Since 1995, Karunalaya has grown from a small soup kitchen to a large organisation that runs an enormous range of projects and services to champion the rights of many of the most marginalised women and children in Chennai, India.
The central pillars of their programme are providing shelter, food, healthcare, as well as offering counselling, street-based education and arts, sports programmes, vocational training and family reintegration work.
Karunalaya provides dedicated transitional accommodation for boys, and girls, as well as working with child labourers and children in pavement-dwelling communities. They focus particularly on the prevention of child marriage through family and community education, promoting girls’ continued engagement in schooling and encouraging girls’ participation in sports programmes.
With pavement-dwelling communities, street theatre has been a great tool to encourage children to share the issues affecting their lives with their families and communities. Karunalaya also empowers communities by supporting them to form pavement-dwellers’ associations. Through coming together in these associations, they can use their joint strength to ask for their rights to be recognised and to advocate for basic amenities for their communities.
We aren’t begging for this, or asking for it as a favour. It’s our human right. There is so much that needs to be done for children and families living on the street and so many stories that need to be counted. They are backed up by a lifetime of experience.” Usha, 19 years old, Chennai
Karunalaya’s advocacy and campaigning work is bringing change, and they have attracted supportive media coverage for speaking up for the right of all children on the streets to be given birth registrations.
To find out more about Karunalaya and their work, please watch our short film.
Take a look through our range of resources, blog posts, downloads and products to find out more about Amos Street Child.
Join Team Amos and run the Royal Parks Half Marathon through London this October and raise funds for Amos’ On Her Terms campaign. If you’re new to running or want to beat your PB, this is a great challenge and an opportunity to run in solidarity for girls and young women.
“It was a radically challenging and encouraging night learning from such a formidable figure as Davis, still full of the energy needed for this struggle against inequality even after more than five decades involved in activism.” Karin Joseph writes about listening to legendary activist Angela Davis speak at the Women of the World Festival in London.
“On Her Terms is transforming the lives of girls and young women on the streets so that they can be free from abuse. We are journeying with them as they take control of their lives, challenging the daily injustices they experience.” Karin Joseph recently visited Umthombo — our On Her Terms partner in Durban, South Africa. Here she writes about some of the difficulties of journeying with girls and young women who live on the streets.
“Climbing Kilimanjaro has been on my bucket list for some time. At 5,895 metres it is both the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world.” Neil Irving writes about ticking-off one item from his bucket list to raise funds for Amos Trust.
Welcome to the first On Her Terms update of 2019. This year marks 30 years since the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This landmark in children’s rights has remained a hugely important reference point for those working for justice for children and young people.
“It’s like on a flight. When the flight attendant says, ‘Make sure you put your own breathing mask on first, before helping the person next to you.’ She is absolutely right. If we can’t breathe we are of no use to anyone.” Karin Joseph writes about the first On Her Terms conference in Devon in October 2018.
“In spite of our heartbreak over Mali’s decision, we can recognise the small victory that is Mali’s choice in this, her completion of exams at 16 and her knowledge of women’s rights.” Azey Bennetts writes about the importance of small victories when working with girls on the streets of India.
What can a group of women, from cities thousands of miles apart, almost all of whom don’t speak the same language, hope to gain from spending a week together in the UK? Karin Joseph talks about some of the reasons why Amos’ on her terms campaign are so important.
“I’ve never seen women overtake men before!” declared Mary as we sat and reflected on the race later that day. This run meant many other things for these girls too — it was the first time any of them had left Mwanza or flown on a plane, let alone completing the race and being awarded their medals! Amos Street Child lead worker Karin Joseph describes running the first Zanzibar Marathon with four new friends.
Amos Communities Engagement Manager Katie Hagley shares her experience of living on £5 for 5 days. "Tomorrow my family and I will start Amos Trust’s '£5 For 5 Day' challenge to raise money and awareness for street-connected children." Read how she got on and whether her family are still talking to her!
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Amos Trust
St Clement’s
1 St Clement’s Court
London
EC4N 7HB
United Kingdom
Telephone:
+44 (0) 20 7588 2638
Email:
office@amostrust.org
Registered Charity No.
1164234
