Project Udaan – Girl Child Welfare

Project Udaan is an initiative to rescue and rehabilitate current child sex workers and at risk children from the brothels. We will build a residential schools away from the brothels. Rescue child sex workers and at risk children, raise them as our own by providing free food, shelter, clothing, medical help, education, vocational training and HOPE

The Solution

Project Udaan is a pilot project for the Sonagachi red light area in Kolkata, for creating a “Safe Haven” for 50 girls, where they can lead a normal childhood, safe from the real dangers of the flesh trade.

By setting up a “Safe Home” we will demonstrate that such efforts can be very successful. This will encourage other NGOs to also take up this cause and they will be able to reach out to the remaining 1.2 million such needy children across India

Sonagachi, Kolkata, is one of the largest red light areas in Asia. It is an area with several hundred multi-story brothels and estimated 11,000 sex workers & 14,300 children. Approx. 3,400 children are in the age group of 1 – 10 years.

The plan involves building a secure house away from the red light area. Our target age group for the 50 girls to be rescued is 5 – 18 years. We will provide them a safe home, food, clothing, modern education, health care, vocational training & most importantly HOPE

Our Vision

• Set up a secure residential school for 50 girls , at a location that is at a distance from the Red Light areas. Mothers will have visitation rights
• Set up Skills & Vocational Training center
• Include service based activities in the curriculum, increase the leadership skills & self worth of the children
• Create an enabling environment for children for all-round development of their personality and inculcate the passion for self- growth in their lives
• Include the Art of Living courses in the curriculum :
  • Organize Bal Chetana Shibirs: Bal Chetana Shibirs have been customized especially for the all-round personality development. These Shibirs help to restore the joys of childhood, innocence, and confidence among the children.
  • Organize ART Excel Courses: The ART Excel course is for children aged between 8 and 13 years, it helps them gain good personal skills and nurtures their best natural potential. ART Excel students learn life skills, yoga and breathing processes which help eliminate fear and anxiety, techniques that enhance focus and concentration, simple meditation and relaxation techniques, skills in friendship, leadership and teamwork.
• Empowerment programs for the Older Girl Child : Create a workforce that would undertake initiatives at the community level to identify and resolve issues, leading to improving their overall living conditions. The programs will also nurture and groom social leadership amongst them. The participants will be provided with a wide spectrum of in-depth training with regard to their physical, mental and emotional development for dealing with any challenging situation effortlessly and to undertake their role in the society more effectively & efficiently.