Uttarakhand is a state in northwest India, where many migrants have flocked to its capital, Dehradun, in search of work. In the absence of affordable housing, they settle in makeshift shelters, under bridges or in riverbeds. A 2016 study established that there are about 129 slums in Dehradun, with a population of about 220,000.

Due to the absence of their working parents, children from the slums spend their days on the streets. They collect and sort waste, beg or hawk. Their health and safety is at risk on a daily basis. Most of them are illiterate and do not attend school: these young people must first and foremost find something to eat and take care of their younger brothers and sisters. The few children who do go to school drop out quickly. They do not have the required level of education plus, the public schools, they have access to, are of poor quality.