Streetism and Child Abuse

Nebiyu Belete
The paper examines the Streetism phenomenon from the perspectives of children on the streets and their parents/guardians

Drop In & Rehabilitation canter MCMDO +251911 543 956

1/11/2013

Streetism and Child Abuse

And The Other Consequences Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMERY ........................................................................................................ 2 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 2 THE RESTLESS ON STREET ................................................................................................... 3 OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................... 3 WHY STREETISM AND CHILD ABUSE? ....................................................................................... 4 CONFLICT WITH PARENTS, STEP PARENTS. ............................................................................ 4 DEATH OF PARENTS OR DIVORCE. ...................................................................................... 4 EXPLOITATION............................................................................................................. 4 URBAN ATTRACTION...................................................................................................... 4 PEER PRESSURE. ........................................................................................................... 4 ECONOMIC PROBLEM. .................................................................................................... 4 ABUSES: CAN BE DIFFERENT TYPES, THE FOLLOWING ARE COMMONLY APPLICABLE ON CHILDREN. .......... 5 TRADITION RELATED TO EARLY MARRIAGE AND PREGNANCY ...................................................... 5 ABUSE AND NEGLECT CAN LEAD TO: ................................................................................... 5 WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR HUMANITARIANS IN ORDER TO MATERIALIZE THE PROPOSED OBJECTIVES ... 5

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Executive Summery The aim of this documentation is to raise the issue of Streetism, children abuse; children neglect also the other consequences that can actually happen on vulnerable street children. It also seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of street children in Ethiopia. It uses findings from a survey of 135 street children conducted in Drop In and Rehabilitation Center that I encode in the centers database. In addition to start dialogue on how to STOP Streetism and child abuse also how societies and humanitarian organizations can better protect children and fight Streetism. Contrary to the existing literature, which argues that abuses and poverty are the major cause of streetism, I argue in this paper that economic poverty is not the principal factor for the phenomenon in Addis Ababa and other big metropolis. Instead, poverty of a different kind, the poverty of social relations is to be blamed for the increasing incidence of Street children. Introduction I was highly stormed and touched with the life of street living children when I worked with one of local nongovernmental and humanitarian organization in East Africa, Ethiopia, Mothers and Children Multisectoral Development Organization (MCMDO) in collaboration with GOAL Ethiopia which is Irish aided international organization. My position was Database Officer, which lets me to have a high priority in accessing street children information; I know child information is only for child per one of child policies convention article but I got nothing to do with it except encoding, executing, reading and being in a cocktail of bad emotions. In MCMDO there is a Child space program, mainly concerned with setting up a drop in and rehabilitation center (DIRC) with which it is assumed to be a conditional atmosphere for street living children suitable for enjoying, recreating, make up their mind in different activities and make ready children by providing skill trainings for some exit options like reunification with their families, reintegration with small businesses, looking for sponsorship for adoption and hiring children who are aged 20 to 24 and feet for a particular area in factories like shoe, plastic and so on.

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The Restless on Street Street children are boys and girls at the age of seventeen and below who live or spend most of their time on street to get income for their daily need by polishing shoe; selling cooked food and other small items called Jebllo" like napkin, pee, chewing gum, lottery; begging; serving as daily laborer, etc. Street women are females of childbearing age who have one or more children and who get their income by selling cooked food and other small items; begging; serving as daily laborer, etc. Most of the children registered to the database reported that they eat meals as available. This indicates that their feeding conditions depend on amount of their income. It is anticipated that the observed low income may force them to eat or buy leftover food as named by them BULLE or food cooked and handled in poor hygienic conditions. The feeding habits of the children, in general, might have exposed them to various kinds of food borne infectious diseases, such as diarrheal diseases. Street living children populated in a particular area based on their origion. Those coming from Amhara region and Harrare region of Ethiopia populated around Meskel squer, tigray region around Teklle haimanot, SNNPRs get populated around Bus station and addis ketema. They have also grouping strategies based on seniority on street, task division and working experience. Those who lived on street more than eight years will be called BORKo and the new comers are said to be SHEWAYE, the teen aged onece called FELFELLA , those physique and having experience in participating criminal activities are called LABORO.
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Objectives The main objective of this article is to advocate for the rights of the child through the creation of awareness among the society at large in order for fight Streetism and to sensitize government policy makers to take positive measures toward this goal. To protect, prevent and rehabilitate disadvantaged children through community based child focused empowering activities that include education, community health and livelihood promotion.

