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    Category: Blog

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    BlogNews
    5 February 2013

    12/04 – THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE STREET CHILDREN

    [one_third]  THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR STREET CHILDREN IS CELEBRATED EVERY YEAR ON 12 APRIL.

    THE DAY PROVIDES A PLATFORM FOR THE MILLIONS OF STREET CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD – AND THEIR CHAMPIONS – TO SPEAK OUT SO THAT THEIR RIGHTS CANNOT BE IGNORED.

    This year we are preparing for the International Day of the Street Children. As a charity involved in work with street children we are part of a global work taking place on each continent, in every country. Recently the 12th of April has been chosen as the Day of the Street Children to bring awareness to the fact that such atrocity does exist. this a day when we speak for those without a voice.

    [/one_third] [two_third last=last] [/two_third]

    The International Day for Street Children was launched in 2011 by the Consortium for Street Children (CSC), the leading international network dedicated to realising the rights of street children worldwide, and is supported by Aviva, the world’s 6th largest insurance group. The day is celebrated by street children, NGOs, policy makers, celebrities, corporates and individuals across the globe.

    Take a look at the infographic showing the numbers behind the day, click here!

    2012

    The Day was celebrated once again on 12th April 2012, when the theme was ‘challenging perceptions’ – encouraging people to question what they think they know about street children. Find out more about what happened in 2012 and challenge your perceptions by watching the video above or reading about some common myths.

    [toggle type=”white” title=”Read more about the celebrations in 2012″ active=””]

    2012

    In 2012 the day was a huge success. Street children, the general public, celebrities, policy makers, charities/NGOs and businesses across the world showed their support for the day in numerous ways.

    Events

    84 events and celebrations were held in 38 countries around the world. Celebrations included: street children art competitions, street parades, conferences, workshops, talent competitions, film screenings, balloon releases, fundraisers, football tournaments and even a successful World Record Breaking shoe shine! Details of many of the events that took place in 2012 can be found on the Showcase page, with pictures in our Gallery.

    Media

    The International Day for Street Children was mentioned in the global media over 580 times.

    National UK coverage included The Guardian, BBC News, The Daily Express and Sky News television, radio and online.

    Articles appeared in 246 regional and local UK newspapers and interviews aired on 186 UK radio stations. 

    Outside of the UK we know of 77 articles appearing in international media spanning 15 different countries: Canada, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Spain, Swaziland and Tanzania.

    See our media coverage page for more in-depth information.

    High Profile Support

    We received lots of high profile support in 2012. Steven Gerrard, Bianca Jagger, UN representatives and a number of UK MP’s and Peers signed our ‘Letter to the Editor’ of the Guardian newspaper.

    Stephen Fry, John Prescott, Danny Cipriani and Alexandra Burke were among the celebrities who tweeted about the day.

    We received statements of support from the Rt.Hon Sir John Major and the Rt Hon. Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development.

    Public support

    Over 2,500 people from 89 countries signed our pledge to stand up for the rights of street children worldwide. We delivered the list of signatures at a meeting with the UN High Commission for Human Rights in June.

    [/toggle]

    Key messages

    Across the globe there are large numbers of children surviving on the streets – it’s time we all took action to address this issue.

    Whether they are a runaway from Derby or a street child in Nairobi, the factors that drive children to the streets are similar (and include family breakdown, poverty, and violence).

    One of the  greatest challenges faced by a street child is being recognised and treated as someone with rights.

    We must recognise that a street child has the same potential as any other child, given the opportunity.

    Although street children are vulnerable to the dangers of life on the street, they are also resilient and resourceful.

    Street children see themselves as able to make a positive contribution to society despite often negative attitudes towards them.

    We are calling for governments and society to join together and stand up for the rights of street children all over the world. Being a street child is not a crime.

    Street children adopt many tactics necessary to survive on the streets, such as begging, loitering and rough sleeping.

    Heavy handed treatment by authorities – such as violence and round-ups –  is all too common and must be stamped out.

