Rehabilitation centres: A new home for 300 street children in Korangi

Our priority is to find parents of street children: social welfare official.

KARACHI:

The government has started building a rehabilitation centre for children in Korangi to house 200 boys and 100 girls.

It will share a plot with Darul Atfaal and consists of two buildings for which a budget of Rs314.5 million was set aside. The street children project was approved for the year 2010-2011 and has received two installments so far.

The project’s deadline was 2013-2014 but, according to welfare officials, it should be ready in a year or two. At the centre, children will receive shelter, food and education.

“Our primary focus will be on vocational training, developing skills and counselling so that they don’t return to their former lifestyle,” said the social welfare official.

There are an estimated 30,000 street children in Karachi but these numbers are on the lower side. “[Catering to] 300 does seem to be a small figure but this is just a pilot project and will soon be replicated in other districts if this is successful,” said the official. “After street children are rescued by the child protection units, the government’s first priority is to reunite them with their parents. However, children whose parents cannot be located will be confined to the shelter.”

The government has enlisted the help of nine NGOs. Organisations such as Chippa and Edhi support it as well and are willing to provide transportation.

Names of NGOs supporting the project

Azad Foundation

Child Abuse Prevention Society

Save The Children

Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child

Pakistan Voluntary Health and Nutrition Association

Initiator

International Education and Resource Network

KONPAL

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27^th, 2011.