Striving for sustainable protection, growth and development of vulnerable children Bring hope to urban disadvantaged children and ensure that they get adequate access to basic services that change their life for the better. Why Streetism and child abuse? Streetism and child abuses occur almost in every corner of the world but not get proper attention; statistics indicates in Latin America and Africa a large number of street living children flooded especially in their capitals and also in some large cities. The extent of the problem cannot be recognized however pulling and pushing factors have clearly seen. Child streetism could be a reflection of a break down in traditionally appreciated family values where family members see it as a duty to care for children and where children acquire skills for life under strict supervision by adult members in the family. Child streetism is partly due to poverty of social relations and ignorance on the part of parents/guardians on the effects of child streetism on the development of their children. As some respondents noted, the desire for many people today to be slated among those labelled as rich makes it difficult for them to share their wealth even with their family members that are truly in need. The breakdown of the extended family is not only the making of the elite who through western education, migration and other factors of change are comfortable with nuclear family practices where the concern with regards to children is the biological children of the parents. There are so many pushing and pulling factors for the children to end up on street and the following are some of the factors that most of street living children in the capital Addis Ababa honestly share:
Conflict with parents , step parents . Death of parents or Divorce. Exploitation. Urban attraction. Peer pressure. Economic problem.
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Abuses

Abuses can be different types; the following are commonly applicable on children. o Physical abuse. o Emotional abuse. o Sexual abuse.
Tradition related to early marriage and pregnancy .

There are also different kinds of socio economic problems which lead children as a vulnerable society. Some international humanitarian agencies strictly noticed that poverty, sexual abuse and urban attraction plays a great roll for streetism. And this sexual abuse most often carried out by family members like step parents or even fathers or brothers when get drunk. Girls, orphans and disabled children are particularly groups vulnerable.
Abuse and neglect can lead to:

Death, disability and disease including AIDS/HIV and sexual transmitted diseases. Physical and mental trauma, poor cognitive and social development (e.g. lack of concentration), fear. Malnutrition, stunted growth, loss of appetite, and mental and other illness. Lack of schooling including coming late to school or misbehaving in class. Early marriages and early teenage pregnancy, criminal abortion. NOTICE: Poverty and Abuses are the biggest causes of 'streetism', i.e. children running away from 'home' to the more unsafe streets. Their children, especially girls, often become commercial sex workers (with increasing risks of HIV, unwanted pregnancy).

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What is more important for humanitarians In order to materialize the proposed objectives Continue reviewing and redesigning existing programs and adding new spheres of service to benefit disadvantaged children in accordance with and in response to the new CSO legislation.

Continue identifying pertinent child focused problems seeking solutions. Recovering and reintegrating such children into the family and the society at large. Undertake developmental programs that safe guard children from street life, child labor, trafficking, sexual abuse and exploitation. Reunify children who are victims of trafficking and abuse by providing psychological counseling, shelter and medical services in collaboration with schools mass transport, community, family etc. Expand its collaboration with a wide variety of like minded stakeholders both governmental organizations (GOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and involve them in childfocused activities. Provide more and more services and support to needy children in general and street children in particular. Undertake researches, document information and share experiences for scientific knowledge based child interventions. Provide awareness raising education to parents and community members on the protection of children. Provide non formal alternative basic education for children deprived of such due to poverty in the family. Undertake livelihood promotional programs targeting families with low income as well as facilitating health education, life skill trainings.

Streetism and Child Abuse | 1/11/2013