In Pictures: The unseen lives of Delhi’s street children

While Children’s Day is celebrated across India with joy and enthusiasm, honouring the dreams and innocence of young lives, there exists a hidden reality for thousands of children living on the streets of Delhi. For them, this day offers no respite from their daily battle for survival. Born into poverty or abandoned by families unable to care for them, these children represent a vulnerable group that society often overlooks. Their childhoods are not defined by joy or learning but by the relentless struggle for food, safety, and shelter.

According to a 2021 survey by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR), over 70,000 children live on the streets of the capital. Alarmingly, nearly half are addicted to substances, and more than half lack access to basic necessities like food, water, and electricity. These numbers highlight a crisis that continues to grow yet remains largely invisible in the city’s daily bustle.

In areas like Chandni Chowk, near busy traffic signals, and on the crowded platforms of metro stations, street children are a common sight. Barefoot and often barely clothed, they weave through crowds, asking for spare change, selling trinkets, or cleaning windshields.

Some carry younger siblings; others sing or dance for money. Despite their hardship, these children exhibit a resilience that is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

However, their true yearning goes beyond the occasional coin or handout. Their deepest desires are for stability, safety, and access to opportunities that might lift them from the cycle of poverty.

Yet, without consistent access to education, healthcare, or even basic shelter, their lives remain a constant struggle. The fear of hunger, abuse, and exploitation looms over them daily, but they hold on, fighting for survival in a system that too often ignores them.

This photo story seeks to capture these children’s lives—not only their vulnerability but also their remarkable strength. Behind their tired eyes and prematurely aged faces lies a lost childhood, one that no child should have to endure.

As we celebrate Children’s Day, it is crucial to recognise these invisible lives and to advocate for a future where no child is left behind. The lost childhoods of Delhi’s streets remind us of the work that remains to be done to ensure every child has the chance to dream.