The government is implementing a project of Taka three crore with a pious aim of ensuring overall development for the street children.
“Activities of a project titled ‘Street Children Rehabilitation’ began in January 2016 aiming at ensuring development of the underprivileged children,” Director of the Street Children Rehabilitation Project Dr Abul Hossain told on Sunday.
Two shelter homes for the street children have already been built at Kamalapur and Kawran Bazar respectively under the project, he said, adding that a total of 669 and 217 children are being benefited from the two shelter homes.
He also said approximately 70 to 80 children and 30 to 35 children take shelter in Kamalapur and Kawran Bazar shelter homes respectively while many of them reside permanently in the shelter homes allotted for them.
Many of them leave the homes after passing a night or residing there one or two days, he added.
The director also said the shelter homes are facilitated with academic atmosphere, indoor playground and cultural activities.
The children are also given dress and imparted motivation for making them school oriented, Hossain added.
Government and non-government development organizations have been implementing the project with the theme of “Shishur Thikana Path Nay, Sarker Dibe Nirapad Asray”, declared by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said.
The Director also said as per the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Dhaka North City Corporation and South City Corporation conducted a survey on the street children in 2015 and on the basis of that survey report ‘Street Children Rehabilitation’ project was taken under Women and Children Affairs Ministry.
The project is now being implemented in the capital city on an experiment basis and it will be implemented throughout the country later, Hossain added.
Different non-government development organizations along with Social Welfare Ministry came forward to ensure overall development of the distressed children, he said, adding that ‘Aparajeo Bangla’, a non government organization, has been working for 22 years for developing life style of the street and working children particularly for underprivileged children.
Executive Director of Aparajeo Bangla Wahida Banu said a total of 10 lakh 87 thousand and 828 street children got assistance by the organization between 1995 and 2015.
Among them 28,918 slum children, 18,532 working children, including victims of torture, trafficking and legal complexities, got services through the organization, she added.
She also said for helping the children a ‘child help line 1098’ was launched in 2010 for the first time in the country and added that more than 24 thousand children got services through the help line and security of 14 thousand children were ensured.
According to data of 2015 of the Aparajeo Bangla, 85,238 children received services from the organization in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Barisal, Rangpur and Jamalpur through 30 open schools, 36 children friendly schools, 13 drop-in-centers, 11 residential clubs, three emergency night passing shelter centers and two hostels, Wahida said.
Aiming at building saving mentality, a total of 3,500 children are operating savings and current accounts through 17 branches of different banks, she added.
“We have been working for 22 years for the development of the underprivileged children without being dependent on donors,” Wahida said, adding but many affluent people, banking institutions, different organizations and garments owners are helping indirectly.
