OVCs AND THE HOMELESS (STREET

CHILDREN)




Definitions
Poverty is a situation where an individual or families
cannot afford basic needs and live below a dollar a day
It can also be defined as social, spiritual physical, and
mental inadequacies.
Poverty trap, a mechanism which makes it very difficult
for people to escape poverty
Orphans
Uganda, defines an orphan as a child below the age of 18
years whose mother or father has died or both (MGLSD
2004b).
Cont.
Vulnerability is a state of being or likely to be in a risky
situation where a person is likely to suffer significant
physical, emotional or mental harm that may result in
their human rights not being fulfilled.
Vulnerable child is a child who is suffering and is likely
to suffer any form of abuse or deprivation and therefore
is in need of care and protection.


Magnitude of the Problem
A household survey data 2005/6 indicates that 14 percent
of children in Uganda have been orphaned which is
equivalent to a national total of 2.43 million out of 17.1
million children below 18 years.

Nationally, up to 96 percent of children have some level
of vulnerability and of this 51 percent of the children in
Uganda are considered moderately or critically
vulnerable, equivalent to a national total of approximately
8 million vulnerable children in Uganda.

Cont.
The data suggests that orphan-hood in urban
areas is 18 percent and significantly higher
than in the rural areas where it is 14 percent.

However the degrees of vulnerability tend to
be higher in the rural areas at 52 percent for
moderately and critically vulnerable children
combined and 43 percent in urban areas.
Cont.
Based on the vulnerability score, overall vulnerability
tends to be highest in the conflict affected areas like
Northern region, and lower in the more affluent Central
region.

In Uganda, many children live in situations that render
them vulnerable, rampant poverty and lack of access to
basic services such as appropriate housing, health care,
education, water, and sanitation have left many children
vulnerable to high risks of exposure to harm.




Poverty trap
Poverty is a big challenge to the OVCs and street
children/homeless and this becomes even worse when
they are caught up in the poverty trap because they are;
Physically weak
Powerless
Vulnerable
Isolated, and
Poor
Poverty Traps
Poverty becomes a trap when a vicious cycle undermines the efforts of
the poor, in which conditions of poverty feed on themselves and create
further conditions of poverty (chronic poverty).

In a child labor trap, if a parent is too unhealthy and unskilled to be
productive enough to support their family, the children have to work.
But if children work, they cant get the education they need; so when
they grow up, they have to send their own children to work.

If OVCs work, the unskilled wage is low, so parents making low wages
cannot afford to take their children out of the workforce.


Vulnerability

This is due to orphan hood, disability, age, HIV and AIDS,
other diseases, poverty in the family and illiteracy.

Many MDGs address the situations that lead to
vulnerability. E.g. MDG 5 where the mother dies the
children are left exposed, MDG 7 where OVCs are not
able to tap and sustain resources in their environment

Different partners, donors and nations come together in
MDG 8 to mitigate this vulnerability.



Poverty
At least one in every four households has an orphan and 3
million children live below the poverty line because they lack
assets, have little land, no livestock, live in small houses and
work for family members even if they are young, old or sick.

Due to the national challenge of poverty implementation of MDG
one, is still slow and far from being achieved and children suffer
the most because of their dependency nature.

In at least 12 Sub-Saharan African countries a child is more
likely to die before the age of five than attend secondary school

Poverty is the loss of childhood
At least 180 million child laborers are either 15 years
old or younger or work in conditions that endanger
their health or well-being according to the ILO

73 million working children are under 10 years old

An estimated 8.4 million child laborers are trapped in
slavery, trafficking, debt bondage, prostitution, and
other abhorrent conditions.

Poverty
Poverty is multidimensional; raising incomes
is crucial but low income is only one of the
problems of poverty

Poverty is watching the environment on which
you depend deteriorate year by year

Poverty is also less quantifiable but no
less oppressive conditions
Poverty is vulnerability to destitution after a shock or catastrophic
event, such as an illness, death or theft of your land.
Each year about three quarters as many fall into poverty as
escape. The struggle against poverty is often one of 4 steps
forward, 3 steps back.
But 300-420 million live in chronic extreme poverty
Poverty is the ongoing stress of desperately trying to anticipate
and adapt to vulnerability.
Poverty is lack of access to markets that could offer a way out of
poverty.

