The Working Children of Yamuna Bank

As we curl up in blankets and sip hot tea, Delhi’s winter and smoggy skies are host to different realities. Every morning these children on the Yamuna Bank, adjacent to the DND flyway, wake to scrape for trash.

Spending almost the entire day in the process, they have little time for games. Tired and soiled when they return home, they have to play in the dirt and dust around their homes.

The working children of these Delhi suburbs are at major risk. They have no protective gear for ragpicking, no washrooms to go to, education is a far-fetched fantasy and money is made the basic necessity.

These children live life on the edge. With little attention paid to this suburb, and a highway under construction right next to their homes, the families who live here face many troubles: basic safety, difficulty commuting, the smell of sewage, noise pollution, and polluted water and air.

This should not be their story to tell. Every child should have a complete childhood with access to leisure, education, healthcare, clean air and water, nourishing food, clothes, and safety. If we do not pay attention to securing these necessities it will impact the rest of their lives.