As a child, Krishna lived with his parents and 4 siblings in rural Nepal. Her mother eventually fled the domestic violence she could no longer bear, taking Krishna and one of her brothers with her. Unfortunately, she lost her life in a road accident, leaving her two children alone in the town of Butwal. They were separated...
Krishna was 8 years old when he finally arrived in Kathmandu. He wandered the streets for 1 year on an empty stomach.
" The situation was really terrible. No food, no place to live. I saw a lot of street boys falling into drugs and fighting each other for money. I was often beaten by older boys and asked to steal money for them. "Krishna recalls.
Voice of the Children [partner of Enfants & Développement *] met Krishna in 2005 and enabled him to join a foster home a few months later. He was then able to return to school and joined a children's club. He eventually obtained his school-leaving certificate.
" The activities at the kids' club helped me enormously to get back to normal life and to fit in. I benefited from a safe and stimulating learning environment. I'm proud to say that I had the opportunity to take part in an exchange in India as part of a cooperation project on child health.. "
Today, aged 28, Krishna is a social worker who is also continuing his studies. He is currently studying for his bachelor's degree.
" I teach drawing, arts and crafts to children. This is the best therapeutic technique for developing children's social skills, boosting their self-esteem and coping with stress. I'm passionate about working with vulnerable children and it makes me feel good. ".
*Enfants & Développement (before it became Planète Enfants & Développement) and Voice of Children became partners in Nepal in 2001, and have been for many years.
They accompanied street children in Kathmandu, preparing them for reintegration into their families, schools and jobs.
Voice of Children still runs 2 centers: a temporary reception center where children stay for up to 3 months; and a socialization center to help them prepare for the future.
