Be Aware

Product of Poverty
The products of poverty in Africa are street children. Street children, as defined by Street Child Africa, are any “young person for whom the street is the dominant element in their lives. In other words, a child who works all day on the street, out of education and removed from family is a street child.” There are many ways as to which a child falls victim to the street, but the most common is linked to poverty. Many of these children on the street wish to help their families any way they can. Thus, they turn to begging and trying to raise funds for not only their families, but educations as well. When a child is in school and cannot pay for the next term’s tuition, they often turn to the street to make the money they don’t have. However, this cycle is a vicious one and it is nearly impossible to get out of. Once children have to resort to the street life, even part-time, it is unlikely that they will get out without some sort of help. Even part-time street life leads to full-time street life. Street life only leads to a life further in poverty. It is an endless cycle that much of the population falls victim to, often at an early age. One girl named Mariama, who was only 8-yrs-old, was caring for her three younger siblings, one five, three, and an infant. She and her siblings had lost their parents and she was alone in caring for these kids as a child herself. She was worried that if authorities found her they would be placed in foster care and she would be separated from her siblings. She was practically invisible to the outside world, but she was very resourceful. She and her siblings were living off the pickings from a rubbish dump. She has now been placed in a program in which they are trying to keep her and her siblings together.

Malnourishment
Hunger is another large factor which leads to the street. It is no mystery that poverty induces hunger. No money means no money for food. So when these children look to the streets, many are just looking for a bite to eat. Many children go days without food, and if they do find food they look for it in bins, underneath market stalls, and from abattoirs. Because of the poor diet these children endure, they are often malnourished and subject to sickness. Recently, Washington State University partook in ‘A Day Without Shoes’ by Tom’s Shoes. Tom’s Shoes in an organization where they donate a pair of shoes to a developing country where shoes are sparse for every pair they sell. This is a wonderful organization that spreads awareness about populations that go barefoot and travel miles in harsh conditions, sometimes just to find fresh water. I urge everyone to take part in this annual event on April 8th. However, I don’t think people are as aware as they should be about the hunger that takes place in developing countries like those in Africa. I urge people to partake in a day without food. No, this is not a sponsored event, although it should be. Try living just one day without food just to put into perspective what children go through on a day to day basis. In the United States, we wouldn’t know a whole lot about going without food or eating scraps, especially since we are one of the leading countries for obesity. Just because they are far away does not mean we should not care.

Shuttup and Do Something
We can say that it is not up to us and that their government should do something about it. However, it is their government which is part of the problem. Relying on Africa’s governments to change the future of these children would be irresponsible. Their future is really in the hands of non-governmental organizations. Provisions don’t come from these children’s governments; it comes from those who are aware. However, that isn’t always enough. Before their lives can be set back on track, awareness needs to be spread. More people should be aware so something can be done about it. Imagine if your children or younger siblings were living in these conditions. Imagine a day without food. Imagine your only food coming from dumps. Become aware.

Street Child Africa


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