    Rather than treat them as criminals authorities should understand the reasons for street children’s behaviour and provide support.

     

     

     

    By TKW Team
    the-streets-of-Nairobi
    Blog
    2 February 2013

    THE STREET CHILDREN OF NAIROBI

    In 1989, UNICEF estimated 100 million children were growing up on urban streets around the world. 14 years later UNICEF reported: ‘The latest estimates put the numbers of these children as high as 100 million’. And even more recently: ‘The exact number of street children is impossible to quantify, but the figure almost certainly runs into tens of millions across the world. It is likely that the numbers are increasing’. The 100 million figure is still commonly cited, but has no basis in fact . Similarly, it is debatable whether numbers of street children are growing globally or whether it is the awareness of street children within societies which has grown. While there are understandable pressures for policies to be informed by aggregate numbers, estimates of street child populations, even at city levels, are often hotly disputed and can distract rather than inform policy makers.

    It is noted that worldwide today, tens of millions of children are living or working on the streets. Their numbers keep growing due to population growth, urbanization and migration, particularly in the developing world such as Kenya. Children are pushed into living and working on the street by many factors, such as poverty, death of parents, separation/divorce of parents, abandonment, parents living on the streets, mistreatment by parents or relatives, tribal displacement, inadequate food at home, influence by friends, insecurity, getting lost during traveling, being born on the streets, lack of school fees, fear of being reprimanded, corporal punishment, domestic violence, or in search of employment or income among others.

    Once on the streets many other threats await these children. Some of the most pressing challenges street children face include difficulties in maintaining basic health and accessing services, violence (beaten up by the other street children) and abuse, and dangerous working conditions, not feeling any sense of belonging, girls fall into prostitution to make a living, glue sniffing which is one of the many surviving strategies that keep these children resilient to their own feelings and anxiety, and the harsh climatic conditions due to lack of proper shelter and clothing.

    There is an illusion of freedom that these children get by living on the street. It is not a choice to leave their homes for the street but there is a conscious choice to stay on the street. Therefore, much is required to be done to counter the root causes that lead children to live and work on the streets, and to guarantee respect and full realization of the rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

    The 2018 National Census of Street Families report provides information on the structure, size and distribution of street families in Kenya. The census was the first of its kind to be conducted in the country. The main objective of the census was to create and provide a national data base of the street families population in Kenya. The specific objectives were to establish the magnitude and demographic characteristics of the street families in Kenya; assess the socio-economic and political push and pull factors of street families; generate a databank for street families; and map out existing services, opportunities and potential challenges for street families.

    The census was conducted from 1st to 10th April, 2018 where a total of 46,639 street persons were enumerated . The results show that the majority of the street persons were age 10 to 34 years. The highest concentration of street persons was found in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Uasin Gishu Counties in this order. Following the promulgation of the constitution in Kenya in 2010 and devolution of administrative powers to the counties, the results of this census are valuable to managers and planners who make policies at national and county levels.

    The Problem

    of street children is not limited only to the Third World. There are hundreds of thousands of children running away from home and living on the streets of Europe, Canada, USA. That is because the reasons for this phenomenon are not just economical  it is a rather complex issue that urges to become a pandemic problem for many governments in the World. Among the most often given reasons by children are:

    • Child abuse,
    • Neglect,
    • Peer pressure,
    • Sensation-seeking,
    • Other brothers and sisters.

    A study shows that homelessness does not come alone, children reach to substances and drugs:

    • Relief from the pressures of the street
    • Peer Pressure
    • To sleep easily
    • To be able to endure pain, violence, and hunger

    In Africa

    ●  A study in Ethiopia shows that: the Government estimates that 150,000 children live on the streets.  The average age at which children first become involved in street life in Ethiopia is 10.7 years

    ●  Around 1 million children are believed to be on the streets of Egypt, most in Cairo and Alexandria.

    ●  Nigeria– over 95% of the children on the streets of Akwa Ibom State, have been stigmatised as “witches” by pastors and abandoned to live on the streets by their parents.

