WHO WE ARE
ABOUT VYF
Vivekananda Youth Forum is a non-profit, voluntary organization managed by young members who wish to make a difference to their own lives and to empower those less fortunate in areas of education, health, and creativity. Formed in 1987 by a group of young individuals and inspired to make a difference in society based on the character building ideas of Swami Vivekananda. VYF has worked with children from a variety of backgrounds.
From imparting formal and non formal education to the children in the slums of Juhu to interacting with street children in Mumbai to reaching out to the children of sex-workers in Kamathipura (the largest red-light district in Mumbai), to indentifying children with special needs VYF has built a repository of knowledge and skills in understanding the specific needs of vulnerable children who are at highest risk.
EVERY CHILD
NEEDS SPECIAL
ATTENTION
WHAT MOVES VYF
It is estimated that about 40 per cent of children in India are vulnerable or live in difficult circumstances which includes children without family support, children forced into labour, abused/trafficked children, children on the streets, children affected by substance abuse, by armed conflict/civil unrest/natural calamity.
8.1 MILLION
12.3 % of total urban slum population are children in 0–6 years age group.
Between November 2012 and February 2013 estimated that 37,059 children lived on the streets of Mumbai. Every two out of five children witnessed verbal, physical or sexual abuse, torture and forced starvation.
Most of the girls are raped, taken away by touts and sold in brothels.
One in four children admitted to not taking regular meals due to lack of money, illness, injury or dependence on others.
The ones who survive are soft targets as they are young, and poor. The condition of these homeless children often leads to them resorting to petty theft, robberies, drug trafficking, prostitution, murder and other criminal activities.