New Delhi, Aug 13 - Noorjehan is all of 24 years. A widow with two young children and an ailing father-in-law to take care of, she scrubs floors and cleans people's houses for a living. She is however luckier than most others. Counted amongst the most vulnerable in the city, Noorjehan is assisted by the Delhi government and NGOs to avail herself of various welfare schemes that she had not even heard about earlier.

The quiet demeanour of Noorjehan, wearing her dupatta over her head and smiling, does not give away the stack of responsibilities on her frail shoulders.

'I have never gone to school and was married off early by my uncle. Soon after, I had two children, now aged five and two. Life was never stable for us, but when my husband died last year I was shattered. I didn't have a job and had no one to look up to, to get some help to feed my family,' Noorjehan told IANS at her village near Ghazipur on the fringes of the capital.

'I was somehow managing to drag on by cleaning homes when some people came to my house a few weeks back and told me about the widows pension scheme. They said that I can get Rs.1,000 every month because of that. With their help I filled up a form and now I'm awaiting verification by the officials so that I can start getting the money,' she added.

As of now she barely earns Rs.450 per month.

Nazrana Sheikh is another 'most vulnerable' member of Ghiroli village identified under the project.

'I have four daughters. Until a few weeks back I was looked upon with pity, but not any more. I was told by NGO workers that the government will help me financially if I let my daughters study. Therefore I filled up forms for all my daughters under the Ladli scheme,' Sheikh told IANS.

As per the scheme, the government will deposit Rs.10,000 in the name of a girl child at the time of her birth and Rs.5,000 each at the time of admission to class one, six, nine, 10 and 12.

Stories like Noorjehan's and Sheikh's may be rare, but they are surely good for starters.

The 'people' that both these women referred to were actually NGO workers who are a part of a Delhi government initiative -- Mission Convergence. The aim is to provide a single window access to all government welfare schemes to the most vulnerable sections of society.

In an effort to recognize the most vulnerable, NGO workers have been conducting surveys.