The Varanasi Province of the Indian Missionary Society is implementing “A New Beginning for the Children in the Slums of Varanasi” (Phase II), an urban education project covering 20 slum settlements of Varanasi city. The project works with about 600 children from families of rag-pickers, sweepers, daily-wage labourers, vegetable vendors and other informal-sector workers. Its aim is to bring out-of-school and dropout children into formal schooling and to keep them there — through enrolment and admission support, evening remedial coaching centres, regular school and home follow-up, parental counselling, and community awareness against child labour, school dropout and early marriage.