Who are we?

Voice of Street (VoS) is a registered Non-Governmental and non-profit Organisation based in Pokhara Leknath, Kaski, Nepal working for the rights of children throughout Nepal.  Voice of Street was formally registered as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Kaski in 2074 (2017) although we have previously supported street children in Pokhara informally for the past 5 years. We are affiliated with the Social Welfare Council of Nepal who is a governing body of NGOs international policy in Nepal.

History

VoS was formed out of a chance meeting between Prem (the founder of VoS) and a young boy on the streets of Pokhara. It was a cold November night. He met a young boy, Sano Kancha (name has been changed to protect the identity of the children)  who was sitting around a fire he had just lit. During the evening he met with other street children who were also living on the streets. After a few meetings with the street children he saw the condition of the children and how they were being treated. From this he decided to conduct an outreach programme through the help of his friends by delivering health, motivation, sports and art and music programmes for the street children. Since then VoS has gone from strength to strength and since registration in 2074, it has reached out to communities in the Kaski District and as far as Kathmandu with the delivery of its awareness and outreach programmes.

Vision:

No children on the streets of Nepal

Mission:

• To promote the children’s rights in Nepal
• To provide children with support, rehabilitation and education
• To re-integrate children back into the family, community and society

Presently in Kaski there are reported to be 208 street children. Voice of Street realises this is a problem that lies within its communities and affects the whole nation. Nepal’s ever increasing street children problem is fueled by poverty, family breakdowns, drug and alcohol addiction, unwanted pregnancies, high levels of illiteracy, lack of education, ignorance and denial, stigma and discrimination and natural disasters.

Street life can lead to tragic consequences for the street children because to survive the harsh realities of life on the street, they are led into a life of crime and health issues including prostitution, unwanted pregnancies, drug addiction, sexual and physical abuse child trafficking, child labour, theft and other criminal activities.