News post

According to UN sources, there are up to 150 million street children in the world today. Chased from home by violence, drug and alcohol abuse, the death of a parent, family breakdown, war, natural disaster or simply socio-economic collapse, many destitute children are forced to eke out a living on the streets, scavenging, begging, hawking in the slums and polluted cities of the developing world. Some facts and statistics of street children of Nepal:2 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. 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. Street life means various risks and continuous dangers for that particularly vulnerable young population. Risks / Dangers that they face are numerous: violence (moral and physical), drugs addiction, threatening from gangs, social exclusion, health problems, delinquency, criminality, alcoholism, starvation, lack of self-esteem etc. The new challenges in working with street children are the rampant use of drugs, including intra-venous drugs used by some of the children. The threat of contracting HIV due to common sharing of needles and unsafe sexual behaviors. Street youths are gradually being exposed to the world of crime as well.