STREET CHILDREN IN NEPAL: A STUDY ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITION OF STREET CHILDREN IN KATHMANDU VALLEY

Abstract

The thesis entitle "STREET CHILDREN IN NEPAL: A STUDY ON SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITION OF STREET CHILDREN IN KATHMANDU VALLEY" is the original selected topics on my research work. The main objectives of this thesis are: 1. To analyze the socio-economic factors of street children. 2. To find out Educational situation of Street children. 3. To find out socio-parental relationship of street children. 4. To evaluate income & expenditure pattern of street children. 5. To find out future aspiration, problem and prospect of street children. Thus this study has concentrate on Socio-Economic condition of street children in Kathmandu valley, especially answer to the following queries. a. What are the pushing and pulling factors to make Street children? b. What are the major problems faced by them? c. What are socio-economic and socio-cultural backgrounds behind them? d. What will they do think about their future aspiration? e. What are the push and pull factors to make child labor? f. What is the common thinking concept of society behind street children? g. What are the policies of government to control follow of street children? The information was collected from different place of Kathmandu valley by using Cluster and quota sampling methods. The Study was guided from qualitative research approach. Only few quantitative data had admitted. The Clustering place were Chabahil, Kalimati, Kalanki, New Buspark, Swayambhu, Purano Buspark, Thamel, Maharajganj, Hanumandhoka, Ratna Park, and Pashupati from Kathmandu district, Patan durbar square from Lalitpur district and Bhaktpur durbar square from Bhaktpur district. The sample sizes of study population was160 on which, 120 Street Children, 20/20 local businessman and NGOs/INGOs workers were including. According to the Nepal Labour Force Survey 2008, there were about 7.77 million children in Nepal between 5 to 17 years of age, in which, 50.7 % were boys and 49.3 % were girls. That number has growth for broken families have been apart by xix economic hardship, leaving children to fend for themselves. Children are often seen begging, or working in the streets, cafes, petrol stations, sometimes well into the night. The research reports and documents on child labor have highlighted the activities in which Nepalese child labor is involved as; (a) pottering for the tourist and travel industry and catering for hotels, tea shops, restaurants, bars etc, (b) domestic servants; (c) manual labor: rock breaking, mechanic, sweeper, road and building site worker, carpenter, brick-making, (d) rag picking, prostitution and begging, (e) selling: street hawking, petrol pump attendant, shop assistant, shoe making and shining, newspaper vending and delivery, (f) cottage industry: pottery, carpet, and cloth weaving, candle making, poultry farming, (g) manufacture: printing, bricks, bread, garments, matches, cigarettes, soap, shoes and plastics. The most important cause of children leave to their families as; Unemployment and Poverty, Domestic violence and abuse, Religious attitude, Movement, Survival, Rural Situations, Landless family, step parents, dead of parents, Stigma and Discrimination and Drugs. Of those, 58.34% respondent children were Illiterate. Off curse, Street Child were used in vulnerable work such as sexual abuse and intercourse, prostitution and pornography, begging and stealing, Drugs trafficking from one to another place for money and life living. It is concluded that children were stay into Street by easily living of life. They influence from peer groups, moderate society, step parents, poverty, abuse, hard working, bonded child labor, transportation and communication. These studies are recommended that, awareness, building of institutional mechanism, sensitized law enforcement, income generate of child and family, mass education, health and nutrition, counseling and guidance, issue and distribution of citizenship card, making policy of child, extension of help and hot line, socialization, rehabilitation and political commitment were help to control of Street Child population from Kathmandu Valley.