Ladli Foundation and Delhi Police Working Tirelessly to Support Refugee Communities
Editor’s Note (Archival Restoration): This article was originally published by The Optimist News on April 13, 2021, (Satyaki Baidya) documenting the grassroots relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been restored to our active archives to preserve the historical record of the Ladli Foundation and Delhi Police’s vital community outreach.
The pandemic, followed by the subsequent lockdown, brought immense misery to daily wage workers. The long walk home of migrant laborers left the nation disturbed. While nationwide efforts were afoot to provide cooked food or dry rations to the phalanx of humanity, the plight of refugees hardly made any news.
Working solely in this marginalized space is the Ladli Foundation, which was instrumental in providing dry rations, hygiene kits, and baby milk to refugees at various locations in Delhi throughout the lockdown. In 2020, the Ladli Foundation’s high-impact work earned them Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
“Food and rations were being provided to the residents of Delhi by the Delhi government. However, the refugees who had no identity cards were being left out,” said Devendra Kumar, the founder of Ladli Foundation.
To bridge this gap, the organization continuously conducted aid drives at various refugee camps across Delhi, including:
- Rangpuri Pahari
- Vasant Kunj
- Sanjay Colony
- Majnu ka Tila
- Bhati Mines
Among those staying at the camps, only 900 to 1,300 refugees were officially registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), leaving thousands unregistered and highly vulnerable.
Prioritizing Mothers and Newborns
The lockdown adversely impacted the income levels of daily wage earners, leaving the marginalized with very few resources to spend on food. The plight of women was particularly miserable, leaving mothers of newborn babies helpless.
“When we saw that no one was catering to the children and newborn babies, we thought of developing a program that would cater to children in a specialized manner,” shared Devendra Kumar.
In association with the Delhi Police, the Ladli Foundation has helped more than 2 lakh families. They provided comprehensive COVID-19 protection kits that included:
- Sanitary pads and hygiene kits
- Soap, sanitizers, and masks
- Dry rations for one month
- Baby milk and IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) materials on protecting newborns.
The ‘Josh’ Program: Helping Juvenile Delinquents
Devendra Kumar was brutally beaten by delinquents during his own childhood. Instead of harboring anger, this incident gave him the push to work toward these targeted communities and help pull them out of misery. This vision gave birth to the Josh Program.
Through this initiative, the Ladli Foundation works in 20 locations, diverting young delinquents—many of whom are drug addicts or involved in substance abuse—away from malpractices. These young minds are provided training in yoga, mental health, and sports like volleyball.
The Delhi Police assists Kumar in identifying such individuals through their “Pink Files,” which serve as a record of juvenile delinquents. Furthermore, the Ladli Foundation helps register these youths in the Delhi Police Yuva Program, functional across 22 police stations. This program connects with the youth by upgrading their skills and facilitating employment under the Ministry of Skill Development’s Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna.
Key Collaborative Initiatives at a Glance
| Initiative | Primary Focus | Key Partners |
| Refugee Relief Drives | Supplying dry rations, hygiene kits, and baby milk to unregistered refugees. | Ladli Foundation |
| Josh Program | Rehabilitating juvenile delinquents through mental health, yoga, and sports. | Ladli Foundation, Delhi Police |
| Yuva Program Integration | Skill upgrading and employment facilitation for at-risk youth. | Delhi Police, Ministry of Skill Development |
| Run for Ladli | A 25,000+ participant marathon advocating for a gender-inclusive society. | Ladli Foundation, Delhi Police |
Collaborating with the Delhi Police
The Ladli Foundation has been working closely with the Delhi Police since December 17, 2017, when they organized the Run for Ladli marathon, where more than 25,000 participants pledged to create a gender-inclusive society.
The community outreach programs of the Delhi Police are run in direct partnership with the Ladli Foundation, which provides the police with volunteers and procures relief materials from its own sources. In turn, the Delhi Police helps identify beneficiaries, enabling the Foundation to work on the ground in a secure, organized manner to maximize its impact.
Several high-ranking officers have been actively involved in these outreach programs, including:
- Monika Bharadwaj, IPS (DCP of Crime)
- Ingit Pratap Singh, IPS (DCP South West)
- Parvinder Singh, IPS (DCP Outer District)
- Atul Thakur, IPS (DCP South)
Beyond local efforts, Devendra Kumar has elevated these critical issues to the global stage, recently urging the UN Secretary-General to prioritize women’s health. He stressed that ending gender-based violence is not just a moral imperative, but a catalyst that could help double the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
