Nepal launches winter camp for street children

Nepal initiated a two-month long winter camp for street children on Tuesday, an organizer said Wednesday in Kathmandu.

"The objective of the program is to protect the street children and children vulnerable to the cold winter and give them a sense of security, making them aware about medical treatment and health education," said Madhav Pradhan, general secretary of Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN), a non-governmental organization which is one of the organizers of the program.

The camp aims at bringing positive changes to the lives of street children, reducing the number of street children along with the elimination or reduction of drug abuse and protecting them from being exposed to further risk from conflict, Pradhan noted.

Those participating in the camps are street children, internally displaced children, children under difficult circumstances, migrated, abandoned and ignored children, vulnerable, marginalized and exploited child labors.

The camp distributes warm clothes to at least 500 children, night shelter for 200 children everyday, nutritious meals to 200 children everyday, free health treatment to 100 children everyday and free health camp is organized twice a month for 500 children, Pradhan revealed.

"There will be participatory interactions, workshops and discussions with children on child rights and responsibility, child development, child labor and trafficking," Pradhan said.

The camp is being jointly organized by CWIN, Concern Center Nepal and Child Protection Center Services, all non-governmental organizations, as per the demand of the street children, Pradhan noted.

According to Pradhan, about 800 to 900 street children are living in the Kathmandu Valley.

Source: Xinhua