Mindyou
JF-Expert Member
- Sep 2, 2024
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The hardships and struggles faced by street children raising themselves are not to be overlooked.
They sleep on shop verandas, abandoned buildings, broken vehicles, and some are sexually exploited throughout the night.
An investigation by Nipashe in the regions of Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Manyara, Kilimanjaro, Shinyanga, and Dodoma revealed that these children know their parents and relatives, and they share similar stories of why they ended up on the streets.
These stories include difficult home conditions, frequent beatings, and constant parental conflicts, which contribute to the risky environments they escape from.
While society often views them negatively and may judge them for their street behavior, these children are protected by the Child Act of 2009, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child of 1990, and the International Convention on Human Rights of 1989.
Their Voices
Some of their stories include that of an 11-year-old boy (name withheld), who says: “Sleeping on people’s verandas is our everyday life. We don’t like this life. There are about five of us in our group, with two girls. We sleep together, laying cardboard on the ground as our bed.
“In the mornings and afternoons, we roam in crowded areas or near car queues, asking for money. I left home due to mistreatment from my father’s relatives. I have no parents; they both passed away.
“While begging, some people give us TZS 100, TZS 200, and sometimes even TZS 1,000. If I don’t get something, one of my friends will. We buy food and eat – that’s our life here in Kariakoo.”
This boy, originally from Kagera, explains that some of their challenges include nearly getting hit by cars, motorcycles, or bajajis. At night, some are sexually harassed by adults, while others smoke cigarettes and glue.
The life of this boy is similar to that of a 12-year-old girl (name withheld) found at the Moshi Bus Terminal, who says she fled from Morogoro.
She says she ran away after her uncle (name withheld) threatened to kill her after her mother (name withheld) remarried and moved to Katavi.
“We used to live peacefully with my mother, uncle, and grandmother. I don’t know my father, but when my mom married another man, they left for Katavi.
“My uncle started mistreating me and telling lies to my grandmother. One day, he threatened to kill me with a machete, so I ran away and slept in a sand pit. In the morning, I began walking and ended up here.
“We sleep anywhere near the bus station under the lights so those bad boys don’t come and do bad things to us. There are three of us girls, though one of them has moved to Njiapanda,” she says.
Another 14-year-old boy (name withheld) from Tanga says: “Some of our friends are used to committing robberies and breaking into places, while others are taken by good Samaritans to shelters, but others are left behind.”
A 15-year-old boy, who fled home when he was 10 and ended up in Arusha and later Dar es Salaam, says that comparing life on the streets to his home, he prefers being here because he was often beaten by his stepmother.
Another 12-year-old boy found begging at Ubungo says: “In November 2023, I ran away from home after my parents forced me to go to school. If I didn’t attend, classmates would be sent to bring me back, and I would be severely punished at school, so I decided to run away with my friends and come here.”
He says his current jobs include odd jobs like sweeping, selling snacks, and washing dishes in small cafes to earn money to survive.
An 11-year-old boy from Ukerewe explains that he left home in 2017 when he was six due to the severe alcoholism of his uncle, who took care of him after his parents passed away.
A 16-year-old girl, found at Mji Mpya in Dodoma begging passersby for money, says she left home in Bahi due to hardships after her mother abandoned her with her grandmother.
She describes the hardships they face at night, sleeping on shop verandas while some of the older children harass them.
Shop Owners
A drink shop owner in Ubungo, Dar es Salaam, Isakwisa Mwakasege, says these children sleep outside the shops, including his.
Mwakasege says the children, aged 10 to 15, are numerous, and besides that, they engage in heavy drinking, smoking, and sniffing glue.
“When we ask them where home is, they know it, but if you suggest they go back home, they say, ‘we’d rather die on the streets.’ It seems there are problems at home,” he says.
Maria Paul, a vegetable vendor in Mbauda, Arusha, says every morning on her way to the market, she sees these children sleeping on verandas.
Juma Hassan, a resident of Arusha, says that after living on the streets for so long, some of these children have developed behaviors that can harm someone who approaches them without caution.
Monica Boniface, a resident of Kawe, Dar es Salaam, says that these children have big dreams for their future, but lack the guidance to help them follow a safe path.
Religious Leaders
Father Joseph Upio of the Anglican Church in Kigogo advises parents to set aside time to spend with their children and show them love; otherwise, the situation will worsen.
He also encourages married couples to uphold their vows, practice moral living, dress modestly, and maintain family privacy to raise children on solid moral foundations.
He calls on society to condemn immoral acts and for the church to educate parents and guardians to live by principles that please God and strengthen good families.
