A Seminar Paper on Status of Street Children in Kathmandu Valley
FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE
TRIBHUVAN
UNIVERSITY
KATHMANDU,
NEPAL
A
Term Paper on Teen’s relationship with social media and mental health
(As a requirement for
the partial fulfillment of the course: Methods of Social Work 312)2021
Navodit
College
Kathamndu,
Nepal
Submitted
by
Ms. P
Gurung
Symbol
no:
Ms. S
Thapa
Symbol
no:
Ms. BSitaula
Symbol
no:
Ms. K
Lama
Symbol
no:
August, 2021
Letter of Recommendation
This seminar paper prepared by Ms. Bibisha
Sitaula, Pooja Gurung, Sristika Thapa, Kritika Lama are students of Integrated
Social Work subject, BASW 2nd year in this Navodit College was done under my
direct supervision and as far as I know, the primary data mentioned by them are
genuine. Hence, I would like to recommend it to the final assessment committee
to make an appropriate assessment of this seminar paper.
Ms. Nutan Gauchan
Subject Teacher
Navodit College, Samakhusi
Letter of Approval
It is because that a seminar report
after doing a research on topic Status
of Street Children in Kathmandu Valley has been presented by Ms. Bibisha
Sitaula, Pooja Gurung, Sristika Thapa, Kritika Lama are students of Integrated
Social Work subject, BASW 2nd year studying in Navodit College under TU through
internal proctor for its approval, it’s been approved by the assessment
committee.
Ms. NutanGauchan Mr.
Sudeep lama Waiba
Subject Teacher Department
Co-ordinator
Mr. Rajendra Adhikari External
Examiner
Principal
Acknowledgement
First of all, I would like to
express our heartfull gratitude to our teacher Ms. Nutan Gauchan who has given
us proper guidance, advices, suggestions, and directions in order to make this
seminar paper possible at all with her proper suggestions and help in every
way.
Similarly, we are very much
thankful to other teachers of this college for providing their great and
precious help. But before that we would like to thank all the respondents from
the bottom of our heart for their valuable answers and responses out of their
busy hours to complete this study.
Finally once again we would like to
express our heartfelt gratuities to each and every one for your all direct and
indirect helps to prepare this seminar paper.
Thank you!
Abbreviation and Acronyms
CWIN : Child Workers in Nepal
CWISH : Children and Women in Social Service
VOC : Voice
of Children
UCEP : Under
privileged Children’s Education Program
UNICEF : United Nation International Children
Education Fund
NGO’S : Non-Governmental Organization
ILO : International
Labor Organization
CBS : Central
Bureau of Statistics
UNCRC : United Nation Convention on the
Rights of the Child
INGOs : International
Non-Governmental Organization
APC : Association for the Protection of
Children Nepal
Table of Contents
Content ..................................................................................................................... Page no.
Chapter....................................................................................................................................
1
United Nation Convention on the Rights of
the Child (UNCRC),1989............................... -12
2.4 Efforts made by Government and
Non-Government Organizations.....................................
Intervention
Strateg.......................................................................................................... 26-28
hemant
Chapter: 1
Introduction
1.1Background
Nepal is one of the
least developed countries of the world. Limited means and resources available
here are not adequate to support its increasing population in areas such as
education, health, physical infrastructure and drinking water. Because of its
underdeveloped situation, Nepal is unable to provide equal opportunities for
living standard to the people of all segments of the society. Among this the
problem of the street children stand out. According to the demographic census
of Nepal 2018, the number of children below 15 year is 9,573,533 out of whom
5,850,595 are boys. Accordingly there are around 30,000 street children in
Nepal, among them about 5000 are in Kathmandu Valley. (National Encyclopedia)
There
is an increasing trend of child migration to cities. Data from the Non- government
Organization (NGO) Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN) from 1998 indicate that 92
percent porters, 87 percent tempo helpers, 95 percent child domestic servants,
93 percent shoe shiners are reported to be child migrants in Kathmandu Valley.
The majority of them come from the neighboring districts of Kathmandu, namely
Nuwakot, kavre, Dhading, Makwanpur and Dolakha. The problem of employment based
child migration and the ' street culture' of Nepali children is assessed to be
directly related to deteriorating village life. It is evident that the journey
for some of these migrant children end up in the streets without food, shelter,
clothing or protection. The problem of street children is felt to be increasing
in Nepal.
Street
children are higly vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation. Their
vulnerable condition in the street, increase in the cases of pedophilia, and
expanding the sex market appear to be some of the major cause of sexual abuse
and exploitation of street children. (CWIN) 2018 indicates that foreign
pedophiles abuse 5 percent of the street boys in Nepal. The situation of
pedophilia is further compounded by the lack of national legislation on the
issue and as a result is speculated that Nepal may increasingly become hotspot
for pedophiles and sex tourists (Newar, 2018). From the child labour perspective
the problem of street children is among the worst form of child labour. It is
against the fundamental principles of child rights and an expression of social
injustice.
