Kaafi’s story
When ten-year-old Kaafi* boarded a train in Bihar with a contact of the family, he thought he was on his way to a new school. Instead, on reaching Delhi, he was forced to work long hours in a shop for no pay.
After 10 months, tired, scared and missing his family, Kaafi ran away. But without money or a plan, he only got as far as Delhi’s busy Anand Vihar railway station.
Thankfully, he was spotted by police before he could come to serious harm and was placed in a childcare institution while our workers tried to trace his family.
Changing the narrative
It took four months but, eventually, our team located Kaafi’s family. His parents confirmed their son was meant to be going to Delhi to study. But, shortly after leaving home the phone number of Kaafi’s guardian had gone dead and his parents were left with no way to trace him.
Kaafi’s parents had reported their son missing and spent what money they had trying to find him but, fourteen months on, were beginning to lose hope. The family were overjoyed to know their son was safe. They travelled to Delhi to meet with the Child Welfare Committee and Railway Children workers.
Kaafi is now back home, settled and happy.
But if we’d been at the station in Bihar right at the start of his journey, Kaafi might have been spared the past 14 traumatic months of his young life.
£116 could fund an outreach worker at a busy transport station for two weeks, ensuring more children like Kaafi are seen, safe and supported, before it’s too late.
*Names have been changed and models used to protect identities.
Your money will be used wherever the need is greatest to support children across India, Tanzania and the UK.