Ranchi, Sept. 17: Twelve-year-old Roopa (name changed), a resident of Jonha village on the outskirts of the capital, had boarded a train at Hatia after an altercation at home. She got off at Midnapore in West Bengal and found herself in an alien land.

Roopa spent a couple of days without food and money. Help finally came her way when Midnapore railway police asked her where she came from and immediately got in touch with Child Line in Ranchi. The organisation promptly sent a team to Midnapore, which brought her back to Ranchi a week ago.

Child Line has rescued and counselled several children after it began operations in 2001. Members of the organisation, which is housed in the YMCA building at Kanta Toli, are a dedicated lot with children?s welfare uppermost on their mind.

The Child Line helpdesk can be called anytime in the day on their number ? 1098. The organisation has come to the aid of 316 children, who either needed counselling or had gone missing.

Child Line member Rita Pradhan said helping children is the objective of the organisation, which has centres in 56 cities of the country. ?All Child Line centres have the same number and are in constant touch with each other. Whenever a child is found somewhere, the centre in the state or city the child belongs to is contacted, which then arranges for his/her repatriation,? Pradhan said.

However, said co-member Vinita Kerketta, many people in Ranchi are not aware of the existence of the Child Line centre in the city. ?We can come to the rescue of more distressed and lost children only if the people are aware of the centre,? she added.