Although
there is a growing concern about elimination of all form of abuse and
exploitation of children, the problem of trafficking and sexual abuse of street
children has yet to be studied in Nepal. On an average, 40 per cent of sexually
abusive episodes are perpetrated by street-living children and adults as well
as 40 per cent by non-street living adults. Nonstreet-living adults include
relatives, shop, hotel or restaurant owners and workers or any Nepali adult not
living on the street. The street is clearly the chief location for all types of
sexual abuses, accounting for one in three incidents occurring
1.2 Introduction
A young human being
below the age of puberty or below the legal age of majority is considered as a
'child'. UNICEF defines child as "A human being below the age of 18 years
unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained
earlier". Likewise, Children are the human being who have equal rights on
civil, political, economic, social and cultural sectors regardless of any race
or religion. Among all the segments of Children, Street children are the most
vulnerable one experiencing poverty, homelessness and living on the streets of
a city, town, or village.
Street children, notably in more developed
nations, are part of a subcategory called thrown-away children, consisting of
children who have been forced to leave home. Thrown-away children are more
likely to come from single-parent homes. Street children are often subject to
abuse, neglect, exploitation, or, in extreme cases, murder by "clean-up
squads" that have been hired by local businesses or police.
According
to a report from the Consortium for Street Children, a United Kingdom-based
consortium of related non-governmental organizations (NGOs), UNICEF estimated
that 100 million children were growing up on urban streets around the world.
Fourteen years later, in 2002, UNICEF similarly reported, "The latest
estimates put the numbers of these children as high as one hundred
million". More recently the organization added, "The exact number of
street children is impossible to quantify, but the figure almost certainly runs
into tens of millions across the world. It is likely that the numbers are
increasing." The one hundred million figures is still commonly cited for
street children, but has no basis in fact. Similarly, it is debatable whether
numbers of street children are growing globally, or whether it is the awareness
of street children within societies that has grown.
1.3 Statement of Problem
Most of the children living in the streets
right now left their homes at the age of eight because of various problems that
happened in their families. These problems were mainly caused by stepmothers,
family conflicts, poverty, lack of awareness, and orphanages. Some children left in search of better opportunities
in the big cities. Most of those
children living in the streets depend on begging from others, working as
porters and construction workers in the construction sites inside of the cities
and their neighboring villages.
Street children in Nepal
are seen sniffing glue and sleeping aimlessly in the street. They are not more
than 15 years of age who are always in a group or if not in the group they are
found sleeping in the street. The children mostly belong to the rural areas and
they have runaway due to various domestic problems in the village. The family
problems, lack of education, food, and security and moreover they ran away due
to poverty to take shelter in the streets of the capital Kathmandu and other
urban areas. According to ILO’s rapid assessment on rag-picking children, there
are about 4,000 children working in this sector, which is considered one of the
worst forms of child labor. Among the rag pickers, 88% are boys and 12%
girls. In average, rag pickers work 6
hours a day and earn Rs. 87 per day.
They concentrate in the areas like junkyards, temples, market centers,
cinema halls, airports, bus terminals, hardware shops, tourist centers, etc.
while they do their work. While on the
street they face problems of hunger, shelter, clothes, etc. Similarly, face problems from police, “Dada”
(bullies), gang etc. With all these
problems and tensions, they lead their complex life.
We choose to do research
on Street Children because it is one of the concerning issue in the world and our
society today. The number of street children is immensely increasing day by day
in underdeveloped countries like Nepal and at the same time numerous social
problems are also rapidly increasing. Different study has shown the different
facts and figures of Street Childrens in Nepal. But, to be honest the research
conducted in Nepal by different organization and researchers doesnot seems to
be genuine and relevant. So, with the primary attention to get the relevant
information, we have conducted this research to enhance our understanding
towards the condition of street children in Nepal and the efforts made by
different Government, Non-government organization and Civil Society for solving
the problem of Street Childrens in Nepal.
In addition, We have carried out this research
as we are the student pursuing Social Work degree and it is very important to
every Social Work student to know about the social issues of the society such
as, street children in order to uplift one's knowledge about Social Work practice
and the profession.
1.4 Objectives of Study
·
To study and find out about
the situation of street children in Nepal.
·
To study the problem,
difficulties, status and abuse of the street children in Kathmandu.
·
To understand the steps
taken by government, private organization and civil society for the well-being
of street children.
Chapter: 2
Literature Review
2.1 History
There are more than 6000 children living and working on the streets of
Nepal. These children are among the most vulnerable in society, frequently
falling victim to some of the worst forms of child labor and exploitation.
