Nightfall is when children in vulnerable communities face the greatest risk. For children of women working at night in red-light areas, darkness brings exposure, to neglect, abuse, trafficking, and environments no child should have to navigate alone.
Joy of Helping (JOH) supports prevention-focused care models that intervene before harm becomes irreversible. Through its partnership with Ikshana’s Night Care programme, JOH helps ensure that children aged 0–5 are not left unattended during the most dangerous hours of the night. Instead of streets, strangers, or unsafe rooms, children sleep in secure spaces designed for care, consistency, and protection.
These are not shelters in the traditional sense. Night Care centres provide structured routines; arrival checks, hygiene, play, shared meals, storytelling, and sleep, creating a sense of predictability that is essential for early childhood development.
Trained caregivers offer emotional presence and trauma-informed care, allowing children to form secure attachments in environments where instability is otherwise the norm.
The impact of even two safe nights a week is profound. Children begin to associate nighttime with safety rather than fear. They sleep, eat, and play without vigilance. Over time, these small interventions prevent long-term psychological harm and reduce exposure to exploitation.
JOH’s role lies in supporting such early, preventive interventions, where protection happens quietly, consistently, and before crisis sets in. Because sometimes, preventing harm does not require rescue. It requires presence.
