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What are the problems faced by underprivileged children in India?

Even though India is the seventh-largest nation in the world and has a fast-growing economy, its underprivileged children still have to endure some of the world’s worst living conditions. Due to the financial situation of their parents and other family members, these helpless children have to deal with numerous problems like starvation, illiteracy, child mortality, and abuse. Such difficulties ultimately deprive them of the chance to develop into effective, self-sufficient adults. 

Millions of innocent children today are battling to lead a normal existence. Hence, it is critical to have a proactive support system that works to enhance their quality of life. It is good to find underprivileged children NGOs which can help these children take steps towards building a better life for them. This can be done in several ways, and by contacting NGOs near me, these challenges can be addressed more effectively.

Some of the major challenges and hardships faced by underprivileged children’s are:

Poverty

A child born in a financially unstable family is exposed to starvation, illnesses, subpar living circumstances, poor sanitation, and many other difficulties. Even though the child is not at fault for living in poverty, difficulties are inevitable. But who is really to question the state of poverty in our country? The principal causes of poverty in our nation are the quickly growing population, low agricultural productivity, underutilised resources, slow economic growth, price increases, unemployment, a lack of capital and capable entrepreneurship, social factors, and political concerns. The entire Indian population, and not just the government, must focus on methods and solutions to help eradicate poverty. This requires a complete mental shift in addition to financial contributions – Only then can we defeat this formidable foe.

Gender Discrimination

Child marriage is mostly caused by gender inequity and a major percentage of children suffer because of this ill practice. Before they become 18, girls are coerced into marriage in order to establish a family. This is the result of families’ conventional, out-of-date ideas that only males should attend school because they are meant to take care of the family. Early marriages lead to pregnancies in women who are still unable to care for either themselves or their unborn kids; subsequently, having an negative impact on their physical health.

Malnutrition

Although the Indian economy has grown significantly in recent years, millions of its underprivileged children are undernourished. India is still marked as one of the nations with the worst child malnutrition rates despite putting a lot of monetary resources and efforts into helping children. Indians favour eating a diet high in carbohydrates, which typically results in a lack of protein and promotes malnutrition.

Child Labour

In spite of numerous social reforms and laws, child labour is still prevalent in most underdeveloped communities in the nation. Underprivileged children or those who belong to social groups make their children work hard and earn money. It is also seen as the only way of survival for street-living homeless children. They are made to work long shifts with no opportunity for downtime. Their sense of self-worth is severely impacted by their employers’ physical and mental mistreatment of them.

Diseases

Every year, hundreds of kids across the nation die from diarrhoea. It is a result of poor hygiene in addition to the limited availability of wholesome food and clean water. The loss of appetite and mineral depletion induced by diarrhoea in children results in stunted growth and malnutrition.

Dysfunctional Families

Low-income families frequently experience a variety of problems, which causes children to return home to a chaotic rather than a quiet environment. These underprivileged children are put under more stress because they may be dealing with adult issues, which makes it difficult for them to focus. Children may also have limited space to complete their homework and receive no assistance.

Lack of Education

The loss of schooling and poor education have negative effects on the mental health of underprivileged children. Those who are deprived of education lack the opportunity to compete with other children who come from an educated background. This impacts their adulthood severely.

There is no question that saving the at-risk children in India is a challenging conversation, but civil society has been making some good efforts to free them from their miserable lives. Numerous Indian children have benefited from initiatives by Bal Raksha Bharat. Additionally, you can get in touch with them by making a monthly donation out of your income. Be a part of giving underprivileged children a better future!

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