Street children are misunderstood, negatively viewed and stigmatized by a large
portion of society. This social misunderstanding only serves to compound the challenges
these children face on a day to day basis. As the population grows, and urban
poverty spreads, the number of children living and working on the streets is
increasing. Ultimately, most of these children remain trapped in the vicious
cycle of street life, and often with very limited support.
According to UNICEF, ‘Street
Children’ are those for whom the street, more than their family, becomes their
real home. It is almost impossible to accurately count the number of street
children because of the frequent movement of street children and the fact that
many go undetected to protect themselves. UNICEF has categorized street
children into three types:
·
Street-Living
·
Street-Working
·
Street-Family
Street Living: Children who sleep in public spaces without their
family. They work, live and sleeps in the streets, often lacking any contact
with their families.
Street Working: Street working children are those who spend most
of their time working in the streets and markets of cities, but may or may not return
home on a regular basis.
Street Family: Children from street families are children who
live on the streets with their families. Some street children spend so many
years on the street that they start families and bring up the next generation
on the street as well.
Talking
about the International Context, UNICEF estimates approximately 100 million
street children worldwide with that number constantly growing. In the US the
number of street children grew from 1.2 million in 2007 to 1.6 million in 2010.
Street children in the United States tend to stay in the state, 83% do not
leave their state of origin. Street children are predominantly Caucasian and
female in the United States, and 42% identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or
transgender. Likewise, In Turkey's 30,891 street children, 30,109 live in
İstanbul; research conducted by the Turkish Prime Ministry's Human Rights
Presidency (BİHB) has shown. The research also revealed that 41,000 children
are forced to beg on the streets, more than half of whom are found in İstanbul.
Other cities with high figures include Ankara (6,700), Diyarbakır (3,300),
Mersin (637) and Van (640).
Moving
towards South Asian Context, South Asia is home to about 627 million children
under 18 years of age, approximately 36 percent of the total population of 1.82
billion. South Asia is home to more than half the world’s wasted children, a
key driver of the high stunting prevalence. Similarly, South Asia is the third
highest region for violence against street children. In countries like India,
there is an estimated one million of street childrens living in different
cities with involvement on different activities. (The Republic of India, 2017).
Similarly, In Nepal, there are around 5,000 street children all over the
country and is estimated that the number of street children is approximately
1,200-1,500 in the Valley alone. (CWIN, 2018).
2.2 Present Context
Every
year, hundreds of kids get attracted by the allure and dream of the “Big City”
that what makes them leave their villages and once they discover the harsh
realities of life in the streets and are left on their own to face multiple
forms of danger and abuse (moral, sexual and physical).The population of
Kathmandu is approximately 3.5 million (CBS, 2016), of which there are reportedly
over 1,000 homeless street children out of a national 3,000. The vast majority
of these children are illiterate boys aged between 10 and 18.
Relevant Data’s of
Street Children
(Based on the Study Conducted by Child Protection Centers and
Services (CPCS), 2018).
·
15% of the children in
a street situation are from the eastern Terai district of Sunsari.
·
There are around 5000
street children all over Nepal. In Kathmandu only, it is estimated that the
number of street children is approximately 1200-1500.
·
Children as young as 9
are smoking ganja: 35% of 13 year old and 60% of street youth regularly smoke
ganja.
·
78% of the street
children were part of a street based group or gang and more than 60% agreed
that being in a group is compulsory for survival on the street.
Some Facts and
Statistics of Street Children of Nepal ( CWIN Nepal, 2018)
·
Children are living,
sleeping and working under the open sky and surviving as they can without
family support. They are staying with friends and working as Khalasis, Beggars,
Rag Pickers, Sell newspapers, bread, biscuits, wash dishes in restaurants,
carry water, and work as construction laborers.
·
Children aged below 16
years constitute 41% of Nepal’s population.
·
While on the street
they face problems of hunger, shelter, clothes, etc. Similarly, face problems
from police, “dada” (bullies), gang etc. With all these problems and tensions,
they lead their complex life.
·
Street children are
among the high risk and insecure groups and they are vulnerable to various
forms of exploitation and abuses.
Facts and Figures on
Child Work and Child Labour in Nepal (ILO, 2017)
·
621000 childrens are
estimated to be engaged in Hazardous Work.
·
Girls (62%) and Boys
(38%) are engaged in hazardous work.
·
In Kathmandu Valley, an
estimated 11-13000 girls are working in night entertainment, cabin, dance bars,
dohori of which many are forced to engage in sexual activities and vulnerable
to trafficking.
·
4.5% of primary school
children are out of schools.
Causes of Child Labour
and living on Street
·
Poverty
·
Illiteracy
·
Unemployment
·
Lack of Adequate Child
protection measures including legal policies.
2.3 Laws and Policies
Constitution of Nepal, 2072
Article 39 of the Constitution Adopted in 2015
includes the following provisions:
·
Every child
shall have the right to education, health, maintenance, proper care, sports,
entertainment and overall personality development from the families and the
State
·
No child
shall be employed in factories, mines, or in any other hazardous works.
