Benisha Hamal
Kathmandu ,2009/9/28
With increasing urbanization and urban-focused opportunities and facilities, the problem of street children is growing year by year. Children from rural villages and districts end up on city streets as a result of poverty, broken families. Physical and mental abuse in the family, abandonment, helplessness, and desire to live in the city. Being an orphan, abandonment, rise in domestic violence, lack of opportunities including education and recreation in the villages, exploitation at work places, growing trend of migration in general and the ongoing conflict situation are the reasons contributing to children coming to streets. Every year around 500 children are landed in the streets of Kathmandu from different districts of Nepal. Children come mainly from neighboring districts of Kathmandu, like Nuwakot, Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Dhading, Makawanpur and Dolkha.
However, it is recognized that there needs to be preventive and controlling measures at the origins and destinations of these children with issuance of identity cards for rehabilitative service. 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. Street children are among the high risk and insecure groups and they are vulnerable to various forms of exploitation and abuses. Street children in Nepal are very vulnerable to the exposure to alcohol, drugs and tobacco. Street Children regard alcohol and drug use is one of the escape mechanisms to release or to get away from all their worries, tensions and problems.es for those who have already arrived in urban centers Street children face hunger, lack of health and education facilities, lack of opportunity for skills development, physical and sexual exploitation by elder and former street children, drug abuse, etc. It is also reported that as they grew up they face difficulties in making a livelihood and, consequently, became involved in immoral and illegal activities, contributing to social disorder. Some NGO's address the issues of street children with transit homes, skills training, socialization centers, counseling, provision of food and education, family reunion.