    ●  South Africa, estimated 10-12000 homeless children. The average age of the respondents to a study on street children was between 13 and 14 years. A similar study also found street children in South Africa to be between 7 and 18 years of age, with the majority between 13 and 16.

    ●  Ghana, a ‘headcount’ of street children and young mothers in the different parts of Accra, the capital of Ghana, has categorised the numbers as 21140 street children, 6000 street babies, 7170 street ‘mothers’ under the age of 20

    ●  Rwanda, more than half of the boys interviewed in a Rwanda study and more than three-quarters of the girls, including 35% of those under ten, admitted they were sexually active; 63% of the boys said they had forced a girl to have sex with them; 93% of the girls reported having been raped.

    ●  Most children living on the street in Lusaka, Zambia are orphans: 22% had lost both parents, 26% had lost their father, and 10% had lost their mother.

    Kenya Children of Hope-Steve from TKW twith a rescued child

    170k

    Indonesia

    1-5m

    Russia

    22k

    Romania

    1.6m

    USA

    1.5m

    China

    1m

    India

    200k-8m

    Brazil

    300k

    Kenya

    1.5m

    Philippines

    135k

    UK

    The Children of Kenya

    Providing Accurate Numbers: One of the most disputed aspects of knowledge on children living and working on the streets of Nairobi is that related to their numbers. What is the magnitude of the problem, quantitatively speaking? There are several differing statistics about the number of street children in Nairobi, Kenya. A study commissioned by the Consortium of Street Children (CSC) brings some staggering numbers:

    • In 1999 it was reported that there were over 50,000 street children in Nairobi, and the government estimated that their numbers grew at 10 % per year
    • In 2001 it was stated that conservative estimates indicated that 300,000 children live and work on the streets in Kenya, with over 50% of them concentrated in and around the capital Nairobi
    • In 2001 another report estimated that there were about 40,000 street children in Kenya, with about half concentrated in Nairobi
    • It was estimated in 2007 that there were 250,000- 300,000 children living and working on the streets across Kenya with, with more than 60,000 of them in Nairobi

    The Invisible Girls Visible: Girls generally tend to be invisible in most studies on street children. The recent study of street families in Nairobi’s central business district commissioned by the NCBDA in 2001 states that boys outnumber girls nine to one. However, according to the findings of a study (Women Educational Researchers of Kenya (WERK) for SNV/Kenya and German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) ) that covered 12 locales in Nairobi District girls constitute on average about 25 percent of the population of children counted in Nairobi District. In Mukuru, Dandora/Maili Saba and Mathare/Eastleigh/Pangani, the proportions are even higher (40%, 31% and 28% respectively).Disaggregation of the findings by age reveals a narrower gender gap in the under-five age bracket. As many as 45 percent of the under-five children were found to be females. While boys often survive on collecting garbage, and help load and unload market goods, earning them up to 80 KSH (US $1) a day, girls are forced to resort to prostitution in order to get clothes or food. According to a 2004 report from The Cradle and The Undugu Society, they earn as little as 10 or 20 KSH ($0.30-0.50) for each client.
    The Age Bracket: The same research reveals the dominance of eleven to fifteen year olds on the streets of Nairobi, constituting over 50 percent of some of the recorded cases. The children below the age of five constitute 7 percent of the total study sample.

     The Ethnic Factor: The study exposed that the majority of the children, regardless of gender, identify themselves as Agikuyu. However, it also suggests that the population of Gikuyus among the street children may have been grossly exaggerated in other studies. While the Gikuyus constitute a significant proportion (46%) of all ethnic groups represented among the street children, the non-Gikuyus in the street children population, put together, are more in number. This notwithstanding, most of the children on the streets can speak the Kikuyu language. Other than Kikuyu, knowledge of Kiswahili was found to be almost universal next the ‘Sheng’ – their own street language.

