Arun Kumar | November 22, 2016 | New Delhi
Running up and down, chasing each other, full of life and energy, these children are all smiles.They cheerfully greet outsiders, talking to them and showing them around. 
But amid the laughter, deep down, they are struggling. Each passing moment they are fighting the craving for drugs. 
They all live together in the de-addiction centre of Society for the Promotion of Youth and Masses (SPYM), a non-profit organisation, near the Delhi Gate in the capital. The centre, established in June 2015, houses 78 children from ages as young as five to 18. 
Coming from across the city, these children have spent the prime years of their childhood indulging in all kinds of drugs. Some of them are left here by their families, some are runaways from dysfunctional families and some are orphans. 
They are rescued by NGOs, hospitals or the police, from the streets and railway stations, and are brought to the centre by the child welfare committee. 
The staff engage the children in all kinds of activities like studies and co-curricular activities, besides participating in daily chores like cleaning, cooking and washing.
Some are so happy and content that they don’t want to leave the centre. The organisation’s only aim is to make these promising faces start afresh. Together they are rebuilding lives.
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