A total of 188 street children have been rescued by the government so far.

The children were rescued under government’s ambitious programme called “Rescue and Rehabilitate Street Children”.

Under the programme launched on May 9, so far 188 children have been rescued and kept safely in shelters, according to officials. However, 38 have left the shelter houses in a setback to the government plan.

“It is difficult to rehabilitate street children who mostly do not like disciplined normal life. But we will not give up until we take all the street children to safer places,” said Tara Dhital, executive director at the Central Child Welfare Board.

Dhital informed that the programme not only aims to rescue children from the streets but also wants to reunite them with their families whenever possible. They will also get education, he said.

The government has allocated Rs 10 million for the programme through this year’s budget.

The government has selected 10 rehabilitation centers for keeping the rescued children. According to government data, of the 188 rescued children, 133 have both their parents, 15 do not have parents and 56 have only one parent. Four of them do not know the whereabouts of their parents.

The government plans to find proper shelter homes for the orphans.

Stakeholders say the programme to provide education, skill and help unite them with their families will need a long-term planning.

“Long-term planning and resources will be the key to the success of the programme,” said Neha Sharma of CAP Nepal, an organisation working in the field of child rights.

Twenty eight of the rescued children are from Kathmandu, 16 from Makwanpur, 14 each from Sindhupalchok and Dhading, 12 from Kavre, eight from Sindhuli, seven from Jhapa, six each from Bhaktapur and Sarlahi and five each from Ramechhap, Nuwakot, Sunsari, Udayapur. The reaming children were not able to say where they are from.