Mobile Creches

Mumbai Mobile Creches

Mumbai Mobile Creches is a voluntary agency committed to the task of developing and maintaining care programmes for the children of labourers working on construction sites in Mumbai, India. The construction workers live in makeshift homes, without any family support system and lack even the simplest amenities. Their children grow up, constantly on the move, getting no education and fending for themselves as best as they can. This is affiliated with Mobile Creche, the organization Meera Mahadevan founded in 1969, for the Children of Working Mothers, provides education, health care and recreation to more than 3,800 children in Delhi, Bombay and Pune. Over the last twenty-five years, Mobile Creches has reached out to over 2,00,000 children through 369 centres.

Mumbai Mobile Creche runs 25 centres at construction sites in Mumbai and reaches over 5000 children every year through their programs. Over the next few years, they hope to expand their programs to reach 10,000 children. At the crèches, care and support is provided to the children of the construction workers' through various programs. These are listed below:

1. Creches -- Day care centres for new born and infants
2. Non-formal education and recreational facilities -- for children between the ages of 3 and 12
3. Nutrition -- midday meal and milk
4. Health care and hygiene -- regular visits from a doctor
5. Educating the parents -- on child care, hygiene and nutrition
6. Lokdoot and Puppetry -- Through street plays and puppetry, the trained staff provide information on social issues such as adult literacy, alcoholism, AIDS, importance of education, dowry,etc.