·
Every Child
have the right to elementary child development and participation.
·
No child
shall be subjected to child marriage, illegal trafficking, kidnapping, or being
held hostage.
·
No child
shall be subjected to recruitment or any kind of use in the army, police or
armed groups, neglected, or used immorally, or abused physically, mentally, or
sexually, or exploited through any other means, in the name of religious or
cultural practices.
·
No child shall be subjected to physical,
mental, or any other forms of torture at home, in school, or in any other
places or situations.
The Act Relating to Children, 2018
On 18th September 2018, the Government of Nepal endorsed a
new Children's Act 2075, paving the way to respect, protect and fulfill the
rights of children in Nepal. This new Children's Act means a lot for the
children of Nepal. It builds upon certain national and international provisions
that are meant to promote children's rights.
There are 13
Acts regarding child adopted by Nepal Government in 2018. Some of the major
Provisions are:-
·
Right to Live
This Act says that
every child shall have the right to live with dignity. The Government of
Nepal, Province Government and Local Level shall take necessary measures
required for preventive and security service including prevention of possible
accidents, minimization of risks that may occur on the children, in order to
protect the rights of the child to live and development.
·
Right to Name, Nationality and Identity
According to this Act,
Every child shall have the right to have name with own identification and birth
registration.likewise, It emphasizes that parents shall give a name to his/her
child and should register it according to the prevailing laws. If the father or
mother of a child is not available immediately or there is no possibility that
they can be available, then the child may have the name given by any other
family member or guardian who looks after him.
·
Right Against
Discrimination
This Act primiraly says
that no discrimination shall be made against any child on grounds of religion,
race, caste, tribe, sex, origin, language, culture, ideological thought,
physical or mental condition, physical disability, marital status, family status,
employment, health condition, economic or social condition of him or her or his
or her family or guardian, geographical area or similar other group.
·
Right To Education
This Act of Child says
that, Every child shall have the right to acquire free and compulsory education
upto the basic level and free education upto the secondary level through proper
study materials and teaching method according to his/her physical and mental
condition. Dalit children shall have the right to acquire free education with scholarship
.
·
Special Rights of Children with Disabilities
According to this Act,
Every child with disability shall have the right to promote his or her own
independency, to participate actively in the society and to live a life with
dignity and also shall have the right to obtain special care and to be
assimilated in the society and to obtain thess opportunity to education,
training, health care, and other public service and facilities for the
development of his or her personality.
International Coventions
United Nation Convention on the Rights of the
Child (UNCRC), 1989
The United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is a
legally binding International agreement which has 54 articles that cover all
aspects of a child's life and set out the civil, political, economic, social
and cultural rights that all children everywhere are entitled to.
There are four articles in the
Convention that are seen as special. They’re known as the “General Principles”
and they help to interpret all the other articles and play a fundamental role
in realising all the rights in the Convention for all children. They are:
·
Non-Discrimination
( Article 2 )
Article 2 of the UNCRC says that States Parties
shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is protected
against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status,
activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of thechild’s parents, legal
guardians, or family members. Some forms of discrimintion this article covers
include; Racism, Sexism and Discrimination against disabled.
·
Best
Interest of the Child ( Article 3)
Article 3 of UNCRC says that States Parties shall
undertake to ensure the child such protection and care as is necessary for his
or her well-being, taking into account the rights and duties of his or her
parents, legal guardians, or other individuals legally responsible for him or
her and shall ensure that the institutions, services and facilities responsible
for the care or protection of children, particularly in the areas of safety,
health, and competent supervision.
·
Right
to Life Survival and Development (Article 6)
Article 6 of UNCRC says that States Parties shall
recognize that every child has the inherent right to life and shall ensure to
the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child. It also
says that the government should work to prevent the deaths of children and
young people.
·
Right
to be Heard (Article 12)
Article 12 of UNCRC says that States Parties
shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the
right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the
views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and
maturity. It also says that the opinions of children and young people should be
considered when people make decisions about things that involve them, and they
shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand on the grounds of age.
The ILO
Minimum Age For Employment Convention No. 138:-
This
Convention Prohibits economic activity performed by children below the age of
13 (12 in Developing Countries) and sets the minimum age for admission to
employment at 15 (14 in Developing Countries) which is equivalent to the age of
compulsory schooling. It allows for regular work (less tan 43 hours per week)
and non-hazardous work for children between 15-18 years.
The ILO
worst forms of Child Labor Convention No. 182:-
This
Convention determines no child can be engaged in any forms of slavery or
practices similar to slavery, sujch as trafficking of children , forced labour,
illicit activities for prostitution, pronography including forced or compulsory
recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.