Pastor Richard Shija of the Evangelist Assemblies of God (EAGT) says the moral decay caused by parents neglecting their family responsibilities is contributing to the growing number of street children.
He suggests the government, through the police force, collaborate with social welfare officers to reunite these children with their parents or, for those without parents, take them to safe shelters.
Archbishop Peter Konki of the Elim Pentecostal Church of Tanzania (KEPT) advises parents to take responsibility for their children’s upbringing to avoid having children labeled as street children.
Yusufu Mtobela, Director of the NGO Uzao Wetu, established in 2023 to educate communities and parents on safe child-rearing and identifying children’s talents, says: “I used to work in a shelter for street children and helped them reunite with their families when they agreed, and we also educated the community.
“What I have found is that community involvement and family education are lacking. I suggest the government invest more in these areas to prevent children from choosing the streets over their families.”
Shinyanga Regional Social Welfare Officer, Lydia Kwesigabo, says if the issue is not controlled early, it could lead to a wave of crime.
She reports that currently, there are 612 street children in the region, while 99,939 live in vulnerable conditions due to marriage conflicts, poverty, poor parenting, and drug abuse.
Manyara Regional Social Welfare Officer, Hadija Muwango, says the presence of street children is a new threat.
She notes that some challenges they face include some children being dishonest and others becoming thieves. When returned to their families, some move to other regions.
Clinical Psychologists
Dr. Said Kuganda, a mental health and disease specialist at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), says that children follow others to the streets, and eventually, it becomes their way of life.
Among the psychological challenges, Dr. Kuganda notes that these children often become mentally affected, quickly exposed to matters beyond their age due to the harsh street environment.
He says they experience anxiety, gender-based violence, and substance abuse, which affect street children more significantly than those raised at home.
Dr. Kuganda calls on the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups to seek ways to assist these children by providing psychological services, mental health care, education, and ensuring they have essential needs like food and security.
Recently, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Camillus Wambura, during the closing of police training at the Police School in Moshi, Kilimanjaro, mentioned that jealousy-fueled killings are rising, which is contributing to the increase of street children.
“Moral values have continued to deteriorate, jealousy has intensified, killings are on the rise, and street children are increasing. This is not a good sign for our nation. Religious leaders, please help us, and society, let’s embrace a change in mindset,” he said.
They sleep on shop verandas, abandoned buildings, broken vehicles, and some are sexually exploited throughout the night.
An investigation by Nipashe in the regions of Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Manyara, Kilimanjaro, Shinyanga, and Dodoma revealed that these children know their parents and relatives, and they share similar stories of why they ended up on the streets.
These stories include difficult home conditions, frequent beatings, and constant parental conflicts, which contribute to the risky environments they escape from.
While society often views them negatively and may judge them for their street behavior, these children are protected by the Child Act of 2009, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child of 1990, and the International Convention on Human Rights of 1989.
Their Voices
Some of their stories include that of an 11-year-old boy (name withheld), who says: “Sleeping on people’s verandas is our everyday life. We don’t like this life. There are about five of us in our group, with two girls. We sleep together, laying cardboard on the ground as our bed.
“In the mornings and afternoons, we roam in crowded areas or near car queues, asking for money. I left home due to mistreatment from my father’s relatives. I have no parents; they both passed away.
“While begging, some people give us TZS 100, TZS 200, and sometimes even TZS 1,000. If I don’t get something, one of my friends will. We buy food and eat – that’s our life here in Kariakoo.”
This boy, originally from Kagera, explains that some of their challenges include nearly getting hit by cars, motorcycles, or bajajis. At night, some are sexually harassed by adults, while others smoke cigarettes and glue.
The life of this boy is similar to that of a 12-year-old girl (name withheld) found at the Moshi Bus Terminal, who says she fled from Morogoro.
She says she ran away after her uncle (name withheld) threatened to kill her after her mother (name withheld) remarried and moved to Katavi.
“We used to live peacefully with my mother, uncle, and grandmother. I don’t know my father, but when my mom married another man, they left for Katavi.
“My uncle started mistreating me and telling lies to my grandmother. One day, he threatened to kill me with a machete, so I ran away and slept in a sand pit. In the morning, I began walking and ended up here.
“We sleep anywhere near the bus station under the lights so those bad boys don’t come and do bad things to us. There are three of us girls, though one of them has moved to Njiapanda,” she says.
Another 14-year-old boy (name withheld) from Tanga says: “Some of our friends are used to committing robberies and breaking into places, while others are taken by good Samaritans to shelters, but others are left behind.”
