The proposal is to seek funding support to strengthen the child protection work at the Anand Vihar ISBT. RCI will work with the children protected at the Anand Vihar ISBT ensuring that all identified vulnerable children are protected from the risk of falling into child labour, substance abuse and trafficking; and support them to continue to reunite and stay with their families. We have planned to support these children post to their restoration with families with school re-enrolment and vocational training and linkage with a social security scheme to overcome their vulnerability which played as a push factor for the child to leave his/her home.

Delhi has one of India's largest bus transport systems. Buses are the most popular means of transport catering to about 60% of Delhi's total demand. Swami Vivekanand Inter State Bus Terminal popularly known as Anand Vihar ISBT, located in East Delhi is one of the three Inter State Bus Terminals in Delhi and in operation since March 1996. The Anand Vihar ISBT, is located in the trans-Yamuna region and is spread over an area of approximately 25 acres and operates bus services between Delhi and focused two other states, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and there is a direct bus to Nepal. There are DTC and Cluster buses in Delhi, and many private operators also operate in the vicinity. Anand Vihar metro station is situated on the premises of ISBT Anand Vihar. Anand Vihar Railway Station is also located in close vicinity of ISBT Anand Vihar. Almost 2,000 buses operate at this transport terminal each day. The total footfall of the bus terminal is more than one lakh per day.

Railway Children India has conducted a baseline survey to assess the vulnerability of the bus terminal in terms of child protection. The survey found that:

• There is no proper child protection system operational at the bus terminal where more than 1500 primary (police, bus drivers, conductors) and secondary stakeholders (Coolies, auto drivers, vendors, cleaning staff etc.) engaged in various activities. These stakeholders were not aware of child protection.
• The bus terminal is the transit point for passengers who use the Anand Vihar Metro and Anand Vihar railway station for commuting to different parts of NCR.
• The survey identified 221 children who came in contact with the bus terminal and protected 20 most vulnerable children who were in need of care and protection and reunified them with their parents through the Child Welfare Committee and with the support of Local Police.
• Out of the 20 children including 4 girls, 50% of the children have moved away from home due to family issues or abuses at home or place of residence. 30% of the children have come for searching work and escaped from exploitative working environments. 20% of the children protected were missing children found at the bus terminal.
• Almost one child at risk arrives at the bus terminal every day which makes the Anand Vihar ISBT an important hotspot and having a lack of a system would increase the possibility of child trafficking.  
• The survey also observed that 80 children including 30 girl children in the age group of 12 to 17 years access the bus terminal every day for rag picking. These children were living near the bus terminal along with their families. Out of these 80 children, 30 were below 14 years and none of the children was attending school.

Railway Children India (RCI) will continue to work at Anand Vihar ISBT to protect children and all protected children will be provided shelter and food and restoration. Post the pandemic, Anand Vihar ISBT has started witnessing more children who arrive alone and in risky situations. Hence, the intervention at the Anand Vihar ISBT will be a milestone work towards Child Protection work on Bus Terminals in India.

GOAL- Every child arriving in at Anand Vihar ISBT is protected from abuse and exploitation and reunified and retained  in family-based care.

Objective-

To protect 550 children arriving alone and at risk at and around Anand Vihar ISBT and to sustainably rehabilitate them with family and/or long-term care home during 1 year of intervention & Develop Anand Vihar ISBT as model Inter-State Bus Terminal on Child Protection & Safeguarding.

Expected Outcome-

• 500 children who arrived alone, at risk and in need of care and protection are protected at Anand Vihar ISBT and reunified with their families and or referred to long-care homes.
• 450 reunified children are staying with their families and other child-care institutions received post-restoration and rehabilitation services including counselling, school admission, linkage to vocational training and sponsorship/ scholarship schemes.
• 50 children in contact with street situations, living around AVISBT have improved access to education, health, and social protection.
• 500 ISBT stakeholders (Police Staff, Bus Conductors, Drivers, Vendors and ISBT level officials) are trained and sensitized on child protection and Child rights.
• Child Help Group (CHG) with the participation of stakeholders is constituted at AVISBT and functional under the leadership of the DGM ISBT.
• 5000 passengers will be sensitized through campaigns and awareness programmes at Anand Vihar ISBT in 1 year of intervention.

Key Activities

Activity 1: 24hr outreach at the Anand Vihar ISBT

Activity 2: 24x7 Child Help Support   

Activity 3: Restoration of children with families or refer them to long-term care

Activity 4: Post-restoration support to reunified children

Activity 5: Training and Sensitization of ISBT authorities, drivers, conductors, and vendors at the ISBT

Activity 6: Formation & Facilitation of Child Help Group (CHG) at the ISBT 

Activity 7: Awareness Campaign at the Bus Terminal

Activity 8: Rehabilitation of children living in the street situations around AVISBT

1. 24x7 Child Protection at Anand Vihar ISBT
2. Excellent Employee Engagement Opportunity
3. Safe and Successful Restoration of Children with families and family strengthening intervention

a) Introduction

Railway Children India’s (RCI) vision is “a world where no child ever has to live on the street”. To make this happen we work at transport terminals and high-risk communities to identify and protect children at risk thereby preventing them from slipping into street life. RCI is a section 8 not-for-profit company registered in the year 2013. RCI currently works at 6 railway stations, 1 bus terminal and 9 slum communities across 6 states protecting 7000 children annually. RCI is a resource agency for Indian Railways to train and sensitize their personnel on child protection across the nation and played a significant role in the development of the first-ever guideline for the protection of children in contact with railway stations and Indian Railways standard operating procedures on child protection.

b) Impact (2015- March 2022):

• 20337 children were protected and prevented from slipping into street life.
• 90% of children are safely restored with families and long-term care institutions.
• More than 9000 vulnerable children accessed short-term care services such as safe shelter, nutrition, education, and medical support.
• Supported 18000 children across 30 slum communities with Covid 19 relief services.
• 42184 railway officials trained on how to protect children & create child-friendly stations. 
• Over 11 lakh railway passengers are sensitized to child protection.