A Plan-supported project in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is providing a safe haven for vulnerable youngsters who live and work on the streets.
Drop-in and 'spot' centres have already helped over 6,000 children transform their lives by providing basic education, health and hygiene facilities and information on issues such as sexual abuse, child labour and trafficking. Trained staff provide counselling for the most vulnerable and traumatised children.
The centres are a place of stability and safety, where children can keep their few possessions safe and feel valued and cared for. Over the longer term, centres can provide regular health checks, immunisations, legal help for those who have been abused and vocational training to develop skills for a brighter future.
Over the next year, Plan aims to expand the project to establish more centres and help more of the estimated 350,000 street children living in the city.
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Dhaka dreams: street children of Dhaka
This short film tells the story of four children from Bangladesh who ended up living on the streets of Dhaka, the country's capital. They are now living in drop-in centres funded by Plan.