Lasting solution for street children - a pressing need

By Nisansala R. Aryachandra

Street children are not a menace, not a threat and they are not a burden. They are quite simply a part of our society, a part who reserves the same rights as any one of us.

They have become a part in our society, who are ignored and oppressed. They have no place to call their home, no place to voice their opinions and views, no way to earn a living and no future of their own - is it surprising then, the only sanctuary they have or any one of us, if left in a situation as such is to resort to a world of their own, a place common to all of us - the streets.

The number of street children worldwide is approximately 150 million according to UN statistics. However, the number of street children is not easy to count. Simply because they move around from place to place, they are usually excluded from conventional statistics carried out in schools and households,. It is also a known fact that numbers of street children are misquoted in order to victimise these children.

It is a common sight today to see a rising number of children in the streets of Colombo and suburbs. It makes us wonder that even with so many organisations and institutions committed to the task of alleviating the living conditions of street children why the numbers are still rising or simply why nothing has changed and why they are still on the streets. This is a question that has risen time after time but only a few solutions or measures are forthcoming.

Street children cannot be identified in any one category because the lives of each of these children are different and the fact that they fall under the many faceted circle of child abuse is a certain factor in each case. Maybe one of the reasons why institutions cannot find lasting solutions to this situation may be because of the fact that these children are not alone - that there is a force working behind them, most of the time working without their consent. It is also no secret then, that this is a territory that no one wants to go too deep into, too far or for too long. This is why it is necessary to understand the nature of the beneficiaries before any attempt is made to find solutions.

Rehabilitating street children

Institutionalising children who have been in the streets all their lives takes an enormous effort on the part of the initiators as well as on the part of the children. But, it is the most important step towards their freedom from poverty, brutal violence, sexual exploitation, chemical addiction and human rights violations.

The first step in alleviating this situation is to make the children understand that they need help and why their way of life needs to be changed. It is not easy to familiarise and introduce routine or order to a carefree life, especially when that is all the life that is known to them. We, as human beings create our own comfortable zones, for some, it is in the warmth and support of our families that we find happiness and security, for others, it is in their profession that they dedicate most of their lives in and for still others, it is in their own solitude and routine that they are safe and content.

In the case of street children, what 'we' want is to change their lives, their way of living, and their 'home'. This is the root cause in not finding lasting solutions to this issue.

Street children are exposed to many external forces that almost always work against them forcing them to resort to bad habits. Unless, a suitable and constructive plan of action is devised there is less chance of helping them to overcome the situations in their lives. What these children need are not temporary solutions that are meant to keep them off the streets for a few hours a day or to give them an education and send them right off to the streets in the evening. These solutions may have to some extent an impact, but what we need to consider is that eventually, at the end of the day, they go back to the streets, to their way of living and to their usual ways.

The objectives of any design of a programme must take into consideration the fact that the children should be rehabilitated. The objectives must include to: Provide a structured shelter for street children, provide education, provide guidance and support in initiatives (for older youth), provide training, information and guidance on income generating initiatives (for older youth) and instill a sense of school atmosphere in their minds.

* A constructive plan of action can be in the following: 1) Select a number of already existing children's homes (at least 18). Place children in the selected homes and seek permission from the present management to give over the operation to a clergy of religious institutions or negotiate with the present management to co-operate with the programme. Three homes per district from six districts can be selected initially.

* Organise the homes in a proper proceeding so that it will have a structured schedule and children to be supervised as in a hostel. The important component in realising is to provide children with a sense of schooling atmosphere so that they will be independent and eventually mature in the same way, like the children in the "outside world".

* Select the clergy of religious heads (from temples, churches, kovils and mosques in the area of the home) and give over one home/hostel each to be administered by them (if this procedure is accepted by the present management).

* Refurbish the homes to suit and facilitate the 'new schedule'. Include facilities for structured leisure activities.

* Adopt one structure for the operation of all homes. Although, supervised by different religious institutions the 'way of operating should be one'.

* Externally qualified teachers to be assigned to conduct classes on three subjects, initially (preferably, maths, Sinhala/Tamil and religion/English). This is considering the number of personnel employed (three teachers per home) and the difficulty in involving more services in terms of financial backup. However, the opportunity in choosing an individual field of interest is granted once the child is 18 years, when she is transferred to a VTI (explained below) which is the offshoot of the holistic completion that this design strives to build on.

Seeking completion

To complete the rehabilitating process by helping children to grow up to be independent youth, with an education and with the support and guidance that will help them to face the challenges in life and empower them with the skills and knowledge to choose a suitable field of interest which would help equip them to find an occupation to procure a decent livelihood should be the end result of this idea. This is why, the enrolment of older youth in a vocational training institute is very important as it will give the training and guidance needed to set them forth on their own.

What is more clear than any perspective put forward is the number of children we see on the roads begging and munching off somebody else's garbage. It has become to be so common that we miss the glance and the feeling that rise to our minds that says, " that is our future and this is our country" . We watch like spectators in a foreign land that is not part of us, because we have accepted knowingly or unknowingly that they are part of our physical surrounding, just as the trees, the skies and the ocean that cannot be changed.

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