Tikapur municipality establishes protection center for orphaned and helpless children

Tikapur: Tikapur Municipality in Kailali has initiated the operation of a Protection Center for orphaned and helpless children without parents, with the aim of supporting their education and well-being.

The center, located at Saraswati Secondary School in Tikapur-1, Banagaun, has the capacity to accommodate 50 children, and the municipality plans to shelter 40 students from the upcoming academic year 2082. A budget of Rs 2 million has been allocated for the operation, according to Education Officer Naresh Awasthi.

“The objective is to support the educational development of children without parents, as housing and food remain significant challenges for them,” Awasthi said. “It is the municipality’s responsibility to protect these children, and providing them the right to education is a step toward fulfilling that duty.”

Children with permanent residence in the municipality will be eligible to stay at the center. Saraswati Secondary School has already issued an admission notice on Magh 3, calling for eligible students.

Principal Khagendra Bahadur Gharti Magar stated that admissions will be conducted as per Sub-section 1 of Chapter 5 of the Orphan and Helpless Child Protection Center Operation and Management Procedure, 2081. “The municipality has allocated a budget for the hostel. Previously, Muktakamalhari students stayed here, but since they completed Grade 12, the hostel was vacant,” he said. Only children under the age of 16 will be admitted.

So far, around 20 children have applied for residence at the center. The municipality will provide care and education up to Grade 12 for children placed at the center.

Raghunath Upadhyay, Principal of Janaprakash Basic School, Tikapur-4, welcomed the move, stating, “It is positive that the government is now taking responsibility for the protection of children without guardians. This initiative will contribute to their education, nutrition, and security.”

Local guardian Bimala Chaudhary also praised the initiative, saying, “Many guardianless daughters are forced to work in others’ homes or are taken in by organizations under the pretext of protection. If the government makes arrangements, their rights will be safeguarded. This is a commendable step.”