In the UK…
68% of the vulnerable young people we worked with last year were not in any form of education – we got nearly half of them back into school, training or employment.
Unlocking Potential
How education transforms vulnerable children's lives...
As September rolls around, many of us are familiar with the buzz of children getting ready for a new school year – new books, new friends, and the excitement of learning and working toward their dreams. But for a lot of children, that’s not a reality.
Date: 28th August 2025 | Author: Con Enzler
A quarter of a billion children worldwide don’t have access to the life-changing opportunities that education bring.
For many vulnerable children, barriers like poverty, and social norms like child marriage and labour make education a rare luxury at best.
At Railway Children, we believe education is a fundamental human right. Without it, children are often trapped in cycles of violence, abuse, exploitation, and poverty. With it, they gain the chance to break free and build a better tomorrow for themselves, their families, and their communities.
That’s why our teams work tirelessly across the globe to support vulnerable children, helping them access education in ways that meet their unique needs. Our approach is deeply rooted in understanding the specific challenges children face in the different countries we work in.
And we’ve seen amazing results.
Over the last year:
In Tanzania…
We helped 520 children go back to school by supporting them with school supplies and transport and education families on the benefits of education.
In India…
3,442 children got back to learning, whether through our activity centres in the slums or by helping their families register for essential papers and support.
Tackling exclusion through tailored support
In the UK, we work directly with children and their families to find education settings that truly work for them.
This support is vital, especially when you consider that around 46% of children out of school in the UK come from the most deprived neighbourhoods.
Those excluded face a much higher risk of unemployment, imprisonment, and mental health challenges.
For many children, extra support and alternative options can make a big difference. Like it did for 15-year-old Toby*, who had been out of school for 10 months. Left alone while his mum worked, with little support from school, Toby started spending time with a group that led him into trouble.
But our support worker helped him carve his own path through a course that combined his love of football with a qualification in coaching.
Removing barriers & creating opportunity
Giving a child access to basic school material can make the difference between them learning to read and write and being left behind.
In Tanzania, we focus on removing the practical barriers to school enrolment, providing essential items like books, uniforms, shoes and bags so even the poorest families have the opportunity to send their children to school.
Our street-based educational sessions led by our outreach workers give street-connected children the chance to learn life skills training, including self-care, protection from abuse and coping with emotions.
We support young people, aged 15 to 24, to build sustainable livelihoods through workplace training schemes and support for small business start-ups.
Through peer-to-peer support, members are empowered to achieve their goals while building individual skillsets so they can become self-sufficient.
Bringing education to slum communities
In India, we take education directly to the children who need it most. Our teams bring informal teaching into slum communities through our Child Activity Centres and reach children in the streets who can’t attend traditional schools.
Our activity centres offer classes in self-awareness, leadership, and life skills to vulnerable children, so they can develop life-skills.
They also allow young people, especially girls, to and learn more about themselves and develop a support system with others who have had similar experiences to inspire each other toward their dreams.
From the UK to the streets of India and Tanzania, we’re seeing firsthand that education is the key to lasting change. It builds confidence, opens doors to new possibilities, and helps children break free from cycles of harm and disadvantage.
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