24-hours of shelter from the harsh environments of the streets

In May 2019 we extended our target group to include the youngest street children – namely babies and toddlers. In our 24-hour Baby & Toddler Centre we provide safe, nourishing and stimulating surroundings with soft mattresses and warm hands. The centre has not just saved lives, but also transformed babies from being distressed and absent - to attentive, energetic and curious small children.

Previously, our centre had to close at 9 p.m, which meant that we had to send mothers with babies and toddlers back to the station and the slum areas during nights. We struggled to protect the children against abuse and human trafficking, which was difficult without being able to provide a roof over their heads during nights, where kidnapping is the highest risk. A 24-hour shelter is the best way for us to avoid this. Thus we are extremely grateful that this building has been donated to us.

When early years leave long-term imprints in life

Like all other projects, the vision of a Baby & Toddler Centre was based on our experiences in the field. On train stations, our outreach team regularly find infants lying exhausted and malnourished among dirt on the floor – surrounded by the noise of millions of travelers. We acknowledge how damaging these traumas are for their mental and physical development, and how important the first years are for a child. They need stability, security and stimulating surroundings to get a good start in life. But in the streets, people fight for their survival. This struggle leaves no room for vital needs of the smallest children – such as attention, nourishment and stimulation.

A Mother's role in early childhood development

At the centre we offer meals for mothers and their babies, including free food and breast-milk substitutes. In addition we offer diapers, baths, laundering and activities to stimulate their motor skills development. Every day around 10 AM – 3 PM, mothers show up with 1-2 children each. The changes in these mothers usually become significant, which directly affects the relation to their children. Some of the mothers have been heavily affected by alcoholism. Now they show up at the centre almost every day. This progress is so crucial for the children’s individual development. When we see mothers start taking responsibility for themselves and their children, we know that the project has a lifechanging impact.

The centre has been an essential lifeline and inspiration to these women. The amount of stability, peace and hope they have found here has also passed on to their children. They become better mothers each day, and that is the exact purpose with this centre – to provide mothers with tools that enables them to give their children a healthy, safe and loving childhood.

The center is expanding to a 24-hour Baby and Mother’s Home

Sending children and mothers back to the station and slums when the center closes at 9 PM has been a significant concern, as they are extremely vulnerable there. Together with the Missionaries of the Word, we are fighting tooth and nail to protect the children from abuse and human trafficking, but it is challenging without a place to offer them shelter during the night when the risk of kidnapping is highest. That’s why we expanded the center, which was originally a 12-hour service, to become a 24-hour shelter. Keeping them off the streets 24/7 is the strongest weapon against human trafficking and abuse, and we are thrilled that the house is large enough to accommodate all the mothers and their babies for overnight stays in safe, warm, and calm surroundings, free from the stress, chaos, and fear of the streets.