News / Local
Street dwellers infected with STIs, turning to crime
27 Dec 2013 at 02:36hrs | Views
STREET children in Bulawayo are turning to crime and prostitution for survival with a majority getting infected with sexually-transmitted infections (STIs).
Scripture Union Thuthuka Street Child Project, programmes coordinator, Nomusa Chikara said street dwellers above the age of 18 were increasingly likely to get involved in crime and prostitution.
"They are frequently infected with sexually transmitted diseases as they are care-free hence they need guidance on how to be responsible."
She said the community should work together in reviving children's homes in the province so as to accommodate more street children.
"We want to engage non-governmental organisations, social services and the city council to address the issue and international organisations would be contacted to help with the plight of these vulnerable children," she said.
Chikara said street kids visit the home on a regular basis.
"Some visit to eat, bath and do their laundry but some stay. We counsel them since most of them are orphans whose parents died of HIV and Aids," she said.
According to Bulawayo task force statistics for 2013, the number of street children in Bulawayo this year increased by 11 percent from 45 last year to 56.
"Street children below the age of 18 increased from 45 in 2012 to 56 this year with 10 females and 46 males," said Bulawayo task force chairperson, Jackson Nyoni.
Nyoni said a majority of children ended up on the street due to poverty.
"Most children are forced to leave their homes and families due to poor living conditions. They end up on the streets thinking that they can get handouts that can sustain them," said Nyoni.
Most of the children on the streets stow away on trains to travel from city to city in the hope of finding better living conditions.
"Street children travel from city to city until they are stationed far away from their homes.
"For example street children in Bulawayo can travel to Gweru, Harare and Victoria Falls in search of better conditions," Nyoni said adding that there were two types of street children.
"Children of the street are those whose home is the street and children on the street are those who come and spend the day on the street and go back home by the end of the day.
"A total of 32 children with 26 were males and six females have been recorded as children of the street while 24 children were on the street with 21 being boys.
"We discovered that children that spent most of their day in the city centre were from the high density suburb of Makokoba which has been marred by poverty in the past years," Nyoni said, adding that they feared the numbers of street children would continue to increase.
Scripture Union Thuthuka Street Child Project, programmes coordinator, Nomusa Chikara said street dwellers above the age of 18 were increasingly likely to get involved in crime and prostitution.
"They are frequently infected with sexually transmitted diseases as they are care-free hence they need guidance on how to be responsible."
She said the community should work together in reviving children's homes in the province so as to accommodate more street children.
"We want to engage non-governmental organisations, social services and the city council to address the issue and international organisations would be contacted to help with the plight of these vulnerable children," she said.
Chikara said street kids visit the home on a regular basis.
"Some visit to eat, bath and do their laundry but some stay. We counsel them since most of them are orphans whose parents died of HIV and Aids," she said.
According to Bulawayo task force statistics for 2013, the number of street children in Bulawayo this year increased by 11 percent from 45 last year to 56.
Nyoni said a majority of children ended up on the street due to poverty.
"Most children are forced to leave their homes and families due to poor living conditions. They end up on the streets thinking that they can get handouts that can sustain them," said Nyoni.
Most of the children on the streets stow away on trains to travel from city to city in the hope of finding better living conditions.
"Street children travel from city to city until they are stationed far away from their homes.
"For example street children in Bulawayo can travel to Gweru, Harare and Victoria Falls in search of better conditions," Nyoni said adding that there were two types of street children.
"Children of the street are those whose home is the street and children on the street are those who come and spend the day on the street and go back home by the end of the day.
"A total of 32 children with 26 were males and six females have been recorded as children of the street while 24 children were on the street with 21 being boys.
"We discovered that children that spent most of their day in the city centre were from the high density suburb of Makokoba which has been marred by poverty in the past years," Nyoni said, adding that they feared the numbers of street children would continue to increase.
Source - Chronicle
