News / National
Concern over rise in street children
12 hrs ago | Views
A deepening social crisis is gripping the city of Bulawayo, with a disturbing surge in the number of children living and working on its streets - many of whom now hail from the city's own suburban neighborhoods.
According to a report by Daily News Zimbabwe published today, the growing presence of suburban children on the streets marks a troubling new chapter in an ongoing crisis. Traditionally associated with children from impoverished backgrounds, street life is now drawing in youths from households once considered relatively stable, highlighting a broader and more severe collapse in family and community support systems.
Child rights advocates and social welfare experts are raising alarm bells over this emerging trend, which they say reflects the cumulative impact of worsening economic conditions, increasing rates of domestic breakdown, and a rise in cases of abuse, neglect, and parental incapacity.
"This isn't just a poverty issue anymore. We are witnessing families from middle- and lower-middle-income suburbs crumbling under economic and social pressures, leading to children fleeing or being forced onto the streets," said one child welfare officer.
Children living on the streets face harrowing conditions. Exposed to daily risks of violence, exploitation, substance abuse, and chronic illness, many are forced into survival modes that include begging, scavenging, or informal labor. Without access to shelter, healthcare, education, or consistent nutrition, these children become trapped in a dangerous cycle of destitution.
Humanitarian organizations and child-focused NGOs have urged an immediate and coordinated response to the worsening situation. They are calling for not only emergency interventions to rescue and rehabilitate children but also long-term structural solutions that address the root causes of urban child homelessness.
"We need a holistic approach - government social protection, community-based family support, school reintegration programs, and tougher action against abuse and neglect," said a representative from a local NGO.
As the crisis deepens, the presence of suburban children on Bulawayo's streets serves as a stark warning that no community is immune from the socio-economic shocks reverberating through Zimbabwe. The need for urgent, inclusive, and sustained action has never been greater.
According to a report by Daily News Zimbabwe published today, the growing presence of suburban children on the streets marks a troubling new chapter in an ongoing crisis. Traditionally associated with children from impoverished backgrounds, street life is now drawing in youths from households once considered relatively stable, highlighting a broader and more severe collapse in family and community support systems.
Child rights advocates and social welfare experts are raising alarm bells over this emerging trend, which they say reflects the cumulative impact of worsening economic conditions, increasing rates of domestic breakdown, and a rise in cases of abuse, neglect, and parental incapacity.
"This isn't just a poverty issue anymore. We are witnessing families from middle- and lower-middle-income suburbs crumbling under economic and social pressures, leading to children fleeing or being forced onto the streets," said one child welfare officer.
Children living on the streets face harrowing conditions. Exposed to daily risks of violence, exploitation, substance abuse, and chronic illness, many are forced into survival modes that include begging, scavenging, or informal labor. Without access to shelter, healthcare, education, or consistent nutrition, these children become trapped in a dangerous cycle of destitution.
Humanitarian organizations and child-focused NGOs have urged an immediate and coordinated response to the worsening situation. They are calling for not only emergency interventions to rescue and rehabilitate children but also long-term structural solutions that address the root causes of urban child homelessness.
"We need a holistic approach - government social protection, community-based family support, school reintegration programs, and tougher action against abuse and neglect," said a representative from a local NGO.
As the crisis deepens, the presence of suburban children on Bulawayo's streets serves as a stark warning that no community is immune from the socio-economic shocks reverberating through Zimbabwe. The need for urgent, inclusive, and sustained action has never been greater.
Source - dailynews
