Prerana’s Sanmaan Project is dedicated to ensuring that children found begging on the streets can access their fundamental rights to development, well-being, and dignity. The project seeks to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, social marginalization, and forced begging by providing children with protection, education, and opportunities for a better future.
Caste- and class-based discrimination have led to the persistent deprivation and exclusion of many communities—particularly de-notified tribes such as the Pardhi, Wadari, and Masan Jogi. Historically labeled as "criminal tribes" under British colonial rule, these communities have long faced systemic discrimination, economic hardship, and exploitation.
As a result of this marginalization, many families migrate from their native villages to urban areas in search of livelihoods, only to find themselves trapped in extreme poverty and severe rights violations—often forced into begging for survival. The children of these communities are especially vulnerable, exposed to emotional and physical violence, child labor, and early marriages.
Many adults in these communities rely on begging or informal, low-paying daily wage labor to survive. Women, in particular, often face domestic violence, while children are drawn into begging—either accompanying adults or doing so independently. Some children also support their families through wage labor.
Being forced into begging strips children of their basic rights to survival, development, protection, and participation. The Sanmaan Project prioritizes reaching out to these children and their families, ensuring access to essential rights and resources. Through targeted interventions, Prerana works to shield children from harm, neglect, abuse, and exploitation—empowering them to live with dignity and make informed choices for a better future.
Beyond immediate protection, the project focuses on building community resilience by linking children and their families to government welfare schemes, education, skill development programs, and alternative livelihood opportunities. By facilitating access to social security benefits and economic resources, the initiative strengthens families—reducing the risk of children being pushed into begging.
Furthermore, the Sanmaan Project aims to foster sustainable community development by promoting self-reliance, financial literacy, and collective empowerment. Through advocacy, awareness-building, and capacity-building efforts, Prerana supports communities in breaking the cycles of poverty and marginalization—paving the way for a more just and equitable future.