Powerlessness
Due to lack of education as demanded by MDG 2 children
lack knowledge and decision making skills making them
prone to exploitation.

OVCs have no bargaining power for advocating for their
needs and rights that they are denied e.g. legal rights,
access to justice, food, and sexual abuse.

In Northern Uganda, landless children especially those
returning from IDP camps and captivity have emerged and
majority of these children have had their land grabbed,
posing daunting challenges to them and their families as they
can not legally fight for their rights.




Poverty is Powerlessness
Poverty is systematic exploitation, theft, and abuse not only
by the rich but by the government officials ostensibly there
to help

The poor must pay larger bribes, as a share of their
income, than the rich just to survive.

Poverty is debilitating and deliberately created feelings of
hopelessness and dependence on whatever minimal
remuneration is offered by a particular rich family in your
sphere of life.

Powerlessness
Powerlessness is violence within the family and without.

Poverty is powerlessness to stop things hurting you and your
family and keeping you poor.

The poor are so desperate for food that they overuse their land
even though they know the result will be lessened fertility next
year with this it will be difficult to achieve environmental
sustainability MDG 7.
Physical weakness
OVCs are taken up by guardians or relatives who at times mistreat
them causing them to suffer from physical violence and abuse
inflicting pain or injuries.

In relation to MDG 4 and 6, OVCs lack the essential medical care
exposing them to communicable diseases hence increasing the child
mortality, malnutrition and disability.

In under nutrition traps, an undernourished person is too weak to
work productively, so their resulting wage is too small to pay for
sufficient food to improve their nourishment, thus they continue to
work with low productivity for low wages.
Isolation
The OVCs are stigmatized and discriminated hence
not able to socialize with other children, due to illness
or disability.

They also suffer from emotional abuse (e.g. shouting
at the child), public humiliation which lowers their self
esteem making them isolate from other people.
Causes of vulnerability in children
Child vulnerability
reflects the level of
socio-economic
development in Uganda.

Major causes of child
vulnerability include;
Orphan hood,
Disability,








Childvulnerability
reflects the level of
socio-economic
development in
Uganda. Major causes
of child vulnerability
include;
Poverty,
Armed conflict

.
Early marriages,

Lack of access to basic
services such as food, shelter,
health care, clothing,
education and psychosocial
support

HIV/AIDS, and other diseases

Effects of Vulnerability
The causes of vulnerability have enormous effects on a child e.g.
Child laborers,
Child headed households ,
Living in child headed households,
Living in elderly headed households,
Idleness
Children in conflict with the law,
Abused or neglected children in need of alternative family
care,
Children living on the streets/ street families
Challenges encountered while
providing services to OVCs in Uganda
The biggest challenge is the sheer inadequacy of resources. This is
furthered more by;

Increased abuse of children

Misuse of donated resources or inherited properties of the
children.

OVC issues are supposed to be addressed by two core program
i.e. Child Protection Unit and Legal Aid which receive the least
attention.

Challenges encountered while
providing services to OVCs in Uganda
Lack of sufficient training and awareness of the
National Strategic Plan among local leaders and
service providers.

Lack of careful planning and good management skills
on income generating activities for the OVCs


Interventions
Adequate resources to be mobilized and equitably distributed to
facilitate delivery of comprehensive services to OVC.

Strengthening partnerships and networks between government,
private sector, civil society and development partners on OVC
issues.

Implementation of plans to ensure that legislation, policies,
plans and programmes are in place to protect vulnerable
children.

Interventions
Create awareness about childrens rights among children and
the community.

Creation of ordinances for the OVCs to voice out their
problems.

Inclusion of OVCs in the planning and decision making process.

