Driven by poverty, one in six children around the world engage in full- or part-time work that meets international definitions of child labor. HELPS is deeply concerned about the welfare of children; their education, health and overall development. Since 2004 HELPS is running various projects for the welfare of children in North India and plans to open new projects in other parts of India."Bring a Smile"
HELPS started "Bring a Smile" project with an aim to provide basic survival amenities to needy children. The project have been functioning since 2004 in slums of Uttarakhand and UP namely Gaffur Basti, Chirag Ali Saha Basti, Nepali Basti and Dholak Basti near railway tracks. The replica of the projects is active in Dehradun ciy since 2006 covering Rispana Bridge area for needy children.
The project covers distribution of "Survival Items" - soaps, comb, toothpaste, tooth brush, nail cutter, medicines, slippers, shoes, clothes, books, stationary, toffees and toys collected as donations from students of english medium school and donors; the direct beneficiaries are children (5-14 years) whose family income in dependent upon rag picking and cleaning up work. They live in temporary huts, where there is no privacy for girl child or women. There are no toilets, no drinking water facility.
There are difficulties in mainstreaming children who are working or supporting their parents economically as they are unable to attend school, older children who cannot be admitted to there age specific class, and for children who have no schools nearby. Regular Classes are held and children are allowed to participate in all the extra curricular activities of the school.
HELPS is working on environment related issues like promoting plantation, reducing pollution, waste management, saving energy. With the help of various school HELPS is conducting Environment Education, Seminars, Workshops and Road Shows. In addition to community organizing and educational successes, HELPS has led and catalyzed several actions that have had a significant impact on stopping further pollution. Sustained activism by HELPS has caused local governmental agencies at various levels to be more responsive, transparent and pro-active regarding environment and pollution related issues.
Because children will ultimately bear the burden of today's pollution, Eco Friends has undertaken environmental education as a primary activity. Eco Friends has organized various mass movement and awareness programs in schools, involving lectures, workshops, and field visits. More than 250 educational institutions in North India have come out with a charter of activities for raising environmental awareness. Many of the schools have started regular activities related to environmental awareness. They then share their findings with the media, send reports to the government and report back to their communities.