India's Street Kids: Telling Their Own Story
The children of Delhi's slums writing their own newspaper
In Delhi’s slums, an unusual newspaper helps local children learn to read and write. Balaknama is written and edited entirely by street children, who turn their lives around by working for the paper.
Five years ago, Jyoti was a drug addict, common among teenagers growing up in slums. She and her mother were living in one of Delhi’s slums, often going without food. She became involved in Balakhama, and is now a plucky, fearless reporter. ‘The world should know that no other child should live like I did’, says Jyoti. All the journalists at the newspaper are street children, many of whom are illiterate, and report on stories about other street children. ‘Our reporters don’t feel different for their lack of reading or writing, all they need is to be able to research and investigate news’, says Usha, a reporter. ‘Whatever I am today, it’s because of Balaknama’, says Shambhu.
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