At Railway Children, we believe every child deserves the chance to learn, grow, and take control of their future.
Railway Children India’s (RCI) Child Activity Centres allow street-connected and vulnerable children and parents to play, learn, and build supportive networks with others.
Set up in six at-risk communities around India, they’re safe havens where children can play, learn new skills and express their feelings, and shape their communities.
For many children living on the streets, these spaces are a lifeline. They provide a safe and friendly environment where they can access advice and support that they might otherwise struggle to find.
Each centre has a library corner where children can sit and read books, either alone or in groups, to help build their reading and social skills.
RCI run classes for young people who can’t attend traditional school settings due to poverty or homelessness.
Three groups meet regularly at the centres: a mixed group for younger children, one for adolescent boys, and one for adolescent girls. These sessions are conducted by the training officer, with the support of community mobilisers and volunteers.
Older adolescents have the opportunity to help facilitate life skills sessions with the younger children, building their leadership and communications skills.
Life skills sessions allow children to understand more about emotions and behaviour, communication, good decision-making, critical thinking and goal setting, helping grow their confidence and self-awareness. Many go on to study vocational skills, which improves their chances of earning an income.
Regular meetups at the centres help parents build vital support networks with others. Together, they learn about communication, safety nets, child rights and positive parenting skills, such as the importance of keeping their kids in education, and providing good nutrition for their children.
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children regularly attend sessions
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parents meet regularly at the centres
As well as providing guidance and support at individual and family-level, the centres play a pivotal role in transforming communities.
The sessions empower children and parents to identify and discuss the issues that affect them in their community, working together to find solutions.
One group of children discussed a friend who had dropped out of school. They invited him to the group, spoke with him about the importance of education and even encouraged his parents to keep him in school.
The Adolescent Girls Groups at the centres are specifically designed to uplift girls aged 13 to 18.
They offer a secure environment where they can freely express themselves and discuss topics that might be challenging to bring up at home.
In many Indian communities, subjects like menstruation and personal safety often carry a stigma, leaving girls feeling isolated and unprepared.
RCI are offering a space for girls have to share their concerns and access crucial information about their bodies and rights.
Some of the main topics explored are:
It’s unfortunately common for girls in these communities to be subjected to child marriage, which is a type of child exploitation. During sessions, girls discuss ways to raise awareness about the harms of child marriage and the importance of girls staying in school.
In Delhi, RCI outreach workers often meet children on railway platforms who come from nearby slum communities.
Many of these children don’t attend school; girls frequently take on household responsibilities, while boys are often drawn into child labour.
One remarkable group of teenage girls started meeting every month at the Child Activity Centre in the Tulsi Nagar slum community in Delhi. They call themselves The Power Girls.
These incredible young women discuss challenges affecting children in their communities and share their aspirations for a better future.
Together, The Power Girls raise awareness about critical issues like child marriage and empower other girls to learn more about themselves and work toward their dreams.
After Ria’s alcoholic father abandoned the family, she lived with her mother and brother at her grandparents’ house.
With only her mother’s income from working long, hard hours in a factory, they struggled to afford household expenses – let alone send the children to school. Ria was afraid she would have to give up her education.
Thankfully, she started attending a Child Activity Centre and became an active member of the Power Girls. And that’s when everything changed.
