Street Children
Street Children
18 May 2011 06:00PM
“Street children” is a term often used to describe both children who work on the streets selling, begging, shoe shining etc. (and return after a day’s work to live with their families), and homeless children who live and sleep on the streets, often having no contact with their families at all.
At highest risk naturally is the latter group. Murder, consistent abuse and inhumane treatment are the norm for these children, whose ages range from early years to young adults. They often resort to petty theft and prostitution for survival and are therefore extremely vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. An estimated 90% of those living on the streets are addicted to inhalants such as glue and paint thinner. The sad fact is, that these kids think such substances will make them feel good, and numb the hunger pains, taking away the harsh reality of street life. They couldn’t be more wrong, and ultimately such abuse often leads to kidney failure, irreversible brain damage, and in some cases death.
In cities where there are large numbers of children living on the streets, as well as the common occurrence of abandoned babies and infants, we have to ask the question why?
With the industrialization of Mexico City in the 1940s for example, there has been a huge migration of families from the countryside to the city, looking for employment and better living opportunities. This has actually had the reverse effect and consequently led to the major problems the city has to face today. Babies are often abandoned by young mums suffering extreme poverty or unable to cope, and children run away from abusive homes, neglect and abject poverty. Others may be orphaned as their parents turn to drugs and alcohol. In 1996 UNICEF estimated that there were approximately 40 million kids living on the streets in Latin America. I suspect that figure is far greater today.
Victorian Britain saw many kids living on the streets and men like George Muller, nicknamed the Children’s Champion, (his work rescued 10.000 children in Bristol in the 1850s as he went on to establish his children’s homes on the Bristol Downs), and Dr Barnardo, the pioneer of Dr Barnardo’s Homes (establishing his first home in the 1870s), have left us with a legacy today.
Whilst thankfully, we don’t see children on the streets of Britain today like we did in Victorian Britain, nor suffer the Street kid problems of some countries such as Mexico, modern day Britain still has its Street Kid problems. We need to be mindful of the fact that organizations such as The Children’s Society, inform us that 100.000 children under the age of 16 run away from home each year. A staggering thought!
Why are these children running away from home and are institutions such as Child Line and the NSPCC publicised enough?
On 12th April, 2011 the International Day for Street Children was launched in London. Danny Boyle, the Academy Award Winning Director of Slumdog Millionaire gave a motivational speech, and the Consortium for Street Children discussed issues and policies relating to the world’s street children.
You will see from the Chavos website that my inspiration to start writing came initially from my own personal involvement with Street Children, and my desire in whatever way I could to help at least some of them.
No child should have to live on the streets. I’m sure you agree.
Anna