Sensitization and empowerment of communities on the
importance of education.
Interventions
Provide support care through psychosocial counseling to the
OVCs and their caregivers

Establishment of age friendly services for the children.

Provide HIV/AIDS/other medical care services to the OVCs

Reinforcement of the children act by the government

Provide Food security and nutritional services.


Public Health Importance
Children who are sexually active and/ or those who suffer from
sexual abuse, those subjected to early marriages are at a higher
risk of STIs and HIV infection.

In communities and schools, the burden of care and poor
nutrition further compound the vulnerability of children infected
with HIV/AIDS and other diseases.

The number of facilities providing child-friendly and adolescent
reproductive health services remains limited.
Homeless/Street children
Homeless ( street children)
DEFINITIONS
Homeless; are people who are
most unable to acquire and
maintain regular, safe, secure and
adequate housing, or lack fixed,
regular, and adequate night time
residence.

A street child; is any girl or boy
who has not reached adulthood for
whom the street has become his
or her habitual source of live hood,
and who is inadequately protected,
directed, and supervised by
responsible adults

Homeless street child
Street child.
A street child means a child who (a) because of
abuse, neglect, poverty, community upheaval or any
other reason, has left his or her home family or
community and lives, begs or works on the streets; or

(b) because of inadequate care, begs or works on the
streets but returns home after night (The Childrens
Act of 2005, Number 38 of South Africa )

Who are considered the homeless and
street children?
Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) asserts
that States Parties recognize the right of every child to a
standard of living adequate for the child's physical, mental,
spiritual, moral and social development. Homelessness denies
each one of those rights.

US AID has divided Street Children into Four Categories:
A Child of the Streets': Children who have no home but the
streets, and no family support. They move from place to place,
living in shelters and abandoned buildings.




Who are considered the homeless
and street children?............
A Child on the street': Children who visit their families regularly and
might even return every night to sleep at home, but spends most days
and some nights on the street because of poverty, overcrowding, sexual
or physical abuse at home.

Part of a Street Family: These children live on sidewalks or city squares
with the rest of their families. They may be displaced due to poverty,
wars, or natural disasters. The families often live a nomadic life, carrying
their possessions with them.

In Institutionalized Care: Children in this situation come from a situation
of homelessness and are at risk of returning to a life on the street.

Magnitude of the problem
UNICEF estimates there are approximately 100 million street children
worldwide with that number constantly growing.

Many studies have determined that street children are most often boys
aged 10 to 14, with increasingly younger children being affected
(Amnesty International, 1999).

Many girls live on the streets as well, although smaller numbers are
reported due to their being more useful in the home, taking care of
younger siblings and cooking.


Magnitude of the problem
The phenomenon of children living and working
on the streets is a worldwide problem

Getting accurate statistical data for street children is difficult
given the hidden and isolated nature of life they lead

It is estimated that there are about 100 million street children
around the world. The figure reaches 150 million in some studies

UNICEF estimated the figure to be around tens of millions in 2005

Reports from African Network for the Prevention and Protection
against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN) indicate that the
number of street Children in Uganda has increased from 4000 in
1993 to over 10,000 today, signifying an increase of 70 percent.

Magnitude
Around In 250,000-300,000 children live and work on the streets
across Kenya with more than 60,000 of them in Nairobi
Approximately 110 infants were abandoned on the streets of
Khartoum, Sudan, in 2003, every month, with 50% dying within hours
Street children are increasing in Sub-Saharan cities, mostly
because of HIV/AIDS. For example:
In Brazzaville, Congo, almost half of the street children are orphans
In Lusaka, Zambia, the majority of children living on the street are
orphans
The majority of street children belong to the age category of 10 to14
but there are studies that show the age ranges from a low of 6 years
to a high of17 years





Reason for going to the Streets
Poverty

Rapid urbanization and industrialization associated with the
collapse of rural economy

Structures that leave children unprotected

Wrong perception that life in a big city would be easy and fun

Other social, economic and political crisis such as epidemics,
military and ethnic conflicts, refugee movements and etc.

