My name is Mohammad Alamgir. I am 70 years old, and for nearly five decades, I have fought to keep children in school and women safe from violence in Tiljala’s slums.


But today, I fear time will run out before we can save them.

Every day, I see children who should be playing in classrooms instead working in factories or garbage dumps. I meet women who come to me with bruises on their bodies, beaten by their husbands in front of their children. I see mothers forced to choose between sending their children to school or sending them to work so the family can eat.


This is not just poverty. This is abuse. This is violence.

• In India, a woman faces violence in her home every 4.4 minutes (National Crime Records Bureau, 2021).
• One in three children in urban slums works as child labor instead of going to school (UNICEF, 2020).
• And over 40% of children who start school drop out by class 8 (UNESCO, 2021).

I see these statistics come alive in front of me every single day.


Our Safe Spaces Are Collapsing

The four community centers we run are the only shelters where women and children find safety. Here, children learn, rest, and dream of a future beyond abuse and labor. Women meet here to speak out against domestic violence and seek justice.

But now, even these centers are falling apart. The walls are cracked, the roofs leak, the floors flood during monsoons. There are no windows, no proper ventilation. Sometimes, when I watch children sitting in these unsafe rooms, I feel sick with fear: what if a wall collapses on them tomorrow?

Without urgent repair, these lifelines will be gone. And with them, the fragile hope of thousands of children and women.

The Struggles We Face

• Families come to us who cannot afford even two meals a day. We have identified 500 such families in immediate need of ration support.
• Domestic violence cases rise daily, but without safe spaces, women have nowhere to go.
• Children saved from abuse and child labor risk being pulled back into it, unless we keep them engaged through education, food, and shelter.

The Change We’ve Seen
Despite these struggles, I have witnessed miracles. When Jakira, a ragpicker and survivor of domestic violence, came to us, her children had dropped out of school. We arranged food for them, supported her case, and helped restart her children’s education. Today, they walk to school with hope.
Every time one child becomes the first graduate in their family, I know a cycle of abuse and poverty has been broken. That is what keeps me alive.

Why This is Urgent

I am 70 now. I suffer from arthritis, I can hardly walk, and I may not have much time left. But my greatest fear is not for myself—it is for these children. If the centers collapse, so will their futures.

• With full funding, we can rebuild all four centers into safe, 24/7 community hubs.
• With partial support, we will start with at least two centers immediately.

These centers will not just be buildings. They will be the difference between:

• A girl being forced into early marriage, or becoming the first graduate in her family.
• A boy being sent to work in a factory, or walking into a college classroom.
• A mother suffering violence in silence, or finding the courage and support to fight back.

My Final Appeal

I have given my life to this cause. Now, with my body failing, I appeal to you: do not let these children’s dreams collapse with our broken walls.

Every rupee, every dollar you give will fight violence, hunger, and child labor. It will build safe spaces where children can learn and women can stand tall.

Please, before it is too late—help us rebuild. Spare a penny. Save a child. Save a life.