By Keshav Pariat
SHILLONG: In an ever expanding city, with its population increasing by the day, it may not be surprising to know that the number of children living and working on the streets of Shillong is also on the rise.
Friday is the International Day for Street Children, celebrated every year on April 12. It is a day not yet recognized by the United Nations, but NGOs working with street children here in Meghalaya and across the world are using 2013 to push the world body, through the slogan ‘Demand a Day’, in order to provide a platform for millions of street children around the world.
According to the UN’s children’s fund, UNICEF, the number of street children in the world today is in the tens of millions. UNICEF indentifies two main types of street children – children on the street and children of the street.
Those of the first category work on the streets by selling, recycling or begging, while the second group actually live on the street, either because they have no family or have chosen, or been forced, to live apart from their family.
One of the organisations working for the uplift of street children in the city is Reach Shillong Ministries (RSM). They have several day shelters, one of which is in the MUDA parking lot near the Anjalee Hall.
Street children in Shillong can be found from all ethnic groups and all religions and the numbers are increasing day by day. Most of the increase is from illegal migrants, coming from Bangladesh through Assam, according to RSM.
The Field Assistant at this particular shelter is Jerry Gordon N Ryngnga, who acts as a friend and elder brother to the many children who come here on a daily basis.
“What we do is talk to them as a friend or elder brother one on one if there is a problem. It’s about trying to provide support and motivation to these kids,” Ryngnga says.
The shelter, open from 10am to 5pm, normally caters to around 16-18 children a day, but that figure fluctuates as most are working children.
The president of RSM, Reverend Reuben G Laloo, says that, according to the NGO’s records, there are 300-350 street children in the city and adjoining areas. One-third of them fall between the ages of six and 10 years.
“Most of the children are rag pickers, collecting cardboard boxes and bottles. If they earn Rs 50 in a day, they’ll keep Rs 20 for themselves and the rest will go to their family,” Ryngnga explained.
The shelter is important because it provides a safe space for the children. Ryngnga says that many of the street kids are engaged in dangerous behaviour, such as sniffing glue. Those who need counseling also receive it.
“We bring them here to educate them, expose them to awareness programmes and involve them in other activities that keep them away from bad things,” Ryngnga said.
What may not be understood by the public is that street children are often used by adults to commit crimes. These can include stealing, drug peddling and other forms of antisocial behaviour, Rev Laloo said. They are also the victims of crime committed by others against them.
“They grow up thinking that this is the right way. That is why RSM is conducting awareness programmes and trying to equip the children with life skills.”
Ryngnga has been involved with the shelter since it opened at the end of October last year. He had a very different life to the one he has now, having worked in Kolkata in a multinational company as well as a bank.
However, he saw the conditions of street children in Kolkata and in Shillong and this helped lead him to his current calling. He is currently studying for a Masters in Social Work at IGNOU as well and describes his work as a learning process for him.
“Around 10 per cent of the street children here live on their own, even if they have parents,” he said of the most marginalized street children. “It may be because of parental abuse, which can be either physical or verbal. So what they do is they decide to live on their own. They stay on the streets with their friends. But most kids here do live with their own family. For those who don’t have their families, the main place where they stay is in Khyndailad adjacent to the OB Shopping Mall. That’s where they stay at night.”
Spending so much time with the children, Ryngnga has seen that they have a lot of potential. “These kids have lots of individual talent.” Some education is provided for the children who do come to the shelter, but in an informal way.
“Most of the kids are drop-outs. They drop out because of poverty. In our centre, if we see that some are good at studies, we refer them to proper schools. If a child is bright enough, we sponsor their education. Sometimes sponsors come forward.”
Speaking on the risks these children face, Ryngnga said, “If kids use dendrite, it gives them the kick, the high that they need. One hit will last an hour or two. They do not understand the consequences. By giving them a high, they will lose hunger pangs. Even if they are hungry, they prefer spending money on dendrite. If they become dependent on the substance it will hamper their mental state.”
The health of the children is also a risk as many of them live and work in unhygienic conditions.
Both Rev Laloo and Ryngnga have a positive opinion of what the Meghalaya government is doing for street children.
“The Social Welfare Department helped with the drop-in centre,” Rev Laloo said. “We also share information and data with them and vice versa.”
The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (a Central government initiative implemented by the states) is also seen as a good mechanism.
“The role of the ICPS is to help street children. That’s the best thing – that the government is also now aware that the kids need someone to look after them,” Ryngnga said.
The shelter in the MUDA parking lot is a small one-room place and Rev Laloo said that RSM is looking for a better centre by the end of 2013.
He feels that while society is sympathetic, there is a need to change the perception of street children as they are often looked at with suspicion.
“These children need guidance and help in learning the difference between right and wrong,” he said. “They just need to be given a chance.”