I RUN MY OWN NGO NOW

Seemapuri: When Nina should’ve been found in a playground with kids her age, she used to go work at a factory that made brushes. Nina’s father was a ragpicker and her mother used to work as a domestic help. They had a plot here in Delhi to stay in, however, they lacked the resources to build a house on it. So they would lay polythene sheets on the ground and sleep in the open. Despite their efforts, they were not able to provide financially for the family of eight. And that’s how this little girl from Bihar sacrificed her childhood to support her parents and started providing for her younger siblings from the young age of 10.

The turning point in Nina’s life..

What seemed like a normal day at the brush factory was life changing for Nina. The factory had a new visitor, a didi with a welcoming aura. This didi took the time to talk to Nina and her fellow workers. Watching young, innocent children working in a factory melted didi’s heart. 

This didi was no other but our diligent field worker, Sandhya. She convinced the family and Nina to join our drop-in-centre. Sandhya helped her file for a new birth certificate, get all her paperwork in order and BUDS sponsored her admission at the government school. Nina frequently visited our centre even after joining school. She would always see BUDS interns from college and dreamed if she could ever go to college…

Today..

Nina has since then completed her Master’s degree in Social Work, while working to support herself. Today, that little Nina has her own organization and is leading a happy life. 

Child labour is one of the biggest evils of society, with millions of innocent children entangled in it. Our work at BUDS remains to fight this evil so that girls like Nina can be saved.