Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways AIWG-RCCR Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways

Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways Does the child have agency? Does the child make decisions? within the options available? based on their context and circumstances? Do they choose from the formal and informal support available? And deals with the Harassment? 3. Are the decisions based on their capacities, individual and collective? 4. Are the decisions based on their preferences: for freedom, dignity, and relations? To understand the Child’s Agency, what things do we need to look for in each question?

Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways West South East North Total Total stations 31 35 45 16 127 Total organisations 10 40

Children in Contact with Railways Where do they come from? Why? What do they do? Who harasses them? Who helps them? What do they plan for future? These are the six major questions. Lets see what the children have to say.

Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways 1. Where do the children come from?

Are all children “Runaways”? Where are the children from? 44% are from the same city

Are all children “Runaways”? Do they visit home? 71% visit home

Are all children “Runaways”? Who do they live with? 53% live with their families

Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways Are all children “Runaways”?

Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways 2. Why did they come to the station?

Does recue and restore work for all? Why did they come to the station? 49% Earn money 21% My own terms

Does recue and restore work for all? Earn for survival!! Migrated to city with family to pay loan for sister’s marriage To pay debt after father died of alcoholism Lost livelihood after slum demolition Father committed suicide after tested HIV positive “We had to stand for the family.”

Does recue and restore work for all? Live on own terms!! Got bored of school, and comparison with cousins Parents could not afford school, started hanging out near station Not allowed to eat non-veg. and make friends with lower caste Started working from age of 10, likes independence “The full responsibility of running the household lies on me.”

Does recue and restore work for all? Abuse at home!! Father left her in the red light area, with a ‘bua’ Mother married again, drank and beat a lot Psychologically disturbed from ill-treatment by step mother Father sold her off as domestic maid, brother sexually abused when she escaped and returned home.

Does recue and restore work for all? Frequency of home visit Most of them visit Home Frequency of home visit

Does recue and restore work for all? Reasons for not visiting home?

Does recue and restore work for all? Stories of repeated leaving!! Pressure to perform better in studies Held responsible for father’s accident Ill-treatment by step parents Beaten by father Sexually abused in hostel Still many children talk about their responsibilities towards their families

Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways Does the rescue and restore approach work for all children?

Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways 3. What do they do at the station?

Need to earn! What work do they do?

Stories of Work for Survival!! Need to earn! Stories of Work for Survival!! Begs with mother at station after father jailed Performs gymnastics with others of her community Lives with uncle, sells popcorn to send money home Prefers to beg than to smuggle liquor like her mother “I do not understand what is child labour….the officials force me not to support my family because I am too young to work.”

Need to earn! Change in Work, Why? Used to sell buttermilk, then started working with transgender Left smuggling liquor and now supply water bottle boxes Used to sell tobacco, started working at a tea stall, then switched back Tried working at a mechanic shop, then started begging and colleting coal Was selling cold Pepsi on the train, purchases declined after summer and so switched to selling chana. Worked as a sweeper in a hotel, a cleaner in a lodge, a rag-picker collecting plastic waste from trains and wine shops, stealing petrol from vehicles, as a tea vendor with a railway contractor, and selling key chains, handkerchiefs and towels in moving trains.

Need to earn! Security at Work, How? Prefers footbridge where Railway Police do not harass Sell fruits only in short distance trains Begs only at smaller railway stations and in trains where people speak the same language Does got go where the big children are

Change in station : 38% Reasons? Need to earn! Change in station : 38% Reasons? Stories of change in work

Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways Is this work criminal?

Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways 4. Who harasses them?

55% of all children face harassment Who are the children unsafe from? Who harasses children? 55% of all children face harassment Who are the children unsafe from?

Change in sleeping location : 31% Reason? Who harasses children? Change in sleeping location : 31% Reason?

Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways Care and Protection or Harassment? What support is needed to stop this harassment?

Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways 5. Who helps them and how?

Help and support structure Does anyone helps and supports children? 53% says no one helps

Help and support structure Do they have friends?

Help and support structure Who helps?

Help and support structure What help do they receive?

Help and support structure Issues with NGO?

Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways How the informal support structures created by the child can be strengthened?

Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways 6. What have they planned for the future?

Planning for future Saving?

Planning for future Saving with whom?

Planning for future Reasons for not saving?

Planning for next two years? Planning for future Planning for next two years?

Research on Life World and Agency of Children in Contact with Railways What help can be provided to support the children’s plan for their future?

Children in Contact with Railways Where do they come from? Why? What do they do? Who harasses them? Who helps? What do they plan for future?

The stories shared by the children throws open several more questions…… Are all children “Runaways”? Does the rescue and restore approach work for all children? How do we acknowledge and respect the Agency of a Working Child? Why criminalise the children? What support structures are needed to stop the harassment of child by Police, older kids, family and children homes? How to ‘care and protect’? How the informal support structures created by the child can be strengthened? What help can be provided to support the children’s plan for their future?