Rupa shivers at the thought of the chilly evenings she would have to endure with nothing but a thin rug and a fire by the roadside as the cold winter months draw near. The 14-year-old girl, who resides in the Delhi slums, has experienced much hardship. Her mother has been battling to provide for her and her younger brother since their father passed away due to COVID. Rupa is aware of her mother’s struggles, but she worries that they may not be able to endure the cold without assistance.
The sight of such people is not new. Each year hundreds of homeless people even die in the biting cold. While we are all cuddled up in our homes with warm clothes and food, many on the streets don’t have the means to afford a single meal or blanket.
At the moment, Delhi and many parts of Northern India are facing one of the harshest winters of the decade. Portions of Delhi were shivering at 1.4 degrees Celsius, and it is predicted to experience severe weather in many areas.
In such a scenario, an NGO from the city has come forward to aid the slum dwellers. Named Voice of Slum, the Noida-based welfare organization has been taking up the noble task of distributing warm clothes, blankets, and woolens to the poor every year. They have impacted 15000+ families in Delhi NCR, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar with this campaign so far and reaching out more.
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How The NGO Founder’s Past Shaped Their Act Of Kindness
“After experiencing so much privation in our own lives, we wanted to make sure that no child ever endures suffering as we did. That is exactly why the NGO’s co-founder Chandni and I founded Voice of Slum. We wish to better the lives of the impoverished and the disadvantaged,” said Dev Pratap, Co-founder of Voice of Slum.
Dev ran away from his home at 11, lived at the railway station for several days, got arrested, and was in a police station for a fortnight. He, too, was born to be just another slum dweller, a rag picker, and a drug addict, but he decided to fight for a better life.
Likewise, Chandni was once a Slum-dweller who worked with her father from the tender age of six, doing roadside shows. After her father’s untimely demise, she had to survive with her mother by rag-picking and selling flowers at traffic lights.
“Most of my childhood was spent outdoors picking rags, dwelling in slums. Even in the coldest nights we did not have blankets or a home to live. All I had was a banyan and a knicker. Today, I have reached this state in life because of someone’s help. But there are millions on the streets facing the same fate that I had in my past. They are falling sick and dying. This propelled us to send out blankets, and warm clothes to those who are in need of them,” added the NGO’s co-founder.
To keep up the good work, they appeal to the affluent to lend a hand and make the world a warmer place for the slum dwellers.
“The kindness of donors has always filled our hearts with joy. We request you to come forward and join us in our mission by donating winter clothes and blankets. Every donation will save a life,” Dev concluded.
About Voice of Slum
Voice of Slum is a non-profit, youth-driven organization working relentlessly to transform the lives of slum dwellers. They educate the kids in these areas and work towards giving them opportunities so that they can break the shackles of poverty and become self-reliant.
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During the pandemic, they have made a remarkable impact on the lives of thousands living in Noida’s slums.
They have helped over 815 school dropouts from 500+ slum-dwelling families to come back to education through the bridge program, enrolled over 315 in formal schools, trained over 100 women in vocational courses, and provided over 22 Lac meals to the needy.
Click here to join their cause.