Thousands of children from 34 big slum communities of federal capital are deprived from basic facilities of life and needed immediate attention to ensure 100 per cent enrolment in schools.
Addressing a ceremony on Friday in connection with International Day Against Child Labour, Director National Child Protection Centre (NCPC), Muhammad Yousaf Shah, said children are future of our country, adding that street children have equal rights like others.
He said currently 63 children including 37 boys and 25 girls are getting education in NCPC school to whom free pick and drop services, uniform, books and other facilities provided to enhance their interest in education.
He said the centre is also running a toll free help line 080011515 round the clock and seven days a week to take a quick action on the complains regarding children and referred them to the relevant section for immediate response.
The helpline was launched on February 27, 2015 and till date they have received 65 calls, he said adding, the centre did not have separate setup and staff for the helpline and managing it in current resources.
“A well equipped building for the Centre is a dire need and with separate staff for each section including a helpline to cater to the needs of children from marginalised areas of the capital,” the director said.
The director further said, besides government, private sector and philanthropist should come forward and join hands with them for providing more facilities at centre premises.
Students of a private university donated a library to the centre for children, he informed adding that with the cooperation of others more activities could be provided to children.
Children of the NCPC non-formal school working under Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights presented tableaus, songs, speeches and shared their stories in the event.
A nine year boy, Muhammad Iqbal who was studying in the school for last two months, presented a speech in which he narrated his tale of how he went from selling flowers to the NCPC school.
He said that it was his first experience of attending a school which opened a new world in front of him and now he is persuading his siblings and other community children about the importance of education.