42 street children handed over to parents

PESHAWAR: Around 42 street children were unified with their families in the provincial capital in the last three months.

The Society for the protection of the rights of the child (SPARC) had found these children on the streets and had taken them to its Drop in
Centre in Sikandar Town Peshawar.

According to a press release after giving psycho social counseling to the children, the organization convinced them to go back to their homes and they agreed to do so.

In the reunification process, the organization’s staff was helped by local influential, buss stand administration, Police child protection Center, child protection Units, SPARC’s district child rights committees- voluntarily working for the protection of children rights in more than 50 districts in Pakistan.

The children were handed over to their parents in the presence of local influential persons after the parents assured not to punish them for leaving homes. These families were also informed about child rights and risk on the street on the occasion. The children were mostly from the Bajaur Agency, Swat, Kuram Agency, Rawalpindi, Lahore and district Peshawar etc.

The Drop in Centre for street children was initiated in 2006 with an objective to provide street children an environment free from all kind of abuse and exploitation.

Beside reunification street children are being provided facilities of education, recreation, different skills and information regarding their rights and protection from abuse and exploitation.

Till date more than 1000 street children had benefited from the Centre, while 30 to 40 street children are regularly visiting it on daily basis and are being provided facilities of education, recreation, psycho social counseling and life skills. (PPI)