State of our orphanages

Even after the passage of 43 years, successive governments have failed to implement the law

The state of our orphanages is far from enviable. Aside from squalid conditions defining most such establishments, the rough treatment meted out to the inmates has often left indelible scars on our collective conscience.

Laws governing the conduct of workhouses and providing safeguards to the orphans have scarcely been implemented to the letter and spirit. A case in point is the Sindh Orphanages (Supervision and Control) Act, 1976. Even after the passage of 43 years, successive governments have failed to implement this law. More than 30 orphanages are operating in Sindh and none of them are registered with the social welfare department as required under the Act. Thousands of orphans living in these shelter homes are also not registered under the law. Despite millions of rupees in funds, the living conditions in the orphanages are bad. The government doesn’t even have a proper administrative setup to manage these orphanages. Social Welfare Department Secretary Taha Ahmed Farooqi acknowledged this and said the government did not have any data about the number of children living in these institutes or where they go after turning 18. He said that what was more serious was the concern about the girls living there. But to give credit where it is due, for the first time, the registration process has been initiated by the social welfare department, which has also established the Sindh Darul Atfal Board.

Farooqi said that detailed orders have been passed by the Sindh High Court and the department was responding to the sensitivity of the situation and the responsibilities to the orphans. The provincial government for the first time has devised a detailed plan to provide education to the children living in the orphanages and develop their skills. Work on the plan has started and a pilot project launched. We wish them success in this effort at turning things around.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2019.

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