Excerpted from article
Like millions of other migrants in India, Uma Devi and her husband left their hometown for greener pastures. The couple, who were farmers in Tikamgarh, India took an eight-hour train ride to Delhi, where Devi’s husband found work as a day laborer in construction sites.
Devi, who stayed home with her son until he was 8 months old, heard about something called Mobile Creches from neighbors — it was a free child care program for migrants.
“They told me the children get nutritious meals and that the creche is safe and healthy [for children],” Devi said.
Initially skeptical, after visiting the creche Devi felt comfortable enrolling Manoj, who was underweight at the time.
The creche provided Manoj with nutritious meals and ensured he regularly visited doctors, helping him reach an optimal weight within months. Now, Devi said the 4-year-old boy's personality and emotional intelligence have blossomed.
“He seems to have a better understanding of the world around him,” she told Global Citizen. “He went from being a shy child… to talking all the time, asking questions about everything.”