Saving Kids from the Streets

You might’ve seen him at the traffic lights: a wise face trapped in a small body. Eyes dead. Hands open, waiting for some small change. You might’ve been curious about his story. Where does he come from? Did he ever go to school? Does he have parents? If he does, do they care?

According to research, the typical profile of a child living on the streets looks like this*:

• he’s more likely to be a boy, and is around the age of 12;
• he’s from a large family, in a disadvantaged area, and it is unlikely that any of the adults in the home that he was/is living in, are employed; – he may be an orphan;
• he’s likely to have left home due to poverty, neglect or abuse;
  academically, he would be around Grade 3 level, but has dropped out of school;
• although his life on the streets is hard, he would generally prefer living on the street to living in an institution. His ultimate solution would be to return home – provided that the problems there were resolved;
• he doesn’t receive regular medical attention;
• he doesn’t receive sufficient nutrients required for his growth and development;
• if he hasn’t already contracted a terminal disease such as TB or HIV, the likelihood of him contracting these, and other sexually transmitted diseases, increases the more time he spends on the streets;
• he is likely to have suffered abuse on the streets – from the public, and sometimes from members of the police;
• he may use drugs, sniff glue and/or drink alcohol to numb him from his harsh reality.

With an estimated 10 000 children in South Africa living on the streets, the plight of homeless children could seem like a hopeless case. But there are organisations who seek to restore these children who seem to have been forgotten about by the rest of society.

Kids Haven is one of these organisations. The organisation’s mission is to reach out to children on the streets, and equip them to occupy their rightful place in their respective communities. By providing the support structure and love many children on the street lack and sorely desire, Kids Haven aims to help such children regain their confidence, learn new skills and become a well-functioning member of society. Importance is also placed on reuniting children with street connections, with their families – as far as this is possible and helpful for the child’s development. Kids Haven helps over 180 children and youth in their residential intervention programme, which has the objective of developing the children in a holistic manner (the programme addresses physical, emotional, psychological, educational and spiritual development).

One of the programmes at Kids Haven is the Bridging Programme, which aims to equip children with street connections to re-enter the schooling system. Without the care attention given by the teachers, social workers and others involved in the facilitation of the programme, it would be difficult for children who have spent a long time out of (or battling with) school, to reintegrate. The love, care and support given by Kids Haven equips children to do their best in their respective circumstances, and encourages them to see education as a means to bettering themselves.

We love the important role that this programme could potentially play in a child’s life and are looking forward to partnering with Kids Haven to help fundraise for the Bridging Programme.