At just 11 years old, Suman had already endured more than most do in a lifetime. After losing her mother the year before, she lived on the pavement near Lady Brabourne College in Kolkata, sharing a fragile space with her alcoholic father and three younger brothers. Their makeshift home, located in the Park Circus area, had no shelter, no running water, and no sense of safety. Surrounded by substance abuse and insecurity, daily survival was a constant battle.

Following her mother’s death, Suman moved into the home of a woman in the neighbourhood, someone she began to call “aunty.” At first, this seemed like a better arrangement. But over time, things changed. Suman became a full-time caregiver to the woman’s young children and was made to help run a tea stall by the Park Circus Maidan, sometimes late into the night.

Once a regular attendee of the Pavement Club project, her teachers noticed she had become irregular. Concerned, they visited her and spoke with the woman, who claimed Suman was unwell or unwilling to get up early. However, when they spoke to Suman herself, the truth became clear. She was being exploited under the guise of care.

Matters worsened when the woman threw Suman out, and she returned to the pavement, at high risk of abuse and trafficking. Recognising the danger she faced, her father approached the project staff for help, asking them to place her in a safe shelter.

The case was immediately brought to the attention of the Program Administrator. With the help of the organisation’s Public Relations Officer, a General Diary was lodged at the local police station, and the team reached out to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). After reviewing her situation, the CWC referred her to the All Bengal Women’s Union children’s home near Nonapukur, where she could finally have the care and protection she deserved.

Today, Suman has found a safe haven. Free from the dangers of street life, she now lives under the care and supervision of trained professionals. She has resumed her connection with the project, regularly visits during group sessions, and is learning how to be a child again.