SPID-SMS Center<\/a> has been working to improve the lives of the children of women trafficked and forced into prostitution in GB Road, New Delhi\u2019s notorious red light district. It is the only project in the area providing 24-hour shelter, protection, education and nutrition to approximately 65 children. The center gives these children an opportunity to carve out a different future and escape the risk of being forced into sex work. The safe, happy environment inside SMS is a stark contrast to the rooms in which they are otherwise locked and left whilst their mothers work<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
GoPhilanthropic has been partnered with SMS since 2014, supporting a range of essential budget items such as staff salaries, local travel costs and excursions for the children so they have a chance to experience life beyond the red light area. As GoPhil\u2019s Regional Development Manager based in New Delhi, my role involves supporting our partners in capacity building and organisational development, guided of course by their own plans and strategies. Over the past year I have been fortunate to spend a great deal of time at the SMS Center and have worked with the staff on a wide variety of tasks – such as helping to draft their Child Protection Policy and volunteer guidelines, developing job descriptions for all the staff (a first for the organization!), identifying local sources of funding (e.g. through Embassies in Delhi) and looking at ways the center can better measure the impact of its important work.<\/span><\/p>\nChildren arrive malnourished<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\nMany of the children arrive at SMS malnourished, having received very poor diets in their early years, and the the center has always strived to provide them with the best diet possible on a shoestring budget. But addressing malnourishment and correcting many years of deficiencies is challenging and requires both resources and expertise. <\/span><\/p>\nFinding the Funds<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\nAt the end of 2016, I started working with a number of Delhi-based volunteers who were running art classes at the center every Friday. They were planning to organize a big art exhibition to show-case all the amazing art work the kids were producing each week and simultaneously raise some essential funds to improve nutrition in the center. In November, the Heart for Hope art exhibition, and the follow up interest that was generated by this, raised an incredible $14,500 – from Indian and expats living in Delhi – meaning that the center now has enough funds to provide additional nutrition items for the children until mid 2018.<\/span><\/p>\nEnlisting Top Nutritionists<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\nWe enlisted the pro bono support of the excellent Lovneet Batra, one of Delhi\u2019s top nutritionists, who has provided some amazing suggestions for cost effective ways to improve the children\u2019s diet and increase their intake of protein and other essential nutrients. With her input, the SMS staff and children worked together to devise a new menu. This menu incorporates a lot more protein, fruit and vegetables than the children were eating before and ensures that they eat three balanced meals a day plus regular snacks. The children are very happy with the new menu and their favourite foods are chicken curry and boiled eggs, though Project Manager Lalitha is working hard to encourage them to try all the new vegetables too!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n