A short time ago I had the privilege of spending part of an afternoon in Delhi taking a walk with my young guide from the Salaam Baalak Trust. It was a tremendously moving and uplifting experience, and I would highly recommend a visit to the ‘trust’ for anyone trying to gain a greater understanding of “real” life in the major cities of India. (Footprints Travel is of course an active supporter of the Salaam Baalak Trust, and for those wishing to make a donation, please see the trust’s web link at the bottom of this entry for more details.)

Here’s a little more background on the project….

The Salaam Baalak Trust City Walk aims to make the story of the children of the street heard and to give us a view of their world through their eyes. Participants of City Walk get to go on a journey through the enchanting streets of the inner city of Paharganj and the area around New Delhi railway station, led by a child who was once living and working on the streets. This walk takes you on a journey through the backstreets of Delhi with a child who has been fully trained as a local guide. It’s a unique way of providing an insight into the lives of these children and an opportunity for them to improve their communication and speaking skills.

The confidence and witty smiles of these guides have little trace of the years spent on the streets of New Delhi. The past is however, very much present on the Walk. For the guides, it is a walk down the memory lane, the places held dear to them and how they faced the odds to survive to be where they stand proudly today. Whether your guide is Satender, Ajay, Iqbal, Tabrez, Tariq or any other City Walk Guide, feel free to question and learn as much as you can of life on the streets. And you might realize, as you walk along, that the distance you covered was much greater than that between the New Delhi Railway Station and the SBT office.

So come, join us to take a walk in the back alleys of Delhi. Be careful though. Dreams have a way of rubbing off!

For more information please see: www.salaambaalaktrust.com