The heat in New Delhi has been soaring, and while everyone worries over water and electricity problems, there are more than two lakh people who are homeless in India. Eking out spaces in the mammoth city is a daunting task. The popular night shelters in Delhi are for the large number of ‘homeless’ people who come to work, and most of them are ‘pay and use’ ones available for Rs. 6 to Rs. 12 a day. In the extreme weather conditions of severe cold or harsh winters and the drying up of water resources, finding a decent place to stay is a challenge. These night shelters of course do not cater to children and families, and to those who cannot afford this amount. The Centre for Equity Studies is currently attempting to convince the government to build infrastructure and a sustained programme for the homeless.
The NGO has started a number of rehabilitation homes for children as a short-term measure, but conversations with the NGO workers, reveal that there is indeed a long way to go, and for a sustained and meaningful initiative it is crucial that the effort is adopted by the Government. The visit to Kilkari Home, near Kashmere gate, gave a short glimpse of the odds faced to build a space called home for children.
The Kilkari girls’ rehabilitation home is run in an old dilapidated bungalow near Kashmere Gate. The bungalow earlier owned by Sultan Singh, a famous businessman and Zamindar in these parts, during the time of Independence was donated by his son to the government, specifically to the NCC (National Cadet Corps) department. While a part of the bungalow was being used for official purposes, many of the rooms were lying vacant and being used as go downs. It was these vacant spaces, which are being made much better use of now, for the rehabilitation home.
The fifty children living there have brought back life to the old house. The space given on lease by the Government to Kilkari has been reshaped into a kitchen, mess and TV room, a reading room, and a small office for file and bookkeeping. Upstairs, three rooms provide space for classroom activities, dormitories, a washroom and a health room. As one walks into the balcony from the dormitory on the first floor, the architecture sets you back in history for a while.
I simply think about the concept ‘home’, home being that philosophical space to which you come back, think, reflect, rest and dream. What could this stay mean for the children at Kilkari, and a slice of their childhood, I wonder. It takes me to a poem by Vikram Seth titled
‘Homeless’
I envy those
Who have a house of their own,
Who can say their feet
Rest on what is their’s alone,
Who do not live on sufferance
In stranger’s shells,
As my family has all our life,
And as I probably will.
A place on earth, untenured,
Soil grass, brick, air,
To know I will never have to move;
To review the season from one lair
When night comes to lie down in peace;
To know that I may die as I have slept;
That things will not revert to a stranger’s hand;
That those I love may keep what I have kept
Homelessness brings with it insecurity. The building being under the ASI(Archaeological Survey of India) allows only temporary changes inside. Thus the staff of Kilkari have tried to envision the spaces for multiple uses during the day with little alterations inside. The space has been given to Kilkari on a three-year lease, and though there is no certainty, there is hope that it would be allowed to continue further.
Most of the children coming in from the street around the Connaught Place area are either orphans or with single mothers. While some of them have settled down, some miss their original places or spaces, some believe their mothers have abandoned them and may not come back, some still hope that they will come and take them. Homelessness brings with it a disintegration of the family.
We have a fervent discussion on freedom. Is it really ‘freedom’ on the street, or is it simply vulnerability, helplessness or a lack of choice. It is difficult to bring in lifestyle changes, especially among children who have been stereotyped already.
A small lawn adjacent to the house looks like a perfect place to play during the day long routine at the home. But the Home Manager shares the difficult experiences she has had with the Secondary School, which uses the lawn. They do not want the Kilkari kids to play in the lawn and mix with the children coming to the school. They fear the bad influence.
A lot of emphasis is given to classroom activities so that the children can slowly be integrated into schools later. Here too, there are problems, some street children who were earlier in private schools could never settle there, because of the discriminatory attitude.
Julie(name changed) lies sprawled on the floor and refuses to sit with the children watching TV. As the door between the adult and child domain shuts, Julie insists on sitting with the adults. Julie is still breaking into the home. She misses her brother who has been sent to the boy's home, while she and her sister continue to live at Kilkari. Both her younger brother and sister have complained of being sexually abused. The Home Manager suspects that Julie's behaviour is suggestive of worse stories. Julie has not divulged anything, and finds it difficult to communicate to the children and the adults around her.