    Schooling: Overall, only 39.5 percent of the children counted and interviewed for the above mentioned study were attending school while an overwhelming number of children were not participating in any form of formal or non-formal education. Nevertheless a total of 48.5 percent of the girls and 36.5 percent of the boys claimed to be involved in some form of educational programme.  In Korogocho 56.2 percent of the boys claimed to be going to school. The highest number of children who claimed to be going to school fell within the age bracket of 11-15 years translating to 56.71 percent of the total number of respondents.

    Parental Occupation and “Streetism”: Unemployment among parents of the street children is quite high. Almost a quarter of the children claim that their mothers do not work whereas less than a tenth say their fathers do not. Analyses of the parental occupations suggests that these are menial, poorly paying and often highly labour intensive jobs. The implications of this may be many including inability to meet basic family obligations leading to broken homes, high incidences of child neglect and abandonment, absentee parenthood and a tendency to encourage children to obtain employment by any means in order to supplement the family income. This view is supported by the findings that indicate that children are sent out to the streets to earn a living for themselves and even to support other members of the family.

    Most employed mothers are said to be engaged in petty trading while the fathers are reportedly doing more skilled but also unskilled manual work. Some parents also engage in household and domestic work, farming, illicit brewing, and begging for a living. Others do professional / managerial/technical or clerical work, proprietorship, guarding homes/premises, thievery/robbery or engaged in commercial sex work for a living. The percentage of girls with non-working parents is higher than that of boys (6.8% of the female responses and 17.1% of the male responses for the mother’s occupation; 2.8% of the female and 6.9% of the male responses). A number of children do not know anything about their parents’ occupations.

    Children ‘Of’ and ‘On’ the Streets: Many of the children claim that their parents are either deceased or have abandoned them. Abandonment by or death of fathers is found to be more common than abandonment by or death of mothers. The implication is that there are more single mothers than there are fathers. The death of either or both parent and abandonment in turn increases the likelihood of children turning or being turned out to the streets because of limited or no resources for their sustenance within the extended family setting. Children either orphaned or abandoned are found to be among those who have found permanent residence on the streets (approximately 14% of the total sample). Among the children ‘of’ the streets, over 65 percent are male. Most of the children who identified themselves fully with the streets are to be found in Mukuru and City Centre.

    Time spent on the Streets: About 63 percent of the children have been on the streets either on a part time or full time basis for up to 5 years. Over 12 percent have been on the streets for between 6-10 years while another 13 percent can not remember when they had started to frequent the streets.

    Reasons for Streetism: The study we referred to earlier found that children were on the streets for a variety of reasons the major ones being, in order of frequency: to earn money, search for food and/or look for recreation— all described in the literature on street children as “pull” factors. These “pull” factors are symptomatic for children from economically poor families who suffer from lack of adequate attention and care at home as their parents spend most of their time and energy in securing the mere survival. It is also not surprising that “domestic conflicts” and “domestic violence” featured as one key “push” factor for streetism.

    Significantly none of the children cite ‘sex’ as a reason for being on the streets. It is probable that of necessity rather than on their own volition, once on the streets children are introduced into sexual activity either for recreation or money or they are being forced into it and/or raped.

    The Street Sub-Culture: Once on the streets others initiate the children into streetism in order for them to survive. Children’s rights are violated constantly as they are often harassed and exploited and they exploit others in turn. In absence of adult care and guidance they are forced to assume adult responsibilities and take care of themselves and sometimes their siblings and fellow children at a tender age. Out of necessity they have to look for work and they are easy to exploit through meagre or sometimes no pay. They are thrust into a bleak, harsh and depraved environment often fraught with constant and sustained danger in various forms such as:

    • Harassment
    • Violence amongst themselves and towards others
    • Drug taking and trafficking
    • Sexual exploitation accompanied by a high risk of contracting STIs and HIV/AIDS
    • Loneliness and fear
    • Physical and emotional abuse and neglect
    • Starvation
    • Exposure to the elements
    • Early, unplanned and uncontrolled pregnancy and parenthood
    • Poor hygienic and sanitation conditions

