Street children

CM approves more campuses of Zamung Kor in KPBy Bureau reportPESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has approved the opening of campuses for the street children’s institute, Zamung Kor in Abbottabad, Swat and Dera Ismail Khan districts while a campus would be set up in Peshawar for female children.He was presiding over a meeting about the extension of Zamung Kor institutes to other districts of the province. Mahmood Khan talked to a delegation from Azad Foundation, United Kingdom, at Chief Minister’s House, said an official statement. The chief minister said that Zamung Kor was a unique model for street children and the government was planning to expand it to Abbottabad, Swat and Mardan. He said Zamung Kor project would be extended to more areas of the province in future. The Foundation representatives gave a detailed presentation about the street children and their rehabilitation including their look after, education and thereafter making them productive citizens of the society. One of the street children recently participated in the Pakistan Premier Football League of Karachi, said the head of the delegation. The participants of the meeting focused on the previous decisions of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government for social protection to the street children, legislation in this regard and the proposed guidelines prepared by the Foundation for the vulnerable, beggars, child labourers and collecting data through geo-mapping. They suggested the socio-and psychoanalysis of such children exploring their talent to integrate them in the overall societal frame. The participants also talked about the protection of children and appreciated the provincial government’s efforts through Zamung Kor and other such plans for such children in the province.The Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Social Welfare Department, which would be brought to the forum of provincial assembly for legislation. Minister Information Shaukat Yousafzai and secretary social welfare attended the meeting.Talking to the delegation, the chief minister assured to expand the model of Zamung Kor for the better future of coming generations.He asked the foundation to sit with the Social Welfare Department for a complete plan to be approved and necessary legislation would be made for the protection and welfare of street children.Agreeing to a multi-pronged strategy for rehabilitation of state children, he stressed the need for behavioural study of the runaway children, beggars and child labourers so that the government can plan a realistic strategy for their rehabilitation.Mahmood Khan assured to work on the integration of street children through quality education and training exploring their strength and talent so that the state children could become an asset to society.The government would also mull over plans to enhance the earning of parents of at-risk children, which would be preventive sides of the problem. The chief minister called upon the community to come forward and support the innovative approach for supporting the families of vulnerable children. Mahmood Khan assured a protected future for the state children. He also welcomed the Pakistanis living abroad for their sincerity and commitment to supplement the government efforts for the welfare of the street children. “We are thankful to the overseas Pakistanis for their trust in the PTI-led government, which would come up to the expectations of the people,” he said.

from The News International - Peshawar https://ift.tt/2ElZMO5