Government involves psychologists to rescue street children

One morning a boy only identified as Murara, aged around 12, is rambling somewhere in Nyabugogo on the road towards Kinamba. In torn and dirty clothes, the youngster has some injuries on his left leg.

So far, there are 25 centers across the country where street kids are gathered. (file photo)

The injuries seem to have not gotten any treatment since he fell off a vehicle some few days ago as he says. Expressing himself in a language very difficult to decode, for him the treatment of the injuries is not the main concerns, but to find food and a place where no security forces can capture.

“We are chased everywhere while the place is our residence of stay,” Murara said. “When I get some coins to buy imyaka (food), I arrange myself to spend a night under a veranda around here.”

In fact, side roads and verandas have now become dwelling of Murara for many years that he can’t remember since he decided to leave his real home somewhere in Kamonyi district. He says he opted to embrace the street life after he failed to resist to his stepmother’s treatment.

Murara’s experience reflects the reality that faces many street children on Rwanda’s roads due to different reasons, not only in Kigali, but also in other towns. Anyone who might have been in Butare city, for instance, would have observed it.

This phenomenon remains unresolved while there have been measures for a long time to end the issue. For instance, in 2005, the government committed to end it within five years, but the time winded up out of targets.

Officials acknowledge the issue and say they are still committed to work on it. In this regard, the National Commission for Children (NCC) has been established and operational since November of last year so as to deal with all issues concerning children.

The Strategic Plan for the Integrated Child Rights Policy (ICRP) in Rwanda (2011-2016) was also developed to guide the interventions needed to address the main thematic areas of children’s rights ranging from identity and nationality; family and alternative care; health, survival and standard of living; education; protection; justice; and participation.

Zaina Nyiramatama, the executive secretary of NCC says they have started a survey to be finished by next June; a study that will reveal main causes and factors involved in the phenomenon.

“This will really give us a good starting point on how we can reduce or protect more children from becoming street children, basing our work on evidence,” said Nyiramatama.

So far, there are 25 centers across the country where street kids are gathered all totaling 1074 as of March this year, revealed Jean Claude Hagumimana, the deputy coordinator in charge of street children at NCC.

Poverty, conflicts and lack of family planning are said to be the main factors pushing children to leave their homes and become street children.

In meantime, NCC officials say they have started with some preventive mechanisms to avoid eventual causes. Therefore, in the next financial year, Frw 850 million from the national budget  will be allocated in such activities where vulnerable families will be supported so as to ensure that children are well treated in their families.

“With this approach, we really hope to find all the children taken off the streets. Only care is needed to make this happen.”

The support will be either direct fund to vulnerable families or funded through manual activities in VUP umurenge. In any case, the local authorities will be in charge of the screening families worth to be supported.

The official mentions that the activity will be monitored by all local government entities through officers in charge of education or social affairs, etc.

The same initiative was taken before with no great achievement, because people involved could not approach the children to realize the reason why they went to streets and the kind of assistance worth to be applied to them.

Now Nyiramatama says they are going to go “more professional” to reach their targets.

“This time, our psychologists and social workers will reach out to talk to street children and come back to advise on how to handle the cases,” she explains adding that this staff will be availed by their partner RCT Ruhuka, an association that specializes in the field of counseling.

“With this approach, we really hope to find all the children taken off the streets. Only care is needed to make this happen.”

She mentions that the task will not involve only the commission and local leaders, but also concerned NGOs and religious as they expressed their interest to help in a recent meeting.

The program to handle the problem of street children is on while the government recently announced the agenda to find care families for all children staying in orphanages.

Nyiramatama says this is in line to provide all children with Rwandan values offered in family as it is viewed as a basic unit for national development.

“Our vision is about making a lot of efforts so that Rwandan family cannot be split up,” Nyiramatama says. “This will be achieved by strengthening every single family, providing its members with social protection services.”

Posted by Eric Didier Karinganire on May 28 2012. Filed under National. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.