    The Public Perceptions: Interviews with the members of the security forces and the public and the children themselves show that children feel that they are unfairly blamed by members of the public for theft, robbery and other infractions of the law. Often they are beaten and harassed for real of imagined misdemeanours. The younger children, especially boys identify the police as among the persons feared most because they continually harass them. Girls fear the older street boys the most because they organise gang rapes sometimes ‘to teach them a lesson” if they decline to have sex with someone, break up with someone or as mere punishment. The girls report that they could be taken advantage of and being gang raped if they merely visit another base and they are known to be unmarried [without a boyfriend protecting them]. Younger children expressed fears of being stolen/abducted and often feel insecure when strangers approach them. The older girls talk of incidents of colleagues who have been sexually molested and subjected to bestiality. These experiences heighten their sense of insecurity and vulnerability.

    By TKW Team
    prayer-on-the-street-featured-image
    Blog
    1 January 2013

    NEW YEAR PRAYER LETTER

    [one_half]

    Happy New Year and God’s goodness in 2013!

    Dear praying friends We praise and thank God for 2012 and all the lives that he enabled us to impact. We thank God for our friends and
    partners for their support and encouragement.We thank God for our children. One of our young men, Clement phoned Grace on the New Year’s day just to wish her ‘a happy new year’. Is it that wonderful? Those who know Clement will know that was a very special call. [/one_half]

    [one_half last=last] prayer-on-the-street[/one_half]

    We thank God for 2013, a fresh, New Year with new opportunities for making greater impact in the lives of children and families. Tumaini Kwa Watoto moved to new offices before Christmas holidays just across the road from the old offices. Pray that all utilities and services will operate smoothly soon. Pray that the Lord will establish his work from this new location.

    Luke 2:41-50, 1Chronicles 12:32, Psalm 47:6-7, Hebrews 4:14-16
    Thank God for the two social workers who joined the team this week and pray that they will soon be reintegrated
    into the team and add capacity.

    • Pray for understanding in the team and of the children, families and communities.
    • Pray for the team for deeper walk with God and for His favour and honour. 
    • Pray for our school children and for the Lord’s protection and provision for them throughout the year.

    Deuteronomy 9:1-6; Job 22:28
    Pray for the children on the streets and at JK rehab centre to open their hearts to God’s kingdom and his will for
    their lives. Pray that God will enable us to rescue and reintegrate many children with their families and communities.

    Leviticus 25 – The year of Jubilee: A time to rest and refocus

    • Thank God for Kenya’s 50 years of independence.
    • Pray that real impact of Jubilee celebrations will be felt by all Kenyans, both rich and poor – reflect and refocus.
    • Pray that resources will be released to strengthen the family for children to find secure, safe and restful homes.

    Malachi 4:6; Isaiah 32:18

    • Pray the plans to take equipping parents seminars to the communities that 100-500 parents will be impacted this year.
    • Pray for peaceful general elections to be held in March 2013. Pray for Godly leaders who will advance God’s kingdom purposes. May God’s kingdom rule be felt in Kenya.

    Thank you for your prayers. How can we praise God, pray for you and thank God with you?

    By TKW Team
    Untitled1
    BlogNewsStory of the WeekUncategorized
    15 December 2012

    TIME TO GO HOME

    ‘Home before Christmas ’ – 11 boys rescued in November 2012

    20112012015Patrick Mutuma is a 16 years old young adult and hails from Chuka, in Meru which is in Eastern part of Kenya. He has lived in the streets for about 3 years, and as he puts it himself, it wasn’t easy. When we met him he was ready to go home and nothing could deter him from his decision.

    Patrick’s desire is to help his mother with farming as he a waits to do vocational training to help him acquire some basic life skills.

    When we go home, we met Patrick’s mother who narrated to us how Patrick had stressed the family with his truant behavior. However, she kept praying for him to reform wherever he was or at least come back home a changed person. His parents divorced when he was still young so he grew up with his mother. We had a reconciliation meeting with the family in the presence of community members and Patrick was received back with gladness.

