Drop-in-Center for Street Children

Jamshaid Town

This joint venture with Unicef is distinctive in providing services to the Street Living as well as Street Working children. Though it’s a difficult task as needs of children working on the street and living on the streets differ variably. Majority of the children on the streets of Karachi are satisfied with their existing life style, having very limited desire for changing their profile and put freedom (access to drugs, movement, doing what they want to do) as their top most desire. Whereas through our work we have gauged those children working on the street has the zest to improve their life style and to change their social outlook.

Services providing at DIC

Basic Hygiene (bathing and Washing facility):

Center provides Bathing and Washing facility to the children. Social motivators conduct sessions with children to make them aware regarding cleanliness and encourage them to use the facility on daily basis.

As Street Children are not concerned about washing their clothes most of them wear dirty clothes therefore, keeping in view the reality washing area has been provided to encourage good practice among street children.

Kitchen Facility:

This facility is also provided at DIC. Most of the children want to prepare food for themselves. Stove, utensils and other necessary ingredients are being provided in the facility, which creates homely environment at the center.

Medical:

Is an important facility for street children, as they are at higher risk of abuse whether it’s physical or sexual abuse. Medical portion at DIC is developing strong liaison with hospitals and concerned departments.

During last six months total 635 OPDs have been conducted during this period. Total 299 children are registered with the Doctor at first contact .Usually these children have skin disease, fever, cough, body pain, peptic ulcer, infected wounds etc.

Total 27 cases have been referred for medical help during this period. 16 referred cases out of 27 are for Blood screening where as others include a minor operation of Apex, eye sight problem and treatment of a patient of Hepatitis B and Cystitis.

 Psychological Assistance and Psycho-social Counseling:

Psychological assistance can play an important role to pace up the process of rehabilitation. It is made compulsory for every child registered to be assessed by the Psychological Assistance program. Initial history taking, Counseling, Human Figure Drawing Test (HFD), Slosson Drawing Coordination Test (SDCT) are part of psychological assistance. A part from all these, project psychologist also identified aggressive children among the group and she is conducting regular group sessions to modify their behavior. These sessions are conducted at alternate days. Psychologist is also applying different behavior techniques including systematic desensitization, relaxation exercises (Breathing, Imagery, Behavioral Discussions, Play Group Sessions etc). (See Annex for proforma for recording initial History Taking)

Therapeutic Techniques used during Individual and Group sessions:

 Several techniques are used during sessions, which are as follows

•  Probing: The technique is used to build rapport and develop therapeutic relationship with street children. Probing is also helpful to get insight of the child. Usually probing is used when child hesitate in telling or revealing their true life history.

• Cognitive-Behavioral Technique: the technique is all about involving children while applying this technique. They are assigned any homework. Cognitive techniques (imagery, thought stopping, Dysfunctional thought record, relaxation techniques are used. These techniques are helpful to change their behavior pattern or to manage      their daily problems. Its also helpful in anger management; usually these children have hyperactive behavior patterns and they get angry in reaction their behavior is usually violent. Through imagery and meditation technique they can manage their violent behavior if they practice these techniques in their daily life.

• Drawing: The technique is used to overcome client’s symptomatology and hesitation. This is a projective technique. Children are asked to draw a picture and to make a strong story accordingly. Picture can be related to their family, home, work place etc. Through this technique children usually reveal their phobias and other hidden aspects of their personality, their relationship with family or reasons for leaving home.

• Story telling technique: This is also a kind of projective technique it deals with the projection of inner self, wishes and needs (life skill). In this technique street children were asked to tell a story on given topic. Topic varies they can be about any situation or street children were asked to tell a story on any given picture.

• Reinforcement technique: Reinforcement technique revolves around the theory of reward and punishment. Rewards are given for the desirable behavioral changes and punishments are given on undesirable acts. Project Psychologist have developed a chart based on the marking of the behavior of each child, their relation with peers and their overall performance each day if a child has done desirable acts a star is pasted on the chart in front of his name whereas is he has done any undesirable act he is marked as zero. Awarding a star means boosting their moral for desirable acts whereas pasting zero means to deter their undesirable acts and make them realize about their bad habits.

• Word Association: Its also a projective technique in this technique the psychologist prepares a list of words and street child is asked to respond the words which directly comes in their mind. This technique is very helpful in receiving the insight thought of street children and can reveal their hidden personality aspects

Non-Formal Education:

Initially NFE was not the part of the project but it was initiated as children who were regularly visiting DIC demanded for education facility. During interaction with these children they showed keen interest to gain reading and writing skills so that they will be able to cope with situations. Female Social motivator at the center is conducting NFE sessions. Initially she was appointed to target the population of girls on the street but during field visits our team realized that a very few number of girls are on the streets and most of them are beggars. 

Entertainment:

Children are being provided with entertainment facilities at the DIC. TV, Movies, indoor games are introduced at the DIC to involve these children in healthy recreational activities. Street Children are provided with Caram board, Liddo, Bat Ball and Football, CDS of different cartoon and comedy films etc. It is necessary to reduce stress faced by these children on the street

Referral System:

Dost drop in center is unique in providing all types of services under one roof. As problems related to street children are multi faceted and they need several services such as psychosocial counseling, legal aid, education, skill development etc. The Dost Drop-in-Center will work as a center point and refer cases to the referral partners for designated help.

Family Counseling and Contact with Families:

The Dost Drop-in-Center also contacted with the families of these children to make them aware about the consequences of Street life and to motivate them to take proper care of their children. Due to counseling families agree to provide better environment and promised to cooperate with Dost. They appreciated the efforts of the organization to set up a center in their area and valued the guidance provided by the center

Capacity Building Workshops:

 Capacity Building of team members is an important task. Staff must be well equipped with the knowledge about child rights. The primary objective of capacity building sessions with staff is to make them realize that every child irrespective of his cast, creed, and gender has the right to avail equal opportunities in life. As this will make them realize the plight of children living on streets, secondly they will be much more sensitized to actually understand the surroundings and can be able to work diligently with these victims of circumstances without any discrimination. Therefore two In-house capacity building sessions have been conducted at the DIC to enhance the knowledge of team members.