Socio-Economic Status of Street Children (A Case Study of Pokhara)
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Faculty of Economics
Abstract
The study entitled “Socio-economic Status of Street Children: A Case Study of
Pokhara” was conducted in Pokhara city during 2012-2013 to find out the causes and
consequences of the street children as well as their socio-economic status. The
explanatory research method was applied to investigate the minimum acquaintance
about street children and similarly the descriptive method was employed to identify
the major problems associated with them. Out of 74 street children 50 were used in
the study by snowball technique.
Most of the children were of about age range of 10-12 years. Among them 54, 26 and
20 percent were from Dalit, Janajaties and Upper caste, respectively. Sixty six
percent of children were literate and 34 percent never attended school. Reasons
behind not attending school were lack of awareness, lack of support from guardian,
poor economy and lack of interest on themselves. Factors that forced the children to
leave their home was maltreatment by family members, expectation of better life,
pressure of work at home, poor economic status of the family and breakdown of their
family due to second marriage either from father or mother or early death of both
parents. Education status of street children was very bad. Health status of street
children was also very fragile as they didn’t get hygienic food to eat.
In the study area majority of street children were street rag-pickers, beggar and load
carrier. They earned nominal amount of money and only few of them saved their
earning. Fifty four percent of the respondents have saving habits. They spend their
earning for food, alcohol, cigarette and habitual dendrite sniffing.
Circumstances and problems faced by street children were mistreatment of police,
and stealing of goods and belongings. Major dreams of the respondents were to
become drivers, mechanics, social workers, soldiers and police.
Street life of children is full of trouble, challenge, complexity and hardships. Every
day they did fight with the hurdles, obstacles and risky circumstances. From this study
it is suggested that the government agencies, NGOs, INGOs and local communities
should focus their immediate attention on the causes and consequences of street
children and suggest their permanent way out.