In March of 2011, Goma Luitel absconded after being accused of cruel and inhuman treatment of the children at Mukti Nepal, an orphanage she was running. Similarly, Nazar Ram has also been charged with sexual abuse. Ram was running Nepal Tuhura Kalyan Sangh in Kirtipur.[break]
These are just some of the examples of sexual abuse and inhuman treatments in the orphanages in Kathmandu. According to the last report in 2011, there are around 602 orphanages in Nepal. In these orphanages there are 6,647 girls and 8,448 boys. In Kathmandu alone, there are 291 orphanages operating.
In orphanages, springing up like mushrooms, there are many such incidents taking place. But the children do not easily inform other people. They might face problems of shelter and food if they inform outsiders. They are helpless without any guardians.
The objective of running an orphanage is to provide orphans with protection and fill the gap of guardians in their lives. But incidents, now and then, show that the children in the orphanage are not safe. There might be one or two outstanding orphanages, but many have opened its doors to attract dollar in the name of donation.
The children come to the orphanages for protection and security but they are not getting any. Many children are raped, their body parts are touched inappropriately, they are made naked by tempting them with money, they are also told to give massages, beaten up and are told to do domestic work.
In some orphanages, children are also murdered. In Goma Luitel’s orphanage, a girl died a year ago due to jaundice. While investing Morning Star Children’s Charity orphanage it was found that a girl went through an abortion and that she was nowhere to be found in the orphanage.
The physical structure of the majority of the orphanages is not good. Five to six or even 20 to 25 children are forced to sleep together in one small room. In Mukti Nepal, 20 children were found to be sleeping in a small room.
They were forced to sleep in bunk beds as high as five and seven storey’s. Orphanages do not have big rooms, clean beds, clean water and toilets. Children living in these orphanages have a right to these facilities.
Another problem is the lack of nutritious diet for the children. Financially strong orphanages which have good physical structure also seem greedy when it comes to providing nutritious and good food.
Plain rice and lentil is daily food. The orphanages are developing as NGOs, who are focused on bringing in donors, and then taking away the money.
Orphanages are operating in 38 districts in Nepal. If atrocious incidents like these in the capital are found, it can only be imagined what the state of orphanages are like in the districts.
Orphanages run by foreigners in many districts have seen boy victims of sexual abuse also. Even though there is a Children’s Welfare Committee (Baal Kalyan Samiti) in every district under the CDO’s leadership, the regulations are not any good.
One of the many objectives of an orphanage is to provide rehabilitation to children. Many orphanages are taking in street children and even those who have parents. To earn a few bucks, many children are not rehabilitated.
Children in the orphanages do not have any guardians or protection and the operators are taking advantage of this situation. They use children to fulfill their physical desires. Hence, the children are forced to suffer sexual and physical abuse.
Orphanages in Nepal are running as per there wish. There is no effective rule or regulation in the country. In a situation like this, how can one believe that children are safe in orphanages? There is need for a proper development of the children.
Orphanages should not only provide food and shelter but also love for the children as per their age. It is the duty of the operator to step in the role of a guardian for these children.
They should provide a yearly report on the finances, the physical structure of their building and the children’s welfare to the government. But the majority of the orphanages do not hand in any kind of reports.
It’s important that the presence of the related departments like the Central Children’s Welfare Department and its many sub-committees to look after the orphanages be felt. These departments should see to it that no incidents takes place and put in effective regulations to counter any incidents.
To make the operator responsible and to make the children feel secure, these departments should immediately start exercising the rules in all the orphanages.
The priority should be given to education, health, physical and mental state of the children, how they live in the orphanage and their wants as well as the physical structure. If any criminal activity is found in an orphanage, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be punished.
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