Education
With only one public primary school in Gurgaon, many children, especially girls, are not able to get a good education. The school environment is poor and not child-friendly, and teachers often lack training.
As a result, there is a high dropout rate, and many children go to work to help their families instead of attending school. Many parents are illiterate themselves, and often do not see the importance of education, especially for their girls. As a result, larger numbers of girls are kept at home to do chores or babysit younger siblings.
Few children continue on to middle or high school, especially since neither one is available in the community. Girls are at a greater disadvantage because parents fear for their safety, and are unwilling to let them attend school outside of the community. Without an education, children are unable to take advantage of many opportunities.
Health
Infant mortality is very high in Gurgaon. Children do not eat enough nutritious food and mothers don't always know how to feed them properly, so they easily become malnourished. Their health is further weakened by recurring waterborne diseases, which lead to diarrhea. Mothers aren't educated on how to take the necessary steps to protect their children's health or how to care for common illnesses.
Furthermore, families often cannot afford health care. Migrant families lose access to government support when they cross state borders, so many are unable to get the treatment they need. One illness can wipe out a family's savings and make them vulnerable to moneylenders.
The environment in Gurgaon provides ample opportunities for communicable illnesses like tuberculosis to become endemic. Patients often stop taking medicine prematurely, and when they relapse, they continue transmitting the disease to others. Understandably, many children are not immunized so there is a high incidence of measles and polio. Many people still follow traditional beliefs and seek help from under qualified healers.
Economic Development
Perhaps the greatest key to helping children in Gurgaon experience a better quality of life is to help families earn more income. Since most people are day labourers working for minimal pay for an average of 10-15 days a month, they are unable to provide for their families needs.
To make matters worse, labourers are not organized, many are illiterate, and they are easily exploited. Youth, who make up half of the workforce, and adults alike don't have the skills, knowledge, or opportunities to generate more income. Many are indebted to moneylenders.