1. Street children in the Kagera Region - Problems and
Needs
Many young people in developing countries have weakened or severed family ties. Some of them have been abandoned by their families. The AIDS epidemic has turned many into orphans. Psychological and physical abuse at home may have led many to prefer life on the street. Living or spending most of their time on the streets, they may beg, hustle, steal, or sell sex to survive. Others, especially the girls, are domestic workers who live at their place of employment. Cut off from families and the larger society in which they live, these youth have little or no system of social protection. The social support they receive is usually from peers living in similar circumstances.
Lack of family and social ties can be worsened by social stigmas. Street children are often viewed as nuisances or criminals and the indifference or hostility with which society treats these youth may further traumatize them. They may be subject to harsh discrimination at mainstream health service delivery points and in the marketplace, and they may internalise society’s negative views of them, damaging their self-esteem and their ability to have healthy relationships with others.
Many of these youth are victims of violence and physical abuse, including sexual abuse. Domestic workers may be forced to provide sex to their employers, street youth may be abused by other street youth or by adults. Sexual abuse can result in STIs, unwanted pregnancy, and physical injury, as well as psychological trauma that increases vulnerability to future abuse. Some of these youth use drugs to diminish hunger, cold, and emotional pain or to help them sleep or stay awake. Repeated use of these drugs can cause physical and psychological problems.
Collectively, all of these characteristics make these youth more vulnerable to unintended pregnancy and STI/HIV infection. Poverty and lack of education and job skills make them more vulnerable to all kinds of exploitation. Social stigma and lack of a stable, supportive environment diminish the self-efficacy needed to undertake self-protective behaviour. Sexual abuse stunts the skills needed to prevent unintended pregnancy and STIs. Drugs diminish inhibitions and impair judgement, making it less likely that youth will use information and skills to protect themselves from risk. (Focus 1999)
The term
‘Street Children’ has been defined in various ways. UNICEF and other agencies
tend to define street children on the basis of the frequency with which they
sleep on the street and the degree of contact they maintain with their
families. Consequently there are two main classifications: ‘Children of the
Street’ include those who stay and sleep alone on the street and have almost no
family contact. ‘Children on the street’ are those who spend most of the day on
the street but have homes, maintain family ties and normally return to their
homes to sleep. Since the problem of street children is of a recent nature in
Tanzania there is no proper definition of street children found in the
country’s literature. However, street children are commonly defined as any girl
or boy who has not reached adulthood for whom the street (in the widest sense
of the word, including unoccupied dwellings, wasteland etc.) becomes his or her
habitual abode and source of livelihood and who is inadequately protected,
supervised or directed by a responsible adult. (Kalelangabo 2000)
A baseline study
carried out in 1993 by the ‘Health Care Project on prevention of HIV/AIDS in
Kagera Region’ found out that around 200 unaccompanied children were roaming
the streets in Bukoba. The survey established that the majority of the children
were classified as orphans due to HIV/AIDS. (Kalelangabo 2000)
The
estimation by the Regional Education Officer and the Regional Social Welfare
Officer is that there are around 3,000 street children in Bukoba. The field
assistant in Tumaini Children Centre estimated the number of street children in
Bukoba to be around 2,000. The number
of street children in other parts of Kagera is not known, but there are street
children in all trading centres. In each of the districts there are around 5
trading centres, apart from Bukoba Urban, that only consists of Bukoba town.
1.3.1 Interview with Regional Social Welfare Officer Anselemi Twende
Regional
Welfare Officer, Regional Secretariat Kagera Region
Box 299,
Bukoba. Tel 2220215
Mr Twende
describes the structure of the social welfare offices in the region. He is the
Regional Welfare Officer, responsible at the regional level, and then there is
one social welfare officer in each district. In Bukoba urban there isn’t anyone
else then him. The social welfare officer has a very limited budget, the budget
just covers the salary and the office set-up for each of them. The cost for
social interventions are coming from the District Council, which is present in
each district. In the District Council orphans is a prioritised group.
There is no
work with street children conducted by the District Council or by Bukoba Town
Council. There is no other NGO currently working with street children. He says
that what the social welfare can do is to advocate about the problem.
There was a
NGO that approached him some time back, saying that they had met 500 street
children and that 135 were willing to go back to their villages, but that NGO
didn’t have the capacity, knowledge or financial resources to do work on street
children. He means that it’s crucial for a project to have well educated and
knowledgeable staff.
The earlier
intervention done in Bukoba Town was done by Bona Baana, a shelter for street
children where they could sleep, receive some food and play.
Anselemi
says that he thinks that the TUMAINI Children Center run by ELCT has the
capacity and staff resources to be able to succeed in the work with street
children. ELCT has many social and health projects ongoing and they have a good
track record with their earlier projects. He also knows Sr Adventina and Sr
Debora from earlier and he knows that they have the knowledge needed. He is on
the committee for the project and says that he is always available as an
advisor for the project.
