The work of Terre des Hommes in INDIA

SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN AND WOMEN IN INDIA

In India, the second most populous country in the world where one-third of the population lives below the poverty line, wealth distribution is uneven, and the majority of people live in slums, Terre des Hommes has been present since 1993.

Too many children, both boys and girls, are still victims of early marriages, psychological or sexual abuse, and other forms of child exploitation. These phenomena are particularly widespread among the poorest communities in the Indian population, who, unable to afford their children’s education, force the children to work and the girls to marry at a young age.

Furthermore, the pandemic has exacerbated the situation both economically and psychologically, as many children and adults have suffered from depression, a phenomenon now widespread in India.

What does our support involve?

• We provide accommodation in a safe environment for children who are victims of child abuse, ensuring psychological support as well as healthcare and educational assistance.
• We have initiated an educational program for children with disabilities, also providing physiotherapy sessions and educational activities.
• Through our shelters, we welcomed and supported 832 girls and boys in 2021, particularly orphans, abandoned, abused, victims of early marriage and child labor, and children with HIV.
• We provide support to women with mental disorders found on the streets, and ensure temporary safe accommodation.
• We have established shelter centers for homeless mothers and children, also distributing food packages.
• We support the toll-free hotline, through which it is possible to report abuse, violence, and early marriages.

WHAT DO WE DO WITH CHILD SPONSORSHIP?

In particular, in the state of West Bengal and in the districts of Salem and Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, we carry out projects for boys and girls through Child Sponsorship with the aim of improving their living conditions.

• We support the Familia program, through which we provide the warmth and affection of a family to orphaned children or those with particularly serious family situations, also committing to covering the costs of schooling.
• We ensure, with the help of local partners, access to primary and secondary education and essential services for protection, health, and nutrition.
• We have created foster homes that receive cases of children and adolescents who have found themselves in situations of abuse, early marriage or pregnancy, exploitation, abandonment, and are under the guardianship of the juvenile court.
• We organize ‘Protection and Safety‘ programs to give children and adolescents the opportunity to acquire skills on how to protect themselves and live safely, both from a health perspective and by helping them recognize situations of danger and violence.
• We support the Irula communities who face discrimination due to their social status and live in remote and rural areas in conditions of extreme poverty.