What a load of rubbish!

 

In Nagpur, India - a city about the same size as Glasgow - a lot of kids (known as rag-pickers) have to work to support their families by picking over rubbish in huge dumps, trying to find things that can be sold. With no shoes or gloves it's all a bit rubbish!

That's why the Boys' Brigade (Church of Scotland) World Mission Fund is asking you to help make these kids' lives less rubbish by raising money to enable the Church of North India to build a centre to help them.

The centre will help the rag-pickers by giving them food, shelter, medical care, somewhere safe to sleep and the education they need so they can learn how to support their families in different ways.


 

 

Letter from Kameel (Age 9)

 

 

Click the letter above to open a text version in a new window.

 

What can we do?

The Project

Plan of centreThe Church of North India is planning to build a drop-in centre to help these children lead as normal a life as possible.

  • Almost all rag-pickers aren't able to read or write, and this means they can't earn money doing other, less dangerous things. The centre will teach these children to read and write and so help them to get out of rag-picking.
     
  • Rag-pickers often get sick or unwell as they are unable to wash themselves before they eat. They are also out in all weathers, leading to them getting chest infections and sunstroke. The centre will provide them with somewhere to go and wash as well as providing shelter from pouring rain and scorching sun.
     
  • The children also find it difficult to eat good meals and drink clean water as they cannot afford it with the money they earn. The centre will provide meals and clean water to children in need of it.
     
  • Some of the rag-pickersRag-picking can be a dangerous job, so when the children get hurt they can go to the centre and get their injuries looked after.
     
  • The children often do not have anywhere they can safely play - the centre will provide this.

Being a rag-picker will never be fun, but the drop-in centre will make the lives of rag-picking children in Nagpur a little better, and hopefully help the children find a way out of rag picking. Every pound you raise will go towards building the centre and building smiles.

 

Get involved!

Work for it:
Rubbish bag You can raise lots of money just by doing things other people don't like doing, like washing cars, mowing the lawn, walking the dog, washing the dishes or even taking out the rubbish! Use your imagination.

  Rag-pickers
  
Rag-pickers

Sponsored silence!
Rubbish bag Most rag-pickers can't read or write, but imagine what it would be like if you weren't able to talk. Get people to sponsor you by the hour for how long you can go without saying a single word to anyone!

  

Recycle!
Rubbish bag Rag-pickers help the environment by recycling waste. Volunteer to collect up people's recyclable waste (like bottles, plastic things, paper etc.), and get sponsored for it. As well as raising money you'll be helping the environment too!

Rag-pickers

 

The Boys' Brigade (Church of Scotland) World Mission Fund