Clara Slattery, originally from Beagh just outside Gort, reports on her recent visit to India to observe the work of GOAL in Calcutta.

I have been working with GOAL for two years in fundraising and I recently travelled to Calcutta to meet some of the people that benefit directly from donations received through fundraising events such as the Galway GOAL Ball.

Galway GOALie Ciara Slattery in the girls’ shelter in Calcutta.

GOAL first began its work in Calcutta in 1977 to work with street children. Since then it has expanded exponentially, having worked in over 50 countries across the developing world.

GOAL's current work includes a wide range of activities, including the provision of emergency aid, water and sanitation, health and education but, in Calcutta, GOAL has very much remained true to its original mission of helping street children.

Despite its booming economy, India still has the world's largest number of poor people in a single country. Calcutta, roughly the size of Dublin, is home to at least 300,000 children living on the streets. These children suffer some of the worst forms of violation – physical harm, denial of basic needs and child labour.

In Calcutta, GOAL supports the establishment of formal and non-formal schools in the slums and red light districts, giving vulnerable children a safe place to go to and helping to break their cycle of poverty through education. GOAL also supports residential services that provide street children with a protected living environment and access to education, healthcare, counselling and recreation facilities.

From visiting Calcutta and seeing GOAL's work on the ground, a few things stood out for me, firstly because they are subjects very close to my heart and secondly, because they are issues that are a common theme across much of GOAL's work.

The first of these is the issue of child protection, particularly for girls. Having worked with women involved in prostitution and women who are trafficked into prostitution here in Ireland, I was hugely encouraged to see that the projects that GOAL funds are ones which have very much acknowledged the vulnerability of girls to sexual exploitation and trafficking. GOAL has made it a priority to protect them. Many of these girls have run away from abusive family situations and come to the city where they live in very precarious places such as train stations or on the street. Others are daughters of women involved in prostitution and are vulnerable to prostitution themselves. GOAL protects these vulnerable girls by setting up shelter homes where they have a safe place to live and are provided with education and training. In this way GOAL helps to break the cycle of abuse and protects them from potential abuse.

A second issue that struck me about GOAL's work is its commitment to the issue of mental health. Often in relation to issues of poverty or emergency situations, immediate thoughts are turned to food, shelter, physical safety, and education, and rightly so. However, it is sometimes forgotten that people in such circumstances can suffer extensive trauma. When not addressed, this trauma can have a huge impact on people's ability to overcome difficulties and can negatively impact on all aspects of their lives. GOAL provides funding to support projects for adults and children who have suffered violence, sexual abuse, death and destruction as well as those who suffer from both acute and chronic mental health issues. People with mental health issues are some of the most impoverished and marginalised in Indian society, and GOAL's commitment to their care and support is highly commendable and much needed.

Finally, an important aspect of GOAL's work, which demonstrates its long-term commitment to development, is the projects it implements in rural areas outside of Calcutta.