Voice of Youth Direct Line 

Jagaran Group (by ex-street children for street children)

- CWA's Youngest and Newest Partner

Background

Jagaran Group is a team of former street children working for street children.

Jagaran Group was formed as a result of a group of street children who worked together on and off on street drama with support from Arohan drama group (a professional actors' group) in the early 1990s. As the founding members of Jagaran Group expressed interest in forming a street children's independent group Ajuni (Development Communications) Consultancy group supported with the necessary training on development work and basic organisation development.

In early 1997 Jagaran Group was formed with a loose structure, getting together and performing street drama in schools and at the offices of development organisations. The Group then decided to seriously start gathering support for starting a full time project for helping street children and preventing new children from joining the streets. The group decided on starting a scrap collection center in order to be a contact point for street children - majority of whom scavenge the garbage sites and sell recyclable items at scrap collection centers. The Group felt convinced that this would be a good way to keep in touch with the "target group" and also to slowly become self-dependent.

In late 1997, Jagaran group submitted a proposal to Child Workers in Asia (CWA) for help to establish the scrap collection center. CWA agreed to help by providing the major part of the seed money for starting the Group activities.

Objective

- To prevent new children from becoming street children.

- To help build self-respect among street children through constructive activities.

- To guide street children towards a positive attitude towards life so that they can adjust in their home and society.

- To perform the pity life of the street children to the school children so

that they can understand the real life.

- To rehabilitate those who are interested to go back.

- To inform the INGOs/NGOs about the real situation of street children.

Activities

- Establish a scrap collection center for sustainable income and also an easy access to reach street children.

- Non formal education, skill training and ethical activities.

- Provide welfare including medical facilities.

- Entertainment programs in the scrap collection center.

- Healthy food canteen for street children.

- Shelter for street children.

- Street drama

For further information:

Jagaran Group

G.P.O. Box 4892

Anamnagar, Kathmandu

Nepal

Temporary phone, fax and email address:

c/o Homa Thakali

Phone: 977 1 429 051/ 977 1 429 052

Fax: 977 1 411 645