2.4 Efforts made by Government and Non-Government
Organizations
a)
Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre (CWIN)
Established
in 1987, Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre (CWIN) is a pioneer
organisation in Nepal for the rights of the child and against child labour
exploitation.
CWIN's main areas of
concern are child labour, street children, child marriage, bonded labour,
trafficking of children, children in conflict with laws and commercial-sexual
exploitation of children.
For
Children, With Children is CWIN's main motto. CWIN runs Child Helpline 1098 (in
Kathmandu, Hetauda, Nepalgunj, Pokhara and Biratnagar) with a toll-free hotline
telephone (1098), ambulance service, counselling, emergency shelter, medical
and legal services. Moreover, CWIN has been an integral part of some important
alliances and networks like Children at Risk Network Group (CAR-NWG), Alliance
Against Trafficking in Women and Children in Nepal (AATWIN) and ALLIANCE
(Alliance for human Rights and Social Justice).
b) Association for the Protection of
Children Nepal
Since
2001, APC-Nepal provides the street children of Kathmandu with a sympathetic
ear, moral support and a wide range of facilities, including various shelters
with living conditions where they can feel secure and have the freedom and
opportunity to learn and develop.
Nowadays the APC Nepal is caring and supporting for more
than 300 children through Rescue (street children management) and Urban &
Rural Prevention programs designed to fit the needs of the most destitute
children, living and working in the streets of Kathmandu. A world where
children from poor, abusive or malfunctioning families do not need to end up in
the streets any more to fight for their survival but are properly protected,
taken care and guided by a network of
GOs and NGOs collaborating with each other in the best interest of the child.
c) Underprivileged Children’s Educational
Program (UCEP)
Underprivileged
Children’s Educational Program (UCEP) - Nepal is a governmet based organization
working in the right based approach especially in the child right sector. It
was established in 1978 A.D. by the great initiation of Dr. Lindsay Alan
Cleyne, a New Zealander, to enhance the living condition of underprivileged,
disadvantaged and working children by providing them livelihood opportunities
through non-formal education and job oriented technical education and
vocational training. Initially, UCEP Nepal was established as an extension of
UCEP Bangladesh, founded in 1972 A.D. in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Efforts
·
To provide counseling,
life skills and non -formal education to underprivileged/ disadvantaged
children and youths.
·
Assist and support
training graduates in finding gainful employment.
·
Raise awareness among
children and youths about human rights, democratic norms, and human and family
values.
·
Regular training
program (Technical and vocational training)
d) Voice of Children
Voice
of Children (VOC) is a non-government organization working and advocating for
street and sexually abused children of Nepal. It is established in 2000 A.D.
with a motive to work for children living/working in the street and sexually
abused children. VOC has developed comprehensive program for street children
i.e from street to family or community by improving their life skills and
capacity for their adjustment in the society. It has introduced a Ladder
Methodology through which it contributes to strengthen children development in
every step and empower them towards sustainability to ensure their growth in
family environment.
e) Children and Women
in Social Service and Human Rights (CWISH)
Children-Women
in Social Service and Human Rights (CWISH) is a nonprofit organization,
established in 1993 with an aim to ensure social justice, protection and
promotion of human rights especially the rights of children. In order to
achieve this aim, it has been working in three programmatic pillars: Child
Protection, Rights To Education and Family Empowerment.
CWISH has
been the founder of some child rights related consortium as well as the member
of various such national and international consortiums. Till date, the services
of CWISH have reached to 170,123 Children, 313962 Parents and 798 Institutions.
CWISH has been righteously providing legal services to the victims of child
rights violation along with psychosocial counseling and livelihood
opportunities. 290 cases were filed in the court and 71 perpetrators were brought
into justice. As a part of advocacy campaign, 119 IEC materials related to
child rights were published and disseminated.
Chapter: 3
Methodology
3.1 Government Agency
Name: Santosh Chandra
Adhikari
Designation: Protection
Officer
Organization: Balbalika
Kendra (Virkutimandap)
Contact No: 9851221104
1) What do you understand about
street Children?
In
my opinion children who are homeless and living on the street are street
children. Those children who are not able to met basic need and are deprived
from right are street children.
2) Is this the minor problem or
major concerning the nation?
This
problem is major and big because children who are considered as the pillar of
nation are being deprived of their rights, and facing problems of poverty and education.
3) How do you compare it with past
and present?
There
is a vast difference between past and present situation of street child. Street
children in valley are and developed area are in decreasing rate. Many street
children has been given their fundamental right and are given job opportunities
too.
4) What are the roles that
government is playing in the area of street children?
Government has declared to make Kathmandu as a street
children free zone within 10 years and have been working actively for
protecting the rights of children under Article 39 of Constitution of Nepal,
2072 and in long term as federalism has been endorsed, further state will make
plans and policies in coming days to reduce the problem of street children all
across Nepal. 104 is helpline number
where if the general public see any street children the he/she can call and
government worker will take that child in 5/6 hours and give them all the basic
need and their right .
