How to Help At-Risk Children in India
India is a developing country with a vast population spanning the subcontinent, from Kerala in the South to Kashmir in the North. There are over 470 million children in India under the age of 18 (source); this is larger than the entire population of the United States of America! Children in India face many obstacles that come from growing up in developing areas with poverty, sickness, and less-than-ideal living conditions. The good news is that there are many ways you can help at-risk children living in India.
So, how can you help at-risk children in India? Here is a list of some of the most common and beneficial ways you can help at-risk children living in India:
- Go on a medical mission trip to provide aid to those in India
- Volunteer to teach English at a school in India
- Sponsor a child in India so that they can go to school and get daily meals
- Purchase fair trade products from India
- Support organizations dedicated to helping at-risk children in India
While it can be frustrating to try and make a difference in a nation that’s across the world, it’s important to remember that by helping just one person, you can change their entire world. Charles Dickens said, “no one is useless who lightens the burden of another.” Simply by lightening the burden that others carry can be enough to change a life. Keep reading to get a more in-depth look at how you can help children in India.
Go On a Medical Mission Trip to Serve At-Risk Children in India
One great way to make an immediate impact on an at-risk child’s life is to go on a medical mission trip. While you may hear arguments about whether or not short-term mission trips really make a difference, medical mission trips provide aid and treatment for many people who otherwise wouldn’t receive medical attention.
With so many people in India living below the poverty line, many at-risk children are not able to receive routine medical care. A medical issue that may seem so small to us can be life-threatening to them. Many medical mission trips are geared to serve the poverty-stricken areas of India where the community otherwise wouldn’t receive medical care.
If you want to visit and experience India along with serving at-risk children, a medical mission trip may be a great option for you. There are many organizations that organize these short-term trips and who have connections in India. You may have to fill out a form stating whether or not you have medical experience.
As you look for a medical mission trip to India, choose one that caters to your abilities. Some of these trips will only take medical professionals to India while others will be more open to bringing those with no medical experience. There are many different medical trips you may encounter. Some of these trips are designed to provide dentistry to the community while others provide services for pregnant women or just basic medical exams.
Volunteer to Teach At-Risk Children in India
If you have a heart for the at-risk children in India, a long-term option for helping them is to teach in a school. Throughout India, schools take volunteers to teach children. While the younger generations in India can be well-versed in English, many of the older generations or the people in poverty can not speak the language. Being able to speak English can help at-risk children get jobs in the future.
Depending on the foundation or the organization you decide to go through to teach in India will determine the credentials you need in order to do the job. While some positions may require a college degree or teaching experience, there are many opportunities for those who don’t have this experience. If you are good with children and have a heart to reach at-risk children, this may be the perfect opportunity for you!
You may be able to find volunteer positions where you teach in a school for only a few months, while other positions will be for at least a year. Teaching in an Indian school is the best way to build relationships and educate India at-risk children. The school year in India is different than the school year in America, so do adequate research beforehand so that you can know what to expect.
Sponsor an At-Risk Child in India
If you want to help at-risk children in India but don’t have the means or the time to travel across the world, there are many ways you can help right from your home. One way you can touch a life in India is by sponsoring a child to go to school and receive daily meals.
While many people are apprehensive to give to organizations who support and sponsor at-risk children, there are many trusting and helpful organizations out there who are working to help the poor and the needy. If you’re wondering why you have to give through an organization, there are certain laws and regulations in place that prevent just anyone from transferring money from supporters to people in need. These organizations must have a certain status that allows them to do this, which makes them more trustworthy than others.
As mentioned above, there are over 470 million children in India; one organization cannot financially oversee all the needs of all of these children. By providing a way for others to sponsor the children and pay for schooling and meals, it improves the reach and the number of lives that are able to be changed.
In India, many families are too poor to send their children to school or even feed them every day. When you sponsor a child, you are providing these things for them. You are ensuring that the child is educated and fed, which also alleviates some of the burden put on the parents.
Purchase Fair Trade Products to Support At-Risk Children in India
Another way you can help at-risk children in India is by purchasing Fair Trade products. Many produce or items may come from India, but the laborers who make these items or grow the produce rarely receive adequate wages for the work they have done. What Fair Trade does is it ensures that the local producers or laborers are receiving money back from the item being purchased all the way over in America.
When you purchase Fair Trade products, you could be supporting an at-risk child’s family, or even an at-risk child themselves. Many children in India work hard jobs from a young age to help support their families. There are stores set up across America dedicated to providing Fair Trade products for sale. You can also find Fair Trade items marked with a sticker of their status, so you know that you are supporting someone in another country.
The great thing about purchasing a Fair Trade product is that you’re getting something authentically handmade in India. These items can make gifts for your family and friends, and help to support locals over in India. You can find more information on Fair Trade producers in India here.
Support Organizations That Are Dedicated to Helping At-Risk Children in India
One way you can help at-risk children in India is by supporting organizations that are dedicated to helping at-risk children. India is a big place with many people; organizations and people from across the world have seen the need in helping these children. Finding a trustworthy organization that does good work in India is not hard to find.
There are many things about running an organization that is overlooked for the general public. Many of these entities are non-profit and rely on volunteers. They rely on finances coming in from supporters on a month-to-month basis in order to help the surrounding community. Simply supporting these organizations can be enough to touch someone’s life.
If you want to specifically help the at-risk children in India, there are many groups and organizations out there who provide schooling, food, protection, anxiety counseling, and aid to these children. These organizations can touch so many lives within the communities that they work in. By giving to this type of organization, you’re allowing them to continue to reach others.
Helping at-risk children in India is not only fulfilling, but it also guarantees change for future generations. The only way to better the world is to start one person at a time. Many people and children live in poverty throughout India; through the actions we take today, we can help diminish these percentages and make the world a better place for the generations to come.
We hope this article was helpful to you as you look for ways to help at-risk children in India. Many of the children in India have experienced serious trauma in their lives. If you plan on going on a mission trip to help these children, it may be wise to understand how to communicate with those who have been through a trauma. To learn more, check out our article Trauma Counseling Approaches: Complete Guide.
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