Status of Street Children: A case study of Pokhara city

Abstract

The status of children within any country shows the future of the nation, hence the problems related with child right should be addressed properly. This paper aims to discuss problems related in general with street children and children of the street specifically. The general objective of the study was to find out the status of street children about food and shelter, bad habits and the violence against them post leaving home and in the street.

This research was mainly based on primary data. Depending upon the nomadic nature of the children random sampling method was used to collect data. Possible places where the street children mostly hang out to collect rags or to beg were visited. Street children were found from different categories like having home and parents at their place of origin, homeless and living at home but coming to street. While launching any programmes related to street children, this categorization should be considered.

Most of the street children were male and in this study all of the respondents encountered were male. The main reason behind their house abandonment was poverty. Sixty percent of the street children of Pokhara were found involved in rag picking. Most of them have had the experiences of nights with out having food. When a children climbs down to the street, he certainly develops bad habits like smoking, drinking, glue sniffing, gambling, stealing, etc. Most of them had the opinion that they are considered as bad people by the general people.

This study also reveals that the misery behind street children is the bitter reality of out society. Children of school going age are lying on the street wandering around the dumping sites and dirty corners of the street. They immediately require such programs, which could bring them in the mainstream of out society. In this situation, again our socioeconomic reality comes on the way. So including strict implementation of programmes to protect children right, there has to be done a lot to uplift whole country’s socio-economic status.