Jeroo Billimoria: The Woman Who Gave Street Children a Voice

When one woman answered the unheard calls of millions, a revolution in child protection was born. Jeroo Billimoria transformed a simple idea into a movement that spans continents, proving that sometimes the most powerful social innovations begin with just listening.

Growing up in Mumbai with a social worker mother, Jeroo Billimoria developed an early awareness of social inequalities. After studying at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and earning her Master's from Case Western Reserve University, she returned to India with a mission that would change the landscape of child protection forever.

What makes Jeroo Billimoria's approach revolutionary is her fundamental belief that children themselves hold the answers. "The best solutions come from the children themselves. We only need to ask and trust them," she once remarked. This philosophy guided her to create CHILDLINE 1098 in 1996—India's first 24-hour toll-free helpline for children in distress.

But Jeroo Billimoria didn't stop there. Recognizing that vulnerable children exist worldwide, she scaled her vision globally through organizations like Child Helpline International, Aflatoun, and Child and Youth Finance International. Today, her initiatives operate in over 140 countries, having reached more than 300 million children with vital support and education.

The social entrepreneurship model that Jeroo Billimoria pioneered doesn't just address immediate crises—it builds sustainable systems connecting NGOs, police, hospitals, and government authorities to create comprehensive safety nets for children. Her work has earned recognition from the World Economic Forum, Forbes, and the Skoll Foundation.

For young changemakers today, Jeroo Billimoria's journey offers a powerful lesson: sometimes the most effective solutions aren't the most complex, but rather those that center the voices of those being served. By simply providing a number to call—1098—Jeroo created access where there was none, hope where there was despair.

As we navigate our own paths toward social impact, we might ask ourselves: whose voices are we not hearing? And like Jeroo Billimoria, how might we amplify them to create lasting change?