On July 10, 2022, SOS Children's Villages Nepal, in coordination with Child Care Homes Network Nepal (CNET Nepal) and Care Leavers Association Nepal (CLAN) and in solidarity with National Action and Coordinating Group Nepal (NACG Nepal), organized a program to launch Nepali translation of ‘The Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children.’ SOS Children’s Villages Nepal translated the Guidelines into the Nepali language with the aim of making it accessible to everyone.
The program featured Dr. Jyoti Ratna Dhakhwa, President of SOS Children’s Villages Nepal, Dr. Ganga Bahadur Gurung, National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Nepal, Mr. Chandrika Khatiwada, Representative of Editor groups of Nepali translation of the guideline, Mrs. Benu Maya Gurung Chair NACG Nepal, Mr. Madhav Pradhan, Chairperson of CNET, Er. Deepak KC, Coordinator of CLAN, and Ms. Kajol Luplunge, children’s representative from SOS Children’s Village Kavre, along with the representatives from CNET Nepal, SOS Children’s Villages Nepal, CLAN, network members of NACG Nepal and journalists. Mr. Rabin Nepal, advocacy advisor at SOS Children’s Villages Nepal, moderated the program.
'Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children' is a set of international standards that would ultimately give expert guidance to the government of Nepal and duty bearers on the implementation of the UNCRC. On November 20, 2009, to mark the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the United Nations General Assembly formally welcomed the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children. The Guidelines seek to ensure that, firstly, children do not find themselves without parental care and, secondly, that the type and quality of alternative care provided is appropriate to the rights and specific needs of the child concerned.
Dr. Ganga Bahadur Gurung, National Director of SOS Children’s Village Nepal, stated that the Guidelines provide practical guidance on the road to alternative care provision for children by highlighting implications for policy-making where the Nepal government should provide leadership as well as continue what is already being effectively done on the ground. “The Guidelines provide the government and the child protection specialists with the inspiration for the design of national policies to better implement the Guidelines in Nepal,” Dr. Gurung further added.
In the program, SOS Children’s Villages Nepal along with different Child protection agencies call upon the government and civil society to uphold the principles of the Guidelines to better support families to prevent unnecessary separation and better protect children in need of alternative care.
In the program, the issues related to the identity and belongingness of the Care Leavers including SOS Children and SOS young people were discussed and agreed to work together on these issues to move forward to get the desired policies.
Speaking at the program, Kajol Luplunge, Representative of a young person from SOS Children’s Village Kavre highlighted the difficulties that SOS young people face when it comes to acquiring citizenship. According to her, it is not an easy process to acquire citizenship for many young people at SOS Children’s Villages Nepal whose parents are unknown despite the fact that the constitution of Nepal has clearly mentioned that the young people who have a legal custodian, foster parents or orphanage to vouch for their parentless status are eligible to obtain citizenship.
“The first time I visited the District Administration’s Office to apply for citizenship along with my SOS mother, the officials at District Administration Office refused to accept my citizenship application, stating that my surname doesn’t match with my SOS mother’s surname. Although we tried to explain to them the constitutional provision, they wouldn’t listen to us,” Kajol shared her own experience in the program.
Kajol further said that she could finally get hold of her citizenship after the lawyer accompanied her to the District Administration Office and explained the situation to the officials.
“There are many young people from Childcare homes including SOS Children’s Village Nepal who have faced mental trauma as I did during the process of acquiring citizenship, and it is unfair to us,” said Kajol. “I request this forum to look into the matter seriously since many young people still don’t have access to citizenship cards.”
Along with that, the representatives of Care Leavers Association Nepal also shared their concerns during the programs.
According to Er. Deepak KC, Coordinator of Care Leaver Association Nepal (integrated youth of SOS Children's Village Jorpati), Care Leavers are an under-recognized global population of young people in alternative care who are legally compelled to leave such care settings upon turning 18 years old. Their transition into adulthood is neither well documented nor supported by responsible government bodies. This leads many Care Leavers into lifelong cycles of social and financial instability.
“The resulting risk of poverty, exploitation, and marginalization, affects a growing population of vulnerable care leavers who represent both an unfolding humanitarian crisis and a compounding economic cost,” said Er. Deepak.
Er. Deepak further explained that in order to address the problems faced by care leavers, they can be linked and integrated into the activities of the National Youth Council and thus be part of mainstream society.
Dr. Jyoti Ratna Dhakhwa, President of SOS Children’s Villages Nepal promised that the key takeaways and requirements of the Care Leavers and children of SOS Children’s Villages will be used in policy-making to ease their integration into mainstream society. He expressed his commitment to solving the matter through a needed awareness program targeting government officials.