Written evidence submitted by the Consortium
for Street Children
1. INTRODUCTION:
1.1 The Consortium for Street Children (CSC)
is the leading international member-based network dedicated to
advocating, promoting and campaigning for the rights of street-involved
children. We are committed to creating a better and sustainable
future for some of the most disadvantaged and stigmatised children
by working together to inform and inspire research and action
that influences policy and best practice worldwide. For more information
please go to www.streetchildren.org.uk.
1. The main questions from the International
Development Committee's Terms of Reference which is relevant here
are: How DFID works with other donors, multilateral agencies and
NGOs to deliver assistance; the effectiveness of DFID's support
for delivery of basic services; and DFID's support for orphans
and vulnerable children.
2. STREET CHILDREN
IN ZIMBABWE:
2.1 Zimbabwe is currently facing a lot of
socio-economic challenges. According to a UNICEF study in 2004,
an increasing number of children are finding themselves in the
streets and/or in abusive homes. The study further notes that,
because of unemployment, the ravaging effects of the HIV and AIDS
pandemic, family poverty, persistent droughts, family breakdowns,
crime and more often due to neglect, physical or sexual abuse,
these children find themselves living outside family environment.
2.2 As of December 2005, the unemployment
rate in Zimbabwe is 80%, which means, more than 80% of Zimbabweans
are living below the poverty datum line. As a result of this parents
are sending their children to the streets to beg and supplement
family income. In August 2007 Streets Ahead, a locally based
NGO, conducted a quick survey on the streets of Harare to find
among other things the origins and nature of children living and
working on the streets of Harare. The findings indicated that
36% of the children were from Epworth, a satellite township in
the Greater Harare area. The children were on the street mainly
on a part-time basis. They come to the streets during school holidays
so as to try and raise money for school and other educational
requirements. The Jacha area of Epworth had the highest percentage
(37.2%) of children on the streets of Harare. 71.2% of the children
had lost one or both parents while only 19.1% responded that they
still had both parents living. In addition to the loss of parents
70.2 % of the children have no birth certificates or any
identity documents.
2.3 This resulted in a three-year pilot
project implemented by CSC, in partnership with Streets Ahead,
Street Child Africa and the Jacha Community. The project carried
out a participatory rapid appraisal of one informal settlement
in Epworth called Jacha where the bulk of the children going to
the streets of Harare are coming from. The participatory rapid
appraisal's finding were that children from this community are
likely to go to the streets of Harare because of abuse, poverty
related reasons, orphan hood, lack of identity documents and educational
opportunity. The participatory rapid appraisal provided an opportunity
for Jacha residents to prioritise which problems they wanted to
address first, which they agreed to be abuse, education and birth
registration.
2.4 The project saw the establishment of
a local government-civil society partnership in Epworth to reduce
the flow of children to the streets from a slum where the majority
of street children originate. The City of Harare sent government
officials to participate in the project because, as a government
official said, "Rounding up street children doesn't solve
the problem. We want to see if you can offer another way".
Unfortunately, the project was abruptly stopped because of the
increase in political violence at the time.
2.5 Although there are national polices
through the children's act, there is no municipal strategy on
how to deal with street children in the city of Harare. Therefore,
there is still no positive strategy to dealing with children on
the street and as a result round-ups and police violence is still
a major issue.
2.6 In written answers DFID stated that
their Zimbabwe programme of support was going to reach organizations
such as Streets Ahead. According to DFID they have allocated the
following funding for Streets Ahead:[1]
2.7 July 2005 to March 2009 (project
on-going):
|
| Total US$ | 235,889
|
|
| 2005-06 | US$55,888 |
| 2006-07 | US$34,225 |
| 2007-08 | US$52,559 |
| 2008-09 | US$93,217 |
|
| |
3. CONCLUSION:
3.1 CSC believes that continued direct financial support
for NGOs is crucial in the context of Zimbabwe. Civil society
organizations have a key role to play in the current political
climate, bringing much needed support to street children and poor
communities in the absence of a well-functioning national government.
3.2 On a local government level it is crucial that NGOs
receive the support and advice needed to engage positively with,
for example, the municipality of Harare to develop a street children
strategy. DFID should support initiatives aimed at such outcomes.
3.3 Further police training, as part of an integrated
street children strategy, should be pursued to decrease the high
levels of arbitrary round ups of street children.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2009-03-18a.36.1&s=%22street+children%22 (18 March
2009, House of Lords, Lord Tunnicliffe).
1
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2008-10-07a.10.1&s=%22street+children%22£g10.2 (7 October
2008 House of Lords, Baroness Crawley) and Back
| 