5) Who do you blame for the cause
of street children problem?
Blame
is not the option but the condition of family and parents cause this type of
problem. Somehow we can blame poverty, unmanaged pregnancy and illiteracy.
6) What are the relevant laws
and policies of Government regarding the protection of Street children that are
involved in various forms of labour in Nepal and their Rights?
Different laws and policies have been formulated
regarding child. Some of them are
·
Article 39 of
Constitution of Nepal, 2072
·
The Act of
Child, 2018
·
Article 22 and
29 of Constitution of Nepal, 2063
7) Were the laws and policies
implemented properly?
Laws and policies are made primarily to reduce the
problem of the children and to make every individual aware about the issue. The
laws and policies have been implemented in Nepal. Balbalika Kendra is
effectively working on street children to met the goal to make valley street
with zero street children.
8) How much budget is estimated?
For
each children who is addicted or have bad habits and should be settled in
rehabilitation center, is allotted with Rs.8000 each and the baby children are
allotted with Rs.5000 each. They are reached to their basic need too.
9) Do government monitors other
NGOs / INGOs working for this issue?
Government
helps them with funding. It depends on the program organized by NGOs and INGOs.
They fund them and gives responsibilities of street children and make sure that
they will get there basic need.
3.2 Non-government
Organization
Name:
Ram Krishna Niraula
Designation:
Chairperson
Organization:
Underprivileged Children’s Education program
Contact
No: 9807207647
1) How do you define this issue?
Street
children are children experiencing poverty, homelessness or both, who are
living on the streets of a city, town, or village.
2) How long have you been working
in this area?
Since
2013 A.D
3) What are the goals and
objectives of your organization?
The
Major goals set by our organization are:
·
Right to quality education
·
Right to better life option
·
Right to protection from all forms of
discrimination
·
Right to protection from war and
conflict
4) What programs have you done for
street children?
·
Providing education, meals and cloths.
·
Training for Street children.
5) What NGOs is doing for the enhancement of street
children’s?
According to my understanding there are 4000 NGOs
working in the field of child in Nepal. There are different dimensions of
children NGOs as some of them are working in rescue activity, some training/
workshop activities and some are providing shelter to the street children's.
Likewise, their entire goal is to solve the problem of street children’s and to
reintegrate them into society. However, most of the children NGOs in Nepal are
based on profit as they are just making awareness program which is worthless
but on the other hand organization like CWIN and UCEF are conducting different
sustainable projects in the field of street children.
6) Are you successful in reaching
your goal regarding this problem?
Firstly,
it was quite hard to make people understand about the issue. But now, we are succeeding
as desire and making our programs successful.
7) What is your major source of
funding?
Members
and international agencies are the major sources of funding for us. But the
main donor is government and international agencies.
8) Any support from the government?
Government
supports on funding. If they present any issue to government, they only give
response, but takes no any action and we have to deal with it ourselves.
9) What is the condition of past
and present?
Street
children are being more organized and getting their rights in comparison to
past.
10) What are the challenges that
you face in this type of problems?
Funding
is the major challenge. Other challenge includes less resources, unclear
government policy and lack of people participation in the field of street
children.
11) What are your future plans?
We
have planned to meet our objectives like providing education, training, and
health facilities in broad level and give continuity to
it.
3.3
Interview with Expert:
Name:
Nilakantha Acharya
Designation:
Executive Director
Organization:
Association for protection of children
Contact
No: 4266186
1) What made you interested to
work/conduct study in this issue?
I
started to work in this issue because it is one of the serious issue of our
country on which majority of people are less concerned about it. The other
reason I started to work on this issue was, when I was in school level I worked
as member of child club and had many more knowledge about child right and my
interest on child right improvement increased out and I decided to work in this
field.
2) How long have you been working
on this issue?
It’s
been 10 years that I have been working on this issue.
3) How do you define this problem?
Street
children are those who are homeless and living on the street. The causes they
become homeless are family background, family problem, scarcity, friends circle
and many more.
4) How serious is the problem? What
is the magnitude of the problem?
This
problem is directly related with entire Nation. As we know children are
considered as the backbone of nation, beside this street children are not
getting their rights and being addicted of bad habits which will be ultimately
bad for nation.
5) Do you find any difference in
the way this issue is addressed before and now?
Before,
this issue was not addressed as there was no any facility for street children
like basic needs. But now, the issue has slightly improved as the number of
NGO's and INGO's working in this field have been increased and government have
also given more focus to this issue in comparison to past. However, the issue
still remains the major problem of nation.
6) How is government looking at
this issue?
When
government gives concern to this issue, they say it is serious, but they don’t
take any action and plans are not implemented.
7) Are the work of NGOs/INGOs
satisfactory?
They
are doing well from their own side but still it is not satisfactory.
