Our Project

Who We Worked With

In conjunction with a UK-registered charity, Children Walking Tall, we had a ball with 13 wonderful children from the slums of Goa, India.

Goa is not as poor as Mumbai ... what were we doing in Goa?

There are thousands of children living in slums and on the streets of Goa alone. Some are orphans, others are runaways escaping poverty, neglect or abuse. These 'street' children originate from all over India and often come with their families looking for work. They build basic homes from bamboo, plastic, cardboard or corrugated iron, forming slum communities on any spare land they can find. Many make the long journey to Goa by train, sweeping the carriages trying to earn rupees as they go. These families and children are drawn to Goa in the belief that tourists will provide them with everything they need, but this is far from true. Street children can often be found roaming collecting rags or begging for money and sleeping under bridges or bus stations at night. They are frequently in trouble with the locals, who fear they will have a bad effect on business. Some earn money by rag picking or selling plastic bags in the fish markets, working up to 13 hours a day. Some start begging as soon as they are old enough to walk. Their vulnerability brings in a small amount of money, but as they get older and lose the look of innocence, many find it difficult to beg and are more likely to be classed by tourists as a threat than a child in need. Spurned in this way, many resort to petty crime and substance abuse. These children are at great risk from malnutrition, abuse, illness and neglect.

'Cameras for Kids' is our way of giving these 13 children the chance to be children, a way to help nutuure their self belief and a means of encouraging them to express and share their emotions.

 

 

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