Poverty Trap
When the street children/homeless are they caught
up in the poverty trap they become;
Physically weak
Powerless
Vulnerable
Isolated, and
Poor

Vulnerability
Children who are vulnerable to street life include; those
who have been abandoned by their families or sent into
cities because of a family's intense poverty, often with
hopes that a child will be able to earn money for the family
and send it home.

In several areas of the world, disabled children are
commonly abandoned, refugee children of armed conflict
areas, children separated from their families for long
periods of time, and AIDS orphans, repeatedly find
nowhere to go but the streets.


Vulnerability
All the earlier mentioned reasons
expose the children to gangs hence
gang culture, drug and substance
abuse, rape, un wanted
pregnancies, prostitution, HIV and
AIDS, abortions and other infectious
diseases

In relation to MDGs 1,2,4,5 and 6
,most of the street children live in
abject poverty with poor living
conditions, they do not go to school
and die from preventable diseases
due lack of immunization.

Poverty
This is the main cause of homelessness especially to the young
children due to lack of basic needs such as; shelter, food,
healthcare, safe water, clothing, security and education

Most children run to the streets for refuge hoping to make ends meet
but in most cases this is not the case. The streets aggravate the
situation.

It will be hard to achieve MDG 1 if the numbers of street children
continue growing which will affect the socio-economic development
of the country.

Its difficult for street children to advance from extreme and chronic
poverty.
Isolation
Homeless children are found living in the major streets such as
Kampala, Entebbe etc.

They live in isolated areas such as dungeons, deserted buildings and
parks, public toilets

These children are also isolated because of their behavior e.g. pick
pocketing, gang culture, poor personal hygiene, obscene language
and drug and substance abuse.

Isolation can be amongst themselves having street kings.

In relation to MDGs, its hard for service providers to avail services
and for them to access e.g. nutrition, medical, education and
environment friendly services.

Inclusion and protection of the homeless/street children is needed to
achieve goal 6 and 8.
Physical weakness
The homeless suffer from
physical violence and abuse
inflicting pain or injuries
bruises, scratches and
wounds on them.

Poor nutrition, drug and
substance abuse, fights
amongst them and the
community affects their
immunity weakening them
physically.
Street children sniffing glue
Case studies
A street child who was burnt and the other was injured during a
fight with other street children after a disagreement
Powerlessness
Many homeless children are enticed by adults and older youth into
selling drugs, stealing, and prostitution. Their inferiority to their
seniors renders the powerless.

Drug use by children on the streets is common as they look for
means to numb the pain and deal with the hardships associated with
street life. Such drugs include; alcohol, cigarettes, heroin, and
cannabis sativa

Due to their state of mind as a result of continuous drug abuse,
behavior and Illiteracy its hard to involve them in policy and decision
making rendering them powerless.

Its therefore hard to achieve MDG 3

Powerlessness
In regard to MDG 6 street children have low enrollment
rates and thereby poor access to information and are also
believed to be neglected in many health immunization
campaigns, maintaining the livelihood of viruses and the
continued dependency on immunizations

We will not reach/attain the MDGs unless we identify an
effective strategy for including the children who consistently
keep falling through the cracks of communities, policies and
programs and to secure their equal participation.
Effects & implications of Street and
Homeless Life
Homelessness and street life have extremely detrimental effects on
children.
Their unstable lifestyles, lack of medical care, and inadequate living
conditions increase young people's susceptibility to chronic illnesses
such as respiratory, gastrointestinal disorders, and sexually-
transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.

The mental, social and emotional growth of children are affected by
their nomadic lifestyles and the way in which they are chastised by
authorities who constantly expel them from their temporary homes

Street children lack security, protection, and hope, and continue to
face a deep-rooted negative stigma about homelessness. And,
more than anything else, they lack love.