8) How have policies addressed the
issue?
Policies
have addressed the issue well, implemented but not so effective.
9) Do you suggest better policies?
Firstly
the root causes should be found and they should be solved. The allowances
should be given. It should be mandatory and satisfactory.
10) What strategies do you suggest
for effective work in this area?
I
would like to suggest:
·
Improve existing inequality.
·
Biasness to Street children.
·
Education facility
3.4 General Public
Name:
SoobashDhakal
Designation:
Software Developer
Organization: Comioc international
Contact No.: 9860098221
1) Are you aware about the issue?
Yes,
we can see it at different parts of Nepal.
2)
In your understanding who are street children?
Street
Children's are those who live in street and works in different hazardous sectors.
3) Does this issue exist in
locality, family or neighborhood?
It
still exists in my own locality. They need more attention which is lack of
home. In locality, street children are neglected.
4) Faced/seen/experienced the
problem? What did you do?
I
have seen the problem. I made people aware about street child’s so and advised
them to behave and treat street child politely.
5) Why do you think this problem is
increasing?
As
people are not showing concern and providing sufficient love and care to street
child. Problems are increasing day by day due to poverty, unwanted pregnancy,
divorce etc.
6) what can you do as an individual
contribute to minimize the problem?
By
providing proper care, love and affection to street children; making them
capable, providing them support and leading them towards their better future.
7)
Do you have any idea about government efforts towards the upliftment of street
children?
Many
programs are implemented by government by initiating with NGOs and INGOs to
enhance the street children’s but their programs only long for short term which
is not sustainable. The government here in Nepal works for profit not for the
development of any people or children.
3.5 Media
Name:
Nirjal Basnet
Designation: News manager
Organization: Timekhabar.com
Contact no: 9851000346
1) Have you covered any news on the
issue of street child?
Yes.
I did one from during COVID pandamic. I wrote articles about the victims.
2) What are your personal views
about the issue?
We
must protect the street child and provide them love and care and must important
to provide them education so that they can secure their future and work for the
country betterment as well as owns betterment.
3) What is media being doing in
the issues of Street Children?
In the issue of street children from our side we are
actively making the aware to government sometimes by publishing the issues.
4)To
what extent role media
can play important part to minimize the worst forms of child labour?
We can make aware to government by making the issues
published through newspaper, online news and so on.We can aware general public about the helpline to
settle these children by publishing helpline number.
5) What is your observation in
working with the victim directly?
I
observed that most of the victim can’t share their problem as some are small in
age. So, in that case, we collect information from neighbors, police or
relatives.
6) Do you think laws and policy are
adequate to address the problem? If not, why? What can be done?
There
is not enough laws and policy compare to others. If government could have done
any program related to this issue, there will be possibility to bring about a
change in policy or its implementation.
7) NGOs/INGOs/Government’s efforts
satisfactory?
There
is not enough effort by NGOs/INGOs/Government. They will start to research
about issue only after the media publishes. They do not take initiation by
themselves.
8) Challenges?
Whenever
we publish any article related to issue, we get threatened by the related
person or police. Also, while taking an interview directly, we should
repeatedly ask the same question until we get answer.
9) What could be the role of media
in bringing awareness to general public in this issue? Have you been doing
that?
Research
about the issues, collect information, issue should be published clearly in
newspaper so that the related family can take away their victim. Street
children should be cared and supported a lot, but this is not available. It can
be done by organizing programs.
Chapter 4
Intervention strategy
4.1 Strategy No. 1
Micro level Intervention
|
S.N |
Activities |
Target
Population |
Level |
Objectives |
Expected
Outcome |
Indicator
Of success |
|
1. |
Conducting a rescue
program in places where majority of street children faces violence and discrimination. |
Street Children |
Micro |
To rescue a street
children in need or seeking some sort of help and linking them with resource
system that provides them with better oppurtunity. |
End of violence faced by street children |
Involvement in
productive activities like education and life skill training. |
4.2 Strategy No. 2
Mezzo level Intervention
|
S.N |
Activities |
Target Population |
Level |
Objectives |
Expected
Outcome |
Indicator
Of success |
|
1 |
Establishing Support
Group |
Street Children |
Mezzo |
To support them
socially, economically and emotionally. |
Street Children can
share and accept their problem and will be able to cope with their problem. |
1)Confidence level
Builds and can express well their problem. 2) Rapport Building
and we feeling. |
|
2 |
Providing skill and
Income generating Activities. |
Street children |
Mezzo |
To sustain their
living. |
Street children will
be able to enroll themselves in productive activities by gaining worth and
dignity. |
Willingness and
Eagerness to involve in appropriate activities increases. |
4.3
Strategy No. 3 Macro level Intervention
|
S.N |
Activities |
Target
Population |
Level |
Objectives |
Expected
Outcome |
Indicator
Of success |
|
1 |
Advocating Government
to make street children free zone. |
Government |
Macro |
To make street children
free area. |
1) Reduction of
Social problems. 2) Acess of street children
to basic and fundamental |
Zero number of street
children in the area. |
|
2 |
Amending the policy
for preventing street children. |
Government |
Macro |
To prevent street
children for being a street survival. |
No one will survive
in street. |
Zero number of street
children. |
Chapter: 5
Recommendation and Conclusion
5.1 Recommendation
We request all
to protect street children from negative effects caused by various activities
and biasness. It is also necessary to build new culture in favor of Child
Rights in the process of building New Nepal. We appeal all to fulfill their
duty to protect children, adopting the following measures:
Children:
Children
should be aware about their rights given by constitution of Nepal and issues of
children to be addressed by Constituent Assembly. The views of children should
be respected and honored. However, children should be aware that people with
vested interests can misuse them and put them in risk.
