EACH day, countless children around the world are exposed to dangers that hamper their growth and development.

They suffer immensely as casualties of war and violence; as victims of racial discrimination, aggression, foreign occupation and annexation; as refugees and displaced children, forced to abandon their homes and their roots; as disabled; or as victims of neglect, cruelty and exploitation.

Each day, millions of children suffer from the scourges of poverty and economic crisis - from hunger and homelessness, from epidemics and illiteracy, from degradation of the environment.

Each day, 40,000 children die from malnutrition and disease, from lack of clean water and inadequate sanitation and from the effects of the drug problem.' The words are taken from The convention on the rights of the Child at the 1990 World Summit for Children. They are stark and they are bleak, and they are only too real for the organisers of an annual Christmas concert at Ben Rhydding.

Musicians James and Cathy Griffett, from Menston, hold the concert to raise money for children living in desperate squalor in the slums of India.

And their message is movingly illustrated during the concert with an excerpt from the UN Declaration on the rights of the child.

Mrs Griffett said a piece from the declaration outlining the rights of the child was read to the audience by a young member of the choir.

"It is quite sombre in a Christmas concert but it does really ram home what it is all about, and how there are millions of children in the world who don't have any of these rights," she said. "It is very moving."

The concert, given by Northern Youth and the Bradford Grammar School Choral Scholars, under the direction of tenor Mr Griffett has become something of a tradition in Ben Rhydding, where it has been held for many years.

It is free to attend but the audience are asked to donate to charity. The Griffetts have been supporting street children in Goa since they became aware of a charity working there during a holiday about five years ago.

The are now supporting a relatively newly established charity Children Walking Tall, which gives food, clothes and medical care to the desperately poor street children, along with education and a safe place to rest.

The couple, who have just returned from taking aid out to the charity, plan to continue their Christmas fund-raising concerts, which also benefit the Children's Charities - Unicef, and The Friendship Foundation (Romania), and have already arranged to go out to Goa again next year.

Mrs Griffett described the sheer scale of the poverty engulfing large numbers of children.

"I am not easily shockable - but the slums around Mumbai are indescribable. When you fly in you see acres and acres of these roofs of corrugated iron and cardboard."

Goa too has a massive slum problem, with youngsters living in appalling conditions.

"Where we go is sort of the end of the hippy trail, and absolutely all around are these shacks. The roof will either be of corrugated iron or layers and layers of cardboard - so what happens in the monsoon I simply can't imagine."

Mrs Griffett said many of the youngsters were the children of migrants who had gone to the area in search of work - but the better life they come to Goa to find often fails to materialise. Others are orphans or runaways who struggle to eke out an existence on the inhospitable streets.

Millions of children are living on the streets in India, often forced to beg for money to survive or to work for 13 hours a day to pay for food for their families.

And Mrs Griffett said the sheer scale of the poverty and of the slums appeared insurmountable.

"It is such a big problem. I just don't know how you cope with a problem like that - where do you start?"

But even though the Children Walking Tall charity can only help a tiny fraction of those in need she believes it is important to give that help anyway.

Working from a converted Portuguese colonial house, Rob and Shermina, who have set up the charity, take only £15 a week each in wages.

"Rob and Shermina pay themselves £3 an hour each at the basic English minimum rate which is £5," she said.

Mrs Griffett stresses with only the minimal running costs, money donated to the charity goes directly to caring for the children.

And she hopes and believes it can make a real difference to the lives of at least some children, who are able to visit Mango House to get food, clothing , medical care, and the chance to wash.

On her latest visit to Goa with her husband earlier this year the couple saw for themselves the difference the charity is making to the lives of street children.

"When we went to the slums all these children came rushing out. One of them had a bad eye so Rob got out his medical kit and helped him."

She said children visiting Mango House were able to take advantage of its facilities.

"We have seen the kitchen and toilets, which are beautifully done," she said. "And outside they have a washing stone and the children are given a change of clothes so they can wash the things they are wearing and hang them out to dry. They are learning to look after themselves."

Anyone who want to support Children Walking Tall can contact the charity on its UK number 01623 450944, or visit the website www.ChildrenWalkingTall.com