Web of Life

A report on a field study and communication project on street children in Sri Lanka was released by Dr. Rohana Laxman Piyadasa, Department of Mass Communication, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, on World Children’s Day, at the Galadari Hotel, Colombo.

The study was made to identify the rapidly burgeoning problems of street children in Colombo. It revealed that they live in temporary shelters, pavements on the highways along with the congestion in urban areas in the city and other major towns. The study seeks alternative measures through creating awareness among the general public on this ever burgeoning issue.

The study had been conducted for four months (Jan 2004 - Apr. 2004) and data was collected on the number of children living on the streets in 100 urban and suburban areas around Sri Lanka.

The study showed that most of those children were under the age of 18, living full time on the street with no permanent address, no consistent connection to a family and most of all, exposed to child abuse an crime. Around 1043 children have been identified in 100 major cities. The majority of them were boys , numbering 668 and the number of girls was 374.

The majority were in the age group of 10-16 years and the most serious indication in this age group as the study indicated was that a majority of them could easily be engaged in vice and addictions.

The study revealed that the problem of street children is a serious social issue. Dr. Rohana Laxman Piyadasa hopes that his study will open the eyes of the public and most of all the government to creating not just awareness, but finding ways in solving this important social dilemma .