Effects & implications of Street and
Homeless Life
Often viewed as a threat to the society
Suffer from violence and abuse
Vulnerable to traffic accidents
Vulnerable to substance use
Mistreated by the law enforcing bodies
Find it difficult to go to school
Loss of an adult care giver relationship, parental affection and
opportunities for growth



What needs to be done
Advocate for the ratification, popularization, implementation of and
reporting on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the
Child
Use all opportunities to advocate and lobby for the children and make
their voices heard e.g. Day of the African Child.
Intentionally target children living and working on the street as
participants, beneficiaries and owners of programmes
Promote cross-sector programmes to address the underlying causes
(child friendly schools, non formal education, vocational training,
access to employment market with protective measures (ILO
Conventions)
Promote national social protection policy (AU social protection
framework).

Challenges faced while trying to
rehabilitate street children
1. Institutionalization, causing loss of flexibility and participation

2. Goal deflection: displacement of ends by means, e.g. fundraising

3.Minority rule, in which NGO priorities reflect their own
organizational origins rather than their participants priorities

4. Ineffectuality, or philanthropic amateurism

5. Philanthropic insufficiency, due to limited scale and resources

6. Philanthropic particularism, reflecting Governments and NGOs
choice of clientele and projects, possibly neglecting greater needs

Public Health Importance
Leaving these children unassisted is a moral dilemma and can
also pose serious crime and public health risks to community and
society
Rehabilitating a former street child, child prostitute, delinquent
child and child soldier is difficult and costly to the national budget.
The presence of the street children in the streets poses a great
security risk to the citizens of any nation.
All street children are equally needy and deserve social protection
and inclusion.
Inequality and social exclusion have proven to hamper economic
development and social stability.
The liberator
From our discussion on both the OVCs and the homeless/street children it
goes without saying that most of the interventions to rescue them from the
poverty trap are social, physical, mental and economic.

The spiritual dimension of the interventions mainly helps them have
reverence for a supernatural omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and
almighty being.

This spiritual dimension is normally not emphasized yet it plays a key role in
liberating them from the poverty trap.

The spiritual dimension is very important as it goes beyond human
capabilities to solve any problem. Its the acceptance of mans limitations in
his physical, social, mental and economic capabilities to liberate anyone from
bondage.

A supernatural being with supernatural capabilities is the only and best
liberator from the poverty trap. With God, nothing is impossible!
Three broad conclusions
Extreme poverty is a hard problem because: many are caught in poverty
traps; high growth is hard to ignite and sustain; and the poor may not
benefit from growth.

Practitioners know much about how to help the poor escape poverty traps
even in countries without good prospects for high growth. Much good can
be done with relatively little money, by identifying and supporting effective
and innovative programs that develop key assets and capabilities, and
utilizing rigorous evaluation.

Development and poverty reduction rests on a three legged stool of
private, government, and citizen sectors. The citizen sector including
NGOs hold comparative advantages in addressing poverty traps, and so
can play a central role in ending extreme poverty.

Working together we can help unlock
poverty traps and eradicate poverty,
hunger, and deprivation.
References
Samuel Kalibala1 and Lynne Elson2 Protecting Hope: Situation
Analysis of Vulnerable Children in Uganda 2009
http://www.childrenontheedge.org/uploads/8/2/9/7/8297605/ugan
da_hvc.pdf ( accessed on 30th May 2014)

Ministry of gender, labour and social development National
strategic programme plan of interventions for orphans and other
vulnerable children 2011/12 2015/16

http://www.unicef.org/uganda/final_printed_ovc_strategic_plan_u
ganda_-nsppi_2.pdf ( accessed on 30th May 2014)









References
Street children, The phenomenon, Current Trends &
implications For Their Rights, 4th Civil Society Organization
Forum on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the
Child,18th March 2011,Addis Ababa

http://www.chimpreports.com/index.php/news/9358-uganda-street-
children-number-rises-by-70-percent.html (accessed on 3/6/2014
at 3:28pm)

Investopedia explains 'Poverty Trap
www.investopedia.com/terms/p/poverty-trap.asp( accessed on
30th May 2014)





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