Maravi

Number of sreet children rises to 13,500

Number of sreet children rises to 13,500
By Justin Katilungu in Kabwe
Tue 04 May 2010, 04:50 CAT

A recent study undertaken by the government has estimated the number of street children to be 13,500, sport youth and child development Permanent Secretary Teddy Mulonga has disclosed.

Mulonga said in Kabwe during the review and planning meeting for street children rehabilitation and reintegration programme held at Zambezi Source Lodge that the problem of street children and vulnerability was growing and required collaborative efforts to overcome.

“As government we are greatly concerned about the plight of children living on the streets because of the risks that they are exposed to.

According to the last study undertaken by government, the number of street children was estimated at 13,500 and it is therefore important that initiatives meant to address this problem such as street children rehabilitation and integration programmes must be fully supported by all stakeholders so that these our vulnerable children are given an opportunity to acquire life skills for them to lead a better future,” he said.

Mulonga said the street children rehabilitation and integration was one of the programmes being implemented in line with the presidential directive that his ministry seeks a lasting solution to the growing streetism in Zambia.

The programme is targeted at children and vulnerable young people aged between 15 and 25 and it commenced in December 2004 at Kitwe and Chiwoko Zambia National Service (ZNS) camps.

Since its inception, Mulonga noted that a total of 648 former street children and other vulnerable young people had graduated from the two ZNS training camps in various fields of skills.

“Out of this number, 82 are girls and 556 are boys. At present we have a total of 454 former street children and other vulnerable young people undergoing skills training at Kitwe and Chiwoko ZNS camps. Out of this number, 145 are girls who are being trained at Kitwe camp and 309 are boys undergoing similar training at Chiwoko camp,” Mulonga said.

The group undergoing training was expected to graduate in November this year.

Mulonga said the meeting called on the rehabilitation and integration of street children as being cardinal to government’s efforts to tackling the problem of street kids.

He said that there was need to consider the challenges that the government through his ministry had been facing in the implementation stages of the street children programme.

Mulonga challenged participants to the meeting to review the training programme in order to ensure that more of the vulnerable young people were given an opportunity to get life skills training.

Mulonga urged participants to also review the exit strategy so that graduates had a smooth passage to the communities.

Labels: NEOLIBERALISM, STREET CHILDREN, TEDDY MULONGA

posted by MrK @ 3:07 PM