The children at Kilkari continue to struggle to find a language to explain themselves, their life and their place called ‘home’.
The NGO has started a number of rehabilitation homes for children as a short-term measure, but conversations with the NGO workers, reveal that there is indeed a long way to go, and for a sustained and meaningful initiative it is crucial that the effort is adopted by the Government. The visit to Kilkari Home, near Kashmere gate, gave a short glimpse of the odds faced to build a space called home for children.
The Kilkari girls’ rehabilitation home is run in an old dilapidated bungalow near Kashmere Gate. The bungalow earlier owned by Sultan Singh, a famous businessman and Zamindar in these parts, during the time of Independence was donated by his son to the government, specifically to the NCC (National Cadet Corps) department. While a part of the bungalow was being used for official purposes, many of the rooms were lying vacant and being used as go downs. It was these vacant spaces, which are being made much better use of now, for the rehabilitation home.
The fifty children living there have brought back life to the old house. The space given on lease by the Government to Kilkari has been reshaped into a kitchen, mess and TV room, a reading room, and a small office for file and bookkeeping. Upstairs, three rooms provide space for classroom activities, dormitories, a washroom and a health room. As one walks into the balcony from the dormitory on the first floor, the architecture sets you back in history for a while.
I simply think about the concept ‘home’, home being that philosophical space to which you come back, think, reflect, rest and dream. What could this stay mean for the children at Kilkari, and a slice of their childhood, I wonder. It takes me to a poem by Vikram Seth titled
‘Homeless’
I envy those
Who have a house of their own,
Who can say their feet
Rest on what is their’s alone,
Who do not live on sufferance
In stranger’s shells,
As my family has all our life,
And as I probably will.
A place on earth, untenured,
Soil grass, brick, air,
To know I will never have to move;
To review the season from one lair
When night comes to lie down in peace;
To know that I may die as I have slept;
That things will not revert to a stranger’s hand;
That those I love may keep what I have kept
Homelessness brings with it insecurity. The building being under the ASI(Archaeological Survey of India) allows only temporary changes inside. Thus the staff of Kilkari have tried to envision the spaces for multiple uses during the day with little alterations inside. The space has been given to Kilkari on a three-year lease, and though there is no certainty, there is hope that it would be allowed to continue further.
Most of the children coming in from the street around the Connaught Place area are either orphans or with single mothers. While some of them have settled down, some miss their original places or spaces, some believe their mothers have abandoned them and may not come back, some still hope that they will come and take them. Homelessness brings with it a disintegration of the family.
We have a fervent discussion on freedom. Is it really ‘freedom’ on the street, or is it simply vulnerability, helplessness or a lack of choice. It is difficult to bring in lifestyle changes, especially among children who have been stereotyped already.
A small lawn adjacent to the house looks like a perfect place to play during the day long routine at the home. But the Home Manager shares the difficult experiences she has had with the Secondary School, which uses the lawn. They do not want the Kilkari kids to play in the lawn and mix with the children coming to the school. They fear the bad influence.
A lot of emphasis is given to classroom activities so that the children can slowly be integrated into schools later. Here too, there are problems, some street children who were earlier in private schools could never settle there, because of the discriminatory attitude.
Julie(name changed) lies sprawled on the floor and refuses to sit with the children watching TV. As the door between the adult and child domain shuts, Julie insists on sitting with the adults. Julie is still breaking into the home. She misses her brother who has been sent to the boy's home, while she and her sister continue to live at Kilkari. Both her younger brother and sister have complained of being sexually abused. The Home Manager suspects that Julie's behaviour is suggestive of worse stories. Julie has not divulged anything, and finds it difficult to communicate to the children and the adults around her.
The children at Kilkari continue to struggle to find a language to explain themselves, their life and their place called ‘home’.
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