Project Help India Director Amit Samuel (4th from the left) meeting with police, educators, and community leaders in Kotdwara as a new Child Protection & Advocacy Task Force begins responding to vulnerable children at risk of exploitation, substance abuse, and trafficking.
On the Ground
Across the communities where Project Help India works, we are continually reminded of both the beauty and the complexity of this work.
Every day, our teams spend time with children in our centres, visit families, support vulnerable communities, and continue building relationships that have grown through trust and consistency over many years.
But increasingly, we are also seeing something else.
Something harder to ignore.
In recent conversations with local police and community leaders, we are increasingly hearing about children at significant risk of harm — children living on the streets, disengaged from education, and vulnerable to exploitation.
Some are using substances at a very young age.
Some are being influenced or controlled by others.
Some are simply trying to survive.
These are not always the stories that are easy to tell.
But they are real.
And they are becoming more visible.
Last month, our Director met with the Anti-Human Trafficking Police Unit in Kotdwara, alongside government officials and community representatives. Together, they discussed the growing need to better identify, support, and protect vulnerable children.
What became clear is this:
While efforts are being made, there are still significant gaps — and often very few people willing or able to stand alongside police and local authorities as they respond with limited resources.
Children are being rescued — but often there is nowhere safe for them to go.
Families are struggling — but have limited support.
Communities are sometimes aware, yet also accepting or uncertain about how to respond, often lacking both resources and support themselves.
And so, as an organisation, we are continuing to listen, to learn, and to consider what role we can play.
Because for us, this work is not about reacting once.
It is about continuing to show up — in simple, practical ways like helping with resources, giving school and community talks, and reaching out to vulnerable children and their families, through to longer-term advocacy and strategic planning.
Just over the past two weeks, we have:
Worked with police and local schools in response to a series of tragic drug-related deaths involving teenagers in the community
Worked alongside police to identify and support 12 highly vulnerable street children (aged 12 and under), many living in extreme poverty and at significant risk
Spent time planning and organising our limited resources for what needs to be done next — and this is where we will need your help
In the coming month, we’ll be sharing more about what we are seeing, and how we are responding — particularly in the area of child advocacy and protection.
Thank you for continuing to stand with us — and for helping us keep showing up.