Street children in Nepal

In Nepal there are estimated (Unicef, 1996) to be 26,000 children of the street, i.e. those who both work and live in the street.  There are an additional 3,700 children on the street, i.e. those who live with their families but spend most of their time playing and working in the street.

Of the street children, around half earn a meagre living, around Rs 25 per day (US$ 0.3 per day) by rag picking.

Less than half of these children are literate; and of those who are, most are barely literate as a result of non-formal education programmes such as the Children's Feeding Project (one organisation which is supported by the Trust).

There are also many child workers in Nepal, although figures are difficult to obtain.

The 1981 census showed that 60% of children in the 10 to 14 age group were economically active, but an altered definition meant that the 1991 census estimated that it was 23% of all 10 to 14 year olds. 

These are the ones in some kind of regular employment (i.e. not lone street children). Children tend to work at least 8 or 10 hours per day, but mostly do not earn more than about Rs 16 per day (US$ 0.2 per day). Of urban child workers, around one quarter have received work injuries.

There is a far greater proportion of boys than girls among the street children.  A major cause of this imbalance is that many girls are duped into sexual exploitation.   It is difficult to know how many are involved in this.  In 1996 Unicef estimated that each year, 4,000 to 5,000 girls between 10 and 14 years old are trafficked to India.

The Indian Health Organisation (IHO) estimated that 100,000 Nepali girls and women were working as prostitutes in India.  Of these, 35% were abducted by traffickers. 

Nepal's Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare estimates that the number of Nepali prostitutes in India may be double the IHO estimate. 

Indian police figures estimate that, of the 15,000 prostitutes working in Uttar Pradesh, 12,000 are Nepali.

Does the situation improve?

The increasing awareness among many Nepalese, as well as foreign aid workers and visitors, has helped generate a pressure for the situation to be improved. 

The government has increased its pro-children legislation and other measures to improve the conditions of the poor have been introduced. 

For example, in 2000, the Kamaiyas (bonded labourers living in conditions of near-slavery), have been released from their landlords and are being rehabilitated. The government is receiving support in this from a number of international agencies.

However, His Majesty’s Government of Nepal accepts the constraints under which it is working.   Despite good legislation, the people are still very poor and most have few alternative choices.  It will be many years before the stated ideals can be put into practice.

Increasing population and the declining fertility of farmland, coupled with outside pressures of globalisation and macro-economics, mean that there is a constant stream of people from rural areas into the cities. 

Without help from outside, a large number of children will continue to need help.

Our Patron

TV and Film Star Jane Seymour OBE is Patron of The Street Children of Nepal Trust.

The many lead roles Jane Seymour has played during her career include that of "James Bond Girl" Solitaire, in the Bond movie Live and Let Die, in which she starred with Roger Moore.

Jane also played the lead role of Dr. Quinn, in the popular and long running TV series "Dr. Quinn - Medicine Woman".

We would like to publicly thank Jane for her acceptance of this patronage to the 'Street Children of Nepal' charity.