The Lost Child: Suno India and Firstpost present a podcast on the country's child shelter homes

The Lost Child, a series by Suno India supported by Firstpost, gives insight into child shelter homes in India and explores the ground reality of the lives of these young people. As we encounter the situation – a mix of corruption, poverty, abuse, and indifference – we wonder at the circumstances that lead children into shelter homes and into homes of strangers who adopt them. The series will ask complex questions as it progresses: Why are shelter homes underfunded and not staffed sufficiently? Why is family restoration through counseling and support not a big priority for the government? What is being done to help children in shelter homes to cope? It will also try to get answers from various stakeholders: government officials, elders in the community, child rights experts, social workers, activists and the children who have been raised in these shelter homes themselves. The series will show how apathy and a lack of resources can distort the effects of time and distance for children.

Stories like this are more common than they should be.

In contrast, we also see hope coming from unexpected quarters, as well as how technology is helping. The Lost Child will feature stories of children who faced hardships and pulled through to live successful lives. The series is not just about the physical walls of shelter homes but also the social walls which have been built around these children, making them and their narrative largely invisible. Listen to more episodes from The Lost Child  here . *** Suno India is a multilingual podcast platform for issues that matter. For more information, log on to www.sunoindia.in or follow it on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram