Safe to Grow, Protecting Nepali Children after EQ

Thank you for supporting our Safe to Grow Project

It is estimated  that since the devastating earthquake, there are around 5000 children living on the streets in Nepal.  Almost two thirds of these children will have been spending time living on the streets since the age of ten, or younger. Street children will most likely have been pushed out of their homes by violence, parental poverty or family breakdown.

On the street, these children face further abuse, including from tourists and the police. Despite being victims of circumstance and existing in the worst conditions, street children are treated as less than human and are often spat on, beaten, and called derogatory names.

Four in five of these children will turn to solvent abuse as a way to cope with the trauma of living on the street. They collect rubbish and rags, or beg, in order to earn money to survive. These children exist within a cycle of poverty and abuse – unable to get proper, paid work, they will continue to suffer from addiction, abuse and psychological trauma, and many will die young.

Here at Kidasha, we are working to break this cycle. Our work is not just about getting these children off the streets, but also facilitating their recovery, teaching them valuable skills, and preventing them from ever having to return to this way of life. We also work directly with families to put an end to the conditions which force children out of their homes and onto the streets.

It is now almost three years since the earthquake, but there is still a lot to do.  So on behalf of the children we work with - A big thank you.

Best wishes

The Kidasha Team