring the rail industry truly understand youth vulnerability.
More than 25 million Tanzanians are living in extreme poverty, leaving many young women and girls vulnerable to hunger, family breakdown, and abuse.
Since launching in 2018, Railway Children’s Night at the Station has raised more than £880,000 to reach and protect some of the world’s most vulnerable children. This year, the charity is aiming to surpass the £1m mark – and is calling on the rail community and individual supporters to help reach the target.
As the UK marks Neurodiversity Week (16th – 20th March), we reflect on the unique strengths different minds bring to Railway Children, the rich potential of the neurodivergent young people we support and why we’ve established a Neurodiversity Working Group to ensure every kind of mind can thrive.
In India, Railway Children is reaching some of the most vulnerable young people through a powerful and proven approach: peer leadership.
Read our guide to claiming your compensation and learn how to easily donate it to vulnerable children.