     

     

    ‘If only I get another chance’, said 12 year old Dennis

    Life has been tough for Dennis since he was born because his mother abandoned him at the tender age of one. His maternal grandparents brought him up, but when life became too hard, he ran Untitled1away to the streets.  On 20th November 2012, we rescued Dennis JK rehab centre and travelled with him to Kinangop an hour’s journey from Nairobi with his grandparents.

    On the same day, Dennis’ mother had abandoned his other 3 siblings in another village and his grandmother had planned to go and rescue them. We also learned that Dennis had been to several children’s homes without settling.  His grandparents were not too pleased to see Dennis.

    As always we pleaded with his grandmother to give Dennis another chance which she eventually did.  We pray that this boy will find rest, be established and give these elderly grandparents strength to give Dennis and his siblings a secure home.

    Simeon 13 years old, the lost brother has been found

    As we approached the house we could see that the door was locked. Disappointment was written all over Simeon’s face as he realized that the warm welcome he had hoped from his sister was not going to be. After inquiring from a neighbor, we found out that Simeon’s sister had started a small business in a nearby town. So we sent a neighbour’s son to call her.

    She came running and started to weep the moment she saw her brother. We spent some time talking with her over some issues.  She readily agree to give her lost brother Simeon a home and promised to talk to her husband to take him back to school next year.

    Peter Swahili 16 years old took time to remember the direction to his home. 5 years ago he left home and couldn’t recognise the buildings and infrastructure that has come up since he left home.  Five years is a long on the streets.

    Peter used to live with his grandmother, Hannah who is a pastoralist.  He left home when he was a very small boy thus, his grandmother could not recognize him. Who is this man? Asked Peter’s grandmother. It took a little introduction for her to recognize her own grandson.  Peter and his grandmother looked at each other.

    The family, like any other typical pastoralist family, has very little or no value for education.  So we talked with Hannah about the importance of education for her grandson and she agreed to take Peter for vocational training. All in all Peter was happy to be back home again before Christmas.

    Ian Kemboi, 14 years – desiregranted. We often pray that God would prepare a safe dwelling place for every child we plan to reintegrate with his family. Over the years, Ian’s father lived an irresponsible life of drinking and gave his children harsh punishment causing Ian to regularly run to the streets which made it very difficult for him to settle.

    When we took him back to his home in Kitale, we found a transformed father who had committed his life to Christ and now attends church with his family. With hope in his heart, he received his son and is willing to gradually work out their father-son relationship. Ian on the other hand asked for forgiveness for leaving home without warning and causing his family much pain.  We thank God for Ian’s parents who love him in spite of what has done.  They are ready to support him and help him settle at home.

    “Taking me home would be the best Christmas gift”, said 14 years old Anthony Mabonga

    IMG_20121121_094941

    Ululation filled the air at Moi’s Bridge when Anthony entered their homestead and began calling his grandmother in his native luhya language.”Kukhu Kukhu!” His grandmother’s voice was heard in one of the huts. We followed as Anthony led us, in seconds they were locked in tight hugs and there was more ululation. Anthony was under the care of his parents who lived near Kenya-Tanzania border. He had been asked to do some house chores but went to play and forgot.  He was afraid of being punished and ran to the streets where we met him a few months ago.

    Anthony’s family was very happy to receive him.  He will enjoy Christmas with his family as he had desired while preparing to join class 5 in 2013.

    Looking for a place to belong is 13 years old Dennis Kiarie driven to the streets by his parents’ separation, ‘Finally I am home’ said 14 year old Joseph, whose only hope is his uncle’s family as well as Wycliffe Nyange, Titus Mosota, Henry Nyambuto, boys who come from Kisi in western Kenya to just get a glimpse of the city’s tall buildings.   All reconnected with their families.

    Having rescued these boys, the real task of restoring them and their families has just begun.  We however, rejoice that their desire to be ‘home for Christmas’ has been granted.  Rejoice with that eleven (11) children have been rescued and reintegrated with their families – the place where they belong!

    Tumaini Mass rescue

     

     

     

     

    By TKW Team