December 03, 2018

Leaving no street child behind

located:	Morocco
editor:	Bob Koigi

In what has been described as an insult to our own humanity, 120 million children the world over survive a life on the streets. 30 million of them are in Africa, which represents one in four children globally.

The continent has been accused of not stepping up to the growing number of these vulnerable minors who are constantly caught in child trafficking and abduction syndicates, harassment and even murder.

Media reports have always pointed to street children suffering even at the hands of those who should be protecting them, including law enforcers.

The recent launch in Morocco of the Pan African campaign for African cities without children in the streets has therefore breathed new life into noble resolves that continue to be dedicated to champion a safer world for children while putting more pressure on governments to walk the talk. The south-south initiative puts children at the heart of the political and urban agenda while contributing directly to the global agenda of the sustainable development goals.

Under the stewardship of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa, UCLGA, this cause has purposed to highlight "the morally unacceptable situation where more and more children who should have been in their family homes and at school in African cities spend their lives on the streets where they are exposed to all dangers."

The real task now is to ensure that African cities and local governments commit to putting in place mechanisms and executable plans for the protection and reintegration of children in street situations. A long-term plan should be done alongside metrics that are constantly reviewed indicating each city’s progress. It cannot be business as usual in the 21st century while our most vulnerable children continue to pay for the failures of society’s moral fabric.

To quote the words of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI. “To accept – through denial, capitulation or indifference – that children be abandoned to the street amounts to condoning, on a daily basis, an insult to our own humanity. Such an attitude is unacceptable!”

Photo: The homestead