The phenomenon of street children living on the street is a worldwide occurrence.
However, it is a relatively new dilemma in South Africa; during the 1980s apartheid laws controlled the influx of black South Africans to the ‘white’ areas of the country. With the eventual disbanding of “influx control” in the 1980s, South Africa has experienced a swift rural migration to the urban areas.
Rapid urbanization, combined with economic and social changes has contributed towards an increase in the number of street children who now live in isolation, poverty and dangerous conditions on the streets.
Families living in dismal poverty are unable to care for their children. In many cases there is the abuse of Alcohol and Drugs that further compound the miserable conditions of neglect and physical ill-treatment that cause these children to leave home for a care-free and exciting life on the streets.
In 1987 there were an estimated 5,000 street children in South Africa. By 1995 there were approximately 10,000 street children surviving on the streets.
3 out of 4 children presently on the street do not live there. They go back somewhere at night.
It has been estimated there are 250,000 children living in the streets in South Africa (UNESCO) (UNEP)
Most street children are involved in unlawful activities ranging from petty offences to more serious activities like glue-sniffing, prostitution, drug use, and violent crimes such as robbery, assault and rape.
Street Children often fight among themselves (using rocks and knives). These children suffer from poor health, malnutrition, physical violence, psychological trauma and hostility from the public.
They enter adulthood with little or no education, they have no training or means of supporting themselves.
A street Children Outreach initiative has been launched to address the three primary contributing causes of the street-children problem. The first level is the child, the second level is the family, and the third level is the community.
At the level of the child, street children are collected off the streets every Friday and taken to Maranatha for a day of soccer where they are fed. Social workers interact and draw up profiles to develop a dialogue and establish trust and needs for food, shelter, clothing, medical care, counselling, educational opportunities or job skills and the way forward.
At the level of the family the social workers identify the families and arrange to visit them. The workers discuss possible reason for the child’s running away and look to connect the family with governmental and non-governmental organizations that can provide food, medical assistance and clothing (families are usually not aware of the resources available in the community).
At the community level, awareness pamphlets and talks are presented to the public. Networks are established with the broader community through committees and forums. Appeals are made for contributions of, time, material goods or finances to maintain the organisations providing shelter, food and education to the street children.
Content of pamphlet to be distributed in Port Elizabeth:
STREET CHILDREN
Make a difference and give them a second chance
The streets are no place for children — whatever the reasons for being there. Help us to help them.
Don’t give hand-outs:
- Your well-intentioned gift of money, food or clothing to a Street child serves only to keep them on the streets and continues to expose them to the dangers of drugs, crime, abuse and disease.
- Your kind intentions enable them to stay on the streets; these children are recruited by hardened criminals into a life of crime, sexual abuse, and violence.
- Your actions will endanger you and other members of your community as street children often turn to violent crime to survive
Kamvalethu ACVV Drop-In Centre:
Kamvalethu is a registered NPO (003-588) which aims to help street children reconstruct their shattered lives and seeks long-term solutions in which the child is able to return to school and to his/her own community or be placed in Khayalethu Youth Centre. The ACVV Kamvalethu Programme has a Social Worker and two street workers who go out on the streets and build relationships with the street children. Daily programmes are run with these street children which focus on empowering the children and their families in assisting them to get off the streets. The children also receive food and clothing from the centre and they have the opportunity to wash themselves and their clothes.
Siyakatala is a registered organisation providing a safe home environment for street Children ABET training and skills training are provided. Some of the children are attending school and receiving life skills training on site
“Let us give the custodians of our future a hand up, not a handout”
You can make a lasting difference by donating clothes, food, games, books and bedding directly to:
- Kamvalethu 52 Crawford Street North End – Tel / Fax 041 487 3926 or 041 484 5667
- Siyakatala: 041 586 0017
This is a project of Community Police Forum – Beach Front Safety Sector Forum & Hill Improvement District
Be socially responsible Catch the vision – driven by passion
Printing sponsored by: KWIKSPAR Rink Street Central
John Preller
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What are the Government Social Services & other such private & NGO’s doing about it?
It is not a Police function.
Much of this problem, like the shortage of housing, poverty, etc. is the result of over population. Women keep on having babies in & out of marriage without any support system from the fathers & then cry foul when confronted with the realty of parenthood
It is the same with the informal settlements which are built wherever they want to & then when it rains & they experience flooding, etc. the residents complain that the Government is not doing anything for them.