Street children working with dignity

Bangalore: After eight months in a remand home for juvenile criminals, Prem Kumar has finally got his life back into his own hands. Specially the one he uses to direct traffic at one of Bangalore's busiest junction.

All thanks to an NGO, Empowerment of Children and Human Rights Organisation (ECHO), which tied up with the city police to train the boys as traffic assistants.

Prem Kumar says, “I earn Rs 3,500 a month and I have been working for the past three months. All the money is in the bank so I can send it to my family in case of an emergency. I am very happy doing this, I never imagined that I would get this kind of a job."

This programme was started in 2003 and since then 130 such boys have benefited from it.

The children are trained in basic traffic skills by the Police Department's Traffic Training Institute for a month. They are then back on the same streets, but this time as traffic assistants.

"This is one of the programmes whereby we felt that they can come back to mainstream society. Here their dignity is respected, “Director, ECHO Fr Anthony Sebastion says.

The first time this year 10 girls have also been inducted into this programme. The extra help has also come at the right time for the police.

Traffic East, ACP M B Mallikarjuna Swamy says, "We are running short of staff at those junctions so they are being posted there and definitely at heavy junctions 4 to 5 policemen are required wherein we are not in a position to post so many."

ECHO hopes to enroll 2,000 more children under the programme.

From the street to the street with dignity – that's the motto that echoes loudly when you see these children. Thanks to the programme, which has renewed their hope and brought them back into mainstream society.

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