A 15-year-old boy, who fled home when he was 10 and ended up in Arusha and later Dar es Salaam, says that comparing life on the streets to his home, he prefers being here because he was often beaten by his stepmother.
Another 12-year-old boy found begging at Ubungo says: “In November 2023, I ran away from home after my parents forced me to go to school. If I didn’t attend, classmates would be sent to bring me back, and I would be severely punished at school, so I decided to run away with my friends and come here.”
He says his current jobs include odd jobs like sweeping, selling snacks, and washing dishes in small cafes to earn money to survive.
An 11-year-old boy from Ukerewe explains that he left home in 2017 when he was six due to the severe alcoholism of his uncle, who took care of him after his parents passed away.
A 16-year-old girl, found at Mji Mpya in Dodoma begging passersby for money, says she left home in Bahi due to hardships after her mother abandoned her with her grandmother.
She describes the hardships they face at night, sleeping on shop verandas while some of the older children harass them.
Shop Owners
A drink shop owner in Ubungo, Dar es Salaam, Isakwisa Mwakasege, says these children sleep outside the shops, including his.
Mwakasege says the children, aged 10 to 15, are numerous, and besides that, they engage in heavy drinking, smoking, and sniffing glue.
“When we ask them where home is, they know it, but if you suggest they go back home, they say, ‘we’d rather die on the streets.’ It seems there are problems at home,” he says.
Maria Paul, a vegetable vendor in Mbauda, Arusha, says every morning on her way to the market, she sees these children sleeping on verandas.
Juma Hassan, a resident of Arusha, says that after living on the streets for so long, some of these children have developed behaviors that can harm someone who approaches them without caution.
Monica Boniface, a resident of Kawe, Dar es Salaam, says that these children have big dreams for their future, but lack the guidance to help them follow a safe path.
Religious Leaders
Father Joseph Upio of the Anglican Church in Kigogo advises parents to set aside time to spend with their children and show them love; otherwise, the situation will worsen.
He also encourages married couples to uphold their vows, practice moral living, dress modestly, and maintain family privacy to raise children on solid moral foundations.
He calls on society to condemn immoral acts and for the church to educate parents and guardians to live by principles that please God and strengthen good families.
Pastor Richard Shija of the Evangelist Assemblies of God (EAGT) says the moral decay caused by parents neglecting their family responsibilities is contributing to the growing number of street children.
He suggests the government, through the police force, collaborate with social welfare officers to reunite these children with their parents or, for those without parents, take them to safe shelters.
Archbishop Peter Konki of the Elim Pentecostal Church of Tanzania (KEPT) advises parents to take responsibility for their children’s upbringing to avoid having children labeled as street children.
Yusufu Mtobela, Director of the NGO Uzao Wetu, established in 2023 to educate communities and parents on safe child-rearing and identifying children’s talents, says: “I used to work in a shelter for street children and helped them reunite with their families when they agreed, and we also educated the community.
“What I have found is that community involvement and family education are lacking. I suggest the government invest more in these areas to prevent children from choosing the streets over their families.”
Shinyanga Regional Social Welfare Officer, Lydia Kwesigabo, says if the issue is not controlled early, it could lead to a wave of crime.
She reports that currently, there are 612 street children in the region, while 99,939 live in vulnerable conditions due to marriage conflicts, poverty, poor parenting, and drug abuse.
Manyara Regional Social Welfare Officer, Hadija Muwango, says the presence of street children is a new threat.
She notes that some challenges they face include some children being dishonest and others becoming thieves. When returned to their families, some move to other regions.
Clinical Psychologists
Dr. Said Kuganda, a mental health and disease specialist at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), says that children follow others to the streets, and eventually, it becomes their way of life.
Among the psychological challenges, Dr. Kuganda notes that these children often become mentally affected, quickly exposed to matters beyond their age due to the harsh street environment.
He says they experience anxiety, gender-based violence, and substance abuse, which affect street children more significantly than those raised at home.
Dr. Kuganda calls on the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups to seek ways to assist these children by providing psychological services, mental health care, education, and ensuring they have essential needs like food and security.
Recently, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Camillus Wambura, during the closing of police training at the Police School in Moshi, Kilimanjaro, mentioned that jealousy-fueled killings are rising, which is contributing to the increase of street children.
“Moral values have continued to deteriorate, jealousy has intensified, killings are on the rise, and street children are increasing. This is not a good sign for our nation. Religious leaders, please help us, and society, let’s embrace a change in mindset,” he said.
