Every day up to 18 million…

passengers cross the length and breadth of the nation of India travelling on the trains of the vast Indian Railway network, the world’s largest commercial employer with more than 1.4 million employees. Indian railway stations are bustling hives of activity and opportunity for millions of homeless children; many of whom use the trains to run away from unbearable circumstances of extreme poverty, domestic violence or abandonment.

On the trains and at the stations the railway kids either beg, steal, or work at small jobs like sweeping compartments, collecting plastic bottles, rag picking and shoe polishing. None attend school. Very few have good health. The majority are boys because predators soon find the girls and traffic them into the sex industry.

As well as the runaways, some of the railway kids have come from rural areas to the cities with family members searching for work. These children are left uncared for most of the day, wandering about, begging & pick pocketing.

The general public scorns these children and they are often abused by the police. A deep mistrust of adults grows in these kids who need love, security and a future. With no shelter or protection they become victims of sexual abuse. Some are lured away to the inhuman working conditions of illegal factories; others are forced into prostitution and crime.

Drug use, by sniffing rags with ink thinners becomes an escape from the brutality of life.

We however, are reaching out to the kids who live on the trains and railway stations in India to offer them: a place of safety; practical assistance; emotional support; encouragement; love; acceptance and the hope of a better future. By building trust and presenting new options we’ll give all the help possible to establish them on the pathway to fulfil their unique and God-given destiny.

There’s so much potential in these forgotten children. LifeHouse Railway kids exists to give them the opportunity to find their voice and their purpose, to reclaim their childhood and their creativity and to fulfil their dreams.

The first LifeHouse Railway Kids Shelter was established in Agra, home of the famous Taj Mahal, in March 2010. Agra is known as the “City of Love.” Plans are currently underway to open the second stage of the project.