India’s Street Children

India’s Abandoned Children

Who Cares for Them?

Hello beautiful people!

CChildren are the heritage of the Lord. They bring joy and give meaning to the life of the family.

Today, I would like to share with you about the forsaken, suffering, neglected children who are in the streets. I grew up seeing street children and now work as a social worker for them. I would like to share my first-hand experience.

Why are they on the street?

Sometimes we take things for granted, basic things which they long for like- parents and a roof over their heads. When I was a teenager I was on the bus to school, I was holding a bar of chocolate. A boy was begging for money. I said, “I am sorry, I do not have any money on me.” That boy asked me if I could give him my half-eaten chocolate. I gave him the leftover, I could see his sad face changing into happiness, not because of the taste of the chocolate but because his acute hunger was relieved. That incident changed my life. That face and smile still convict me whenever I take things for granted. It reminds me that I can share my blessings. What feels unimportant to me becomes their essential. Maybe that’s the reason I became a minimalist.

So, who is minding the street children?

Now, it’s people like me, Christian youths with the heart for them. My family has been in the children’s ministry for the past twenty years. We call ourselves a “HEBRON” family, the shelter for many. My father and uncle rescue the children from the railway stations and under the bridges. Once rescued, we bring them home to a good meal, a shower, and a place to stay. Children are so forsaken that no buses or vehicles take them in due to their appearance, no Barbers are ready to cut their hair because they scorn them.

We work on the basis of three things:

1. Soap 2. Soup 3. Salvation

Firstly, we treat them as fellow human beings by respecting them. We rescue them, buy them soap,

ask them to shower, give them a hot meal and buy them good clothes. That is how we show the love of God to them. Good news proclaimed to an empty stomach is never good news. We share the love of God through food and care, create a rapport with them, and invite them to our house and ask them to stay with us. We show them who Jesus is, how caring He is by feeding them, clothing them, and providing them a good education. That’s all a child needs. Love and care expressed.

A small hug is what they want. Being in the streets makes them vulnerable; they are hurt. It takes time for them to accept us. It takes time for them to heal. We provide the necessary medical treatment and counselling to reverse the things in their mind. They clean the compartments and the toilets of the trains, moving every day scared for their lives and feeling left out. When they have a roof over their heads, when they are given a bed and towel, they see Jesus through us. That’s who Jesus is. He came to rescue us from all our sins and bondages. Actions speak louder than words.

When Jesus was surrounded by people, some people carried a paralytic man through the roof and dropped him directly to Jesus. Jesus saw their faith and said “Son, your sins are forgiven” an individual was not able to do this but with the help of the others, they were able to. Similarly, I encourage and invite you to be the person who carries the burden of the children to

Jesus. A helping hand is what we ask for to show them who Jesus is. With your small intervention and contribution, we together can partner and care for the beautiful souls living on the streets.

Who is minding the children? It’s your and my responsibility to take care of the children in our surroundings. Let’s do what we can to make life beautiful for the street children. Mother Teresa once said, “You may not be able to feed 100 people, but we can feed at least one.” May God bless us all!

Arun Bonkke - Childre’s social worker and Writer SHARE Magazine and #YouthSHRELive team member, India

To contribute to the work of ‘Heavenly Home’ among India’s street children contact us at thesharemagazine.com