Parents:
Parents should
protect their children and should be able to get their rights fulfilled. They
should not force their children to engage in labor.
Political parties:
Children must
not be used in any activities related to election campaign by political
parties. They have responsibility to follow the Election Code of Conduct and
translate their commitments with regards to protection of children's rights
into action.
Election Commission:
Special
attention, monitoring and reasonable action should be taken to pursue the
Article 23 of Election code of conduct. The issue of children should be given
priority during election awareness campaign.
Media:
Media should
be more alert, collect facts and publicize the incidents of use of miss-use of
children rights in the election and child rights violations, and put pressure
to concerned parties to respect child rights.
Government and Security force:
They should
take immediate action mobilizing local structures regarding any incidents of
Child Right violations which may take place during the election. Moreover, they
should give priority for the protection of children from any incident.
Let's build New Nepal with a respect to Child
Rights!!
For Government
·
Eradicate all
traditional practices harmful to the physical and psychological wellbeing of
children.
·
Strength its
strategy to combatpoverty.
·
Implemented
the rights of children who have been affected by conflict
·
To eradicate
the practice of bonded labor by children
·
Enact
appropriate legislation to ensure protection from sexual abuse and exploitation
for boys and girls less than 18 years.
Other Recommendations
·
Immediately
stop the abuse and maltreatment of children by law enforcement and other
justice system personnel and safeguard their human rights. Protect children on
the street and in custody from torture and ill-treatment, including rape and
sexual abuse, whether by officials or other detainees.
·
Guarantee
immediate investigations into any alleged abuse and ill-treatment identify
those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal
and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law and
according to international human rights standards.
·
Ensure
adequate budget allocation to social services, probation and programs focusing
on prevention, diversion and alternatives to detention.
·
Develop and
implement screening procedures (including psychological profiling) in the
recruitment of all juvenile justice system personnel, including all police and
military law enforcement personnel (not just those specialized in juvenile
justice).
·
Establish and enforce stricter time limits for
all actors in the justice process in order to speed up the processing of cases
involving children in conflict with the law.
·
Ensure proper
remuneration for justice system personnel to increase professional motivation
to work with children and combat bribery and corruption.
·
Conduct a mass
sensitization campaign amongst all personnel in the social welfare and criminal
justice systems (police, social services, probation, lawyers, judiciary, staff
in institutions), as well as civil society and children themselves, regarding
child rights legislation and practices.
.5.2 Conclusion
Millions of children
all around the world live on the street and in poverty. Most of all these
children are deprived of health care and education. "Street Children"
is a term that was used by Henry Mayhew in 1851. Before these children were
simply referred to as homeless of abandoned. In this paper the background,
opinion and solutions to the problem will be assessed.
The
effects of several economic, social, and political factors have been known to
bring about street children. An important social factor is the breaking down of
families.In fact the major problem concerning street children is their
visibility on the streets and the violation of their human rights. The pure
fact that the number of these kids is growing its becoming a problem. So many
children begging, peddling, stealing, sniffing, and loitering is the problem growing
by the second. Not only is the problem growing but also human rights are being
violated. "Street children throughout the world are subjected to physical
abuse by police or have been murdered outright, as governments treat them as a
blight to be eradicated-rather than as children to be nurtured and protected.
Overall,
in our research, we have properly analyzed all the primary and secondary data,
information and have come to the conclusion. Based on our research analysis, we
have found that millions of children's all across the world lives in street and
faces various forms of violence and exploitation. Likewise, in Nepal more than
5000 children's are living in street due to different reasons like poverty and
illiteracy. The government of Nepal has formulated several laws and policies
regarding children but doesn’t seem to be effective. Beside these, More than
4000 NGOs along with INGOs are working in the field of street children in Nepal
but their work seems to be based on profit motive rather than service. Hence,
the government of Nepal and the different so called NGOs and INGOs needs to
work effectively in order to bring a sustainable change in the field of street
children.
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