Street children are a shocking reality in India's cities, particularly Kolkata. Many are orphans or abandoned by parents too poor to look after them or because they are born out of wedlock, or victims of abuse. Thus, from a very early age, they are forced to live alone on the streets without shelter. Their daily struggle to survive ranges from garbage collection, begging and theft, to prostitution. Street girls are even more unfortunate given the traditional nature of Indian society, where the roles of girls and women are largely constricted to the home (firstly the girls' original home then that of her husband). Given the practice of arranged marriages, street girls who have no family of origin are denied the possibility of marriage. Young girls without protection often become victims, from a very young age, of sexual abuse. Events such as these produce long term effects which prevent girls from living a normal life, integrated into society. The results are dramatic; women living on the streets suffer from serious psychological traumas and from a very young age are already afflicted by deadly diseases such as HIV and TB. Desperation prevents them for seeking a more dignified existence.