He says
that the number of street children in Bukoba is increasing dramatically. He
would estimate the current number to at least 3000 children. Street children
are not only present in Bukoba town, but in all trading centers in the region.
The main
reasons for the increasing number of street children is due to the economic
situation in the region and the growing number of orphans.
In some of
the districts, like Ngara and Karagwe, which are bordering to the neighbouring
countries, one reason for the increase of street children is the inflex of
refugee from Rwanda and Burundi.
The main
problems for the street children are that they are lacking shelter, food,
education and security.
He thinks
that a successful project for street children should start with collecting information
on the areas where they are located, see what the opportunities and obstacles
are, trace their families and reintegrate them back to their parents. A drop in
center with counselling services is needed, conducted by well trained social
workers. They need to talk about their situation and about the future. There
should be a gardening project and recreational services.
It’s also
very important to involve the community to prevent future street children.
1.3.2 Interview with
Sr. Zelida Andrew Kalenlangabo,
Advanced
diploma in social work. Deaconess.
Sr Zelida
stresses the importance of raising the awareness in the community about the
problems with street children. She says that the way to prevent more children
to become street children is to rise the awareness in the villages about the
problem, so that they start working with the most vulnerable children in the
community and through that work prevent the situation to worsen to the extent
that the children choose to become street children.
Her understanding is that the main reasons for children to become street
children is that they are very poor, they might be orphans, and that there are
problems within the family, e.g violence, rejection etc.
During the
research for her dissertation she interviewed people in the Kagera region about
the street children situation, and she also met with the children themselves.
Her view is that to be successful in working with street children it’s
important to have a good cooperation between the NGOs and the local government.
And that the work should aim at reunite the children with their families,
whenever possible, and not only provide shelter in a drop in centre.
1.3.3
Focus group discussion with 10 boys,
currently or earlier living on the street.
Age 11-16 years
4 of the
boys are currently living on the street and the other 6 have previously been
living on the street, but have now returned home. They have similar experiences
from the life on the street. They describe how they sleep together in the
street. All of them are gaining some money from working in the market or for
other people. They usually earn around 100-200 Tanzanian Shillingi (TSh) a day,
which is enough for them to get food so they don’t stay hungry. They describe
how they sleep in different places in the town or at the lakeside. They usually
sleep together, none of them sleeps alone. They are cold during the night
because they have no blankets.
They can’t
receive medical care, because that requires money. No doctor would treat them
for free.
Many of
them have experienced abuse on the street. 3 of them have been beaten by the
police, 7 of them have been beaten by other grown-up people in the town and 5
of them have been beaten by other street children. They also say that street
children get raped in the street by other men in town. This happens among other
places at the Red Cross Shelter in town. (This used to be a street children
shelter with staff and activities, but due to lack of funding and other
problems, there isn’t any work on-going there anymore, but the house is still
used by some of the street-children to sleep in.)
One boy had
used alcohol, none of them had smoked marihuana, but one had a friend that had
used marihuana. One of the boys had sniffed petrol, but only once.
When talking
about the reasons for them to leave home, 2 of them had left home because their
shamba (agricultural field) had been taken by other relatives when their
parents had died.
The rest
had left because they didn’t get any food and/or were severely beaten by a
parent or step parent. One said: ‘After having been without food for 5 days,
what else could I do?’
4 of the
boys had lost their father and 3 had lost their mother. The rest has both
father and mother still alive.
None of the
boys that are still living on the street wants to stay there, they all would
like to be able to have a real home or go back to their family.
When asked
about the main need for street children they point out the need to have some
place to sleep and to be able to go to school.
When asked
about their future dreams they all want to go to school. 3 of them would like
to be teachers, 4 would like to be technicians, 1 wants to be a pilot, 1 wants
to build houses and 1 doesn’t know what he wants to work with when he is
grown-up.
1.3.4 Intervju with Hamduni, 12 years
Hamduni is
now living at home since a few months back with his mother and some brothers
and sisters. He stayed in the street in Bukoba for one year. He slept in
different places different nights. There were usually 10 boys sleeping
together. He got food by working. He either went from house to house or went to
the market to look for some job. He usually earned around 150 shilling a day,
which was enough for a meal. He doesn’t remember that he went hungry to bed
when he lived in town.
The
problems he was facing was that he was cold at night, because he had no blanket
to cover himself with. He can’t think of anything that was good with staying on
the street.
The reason
why he left home was that his father used to beat him a lot.
He has
returned home and he now lives with his mother and siblings. He attends school.
His father is not staying with the family anymore. He is not beaten at home now
and he says that his mother knows that he will run away again if he would get
severely abused again. He would like to become a pilot when he will have grown
up.
1.3.5 Interview with Anod, 10 years
Anod comes
from Bonazi, he is 10 years old. He is currently living on the street. He has
been living in the street for the past 6 months. His father is dead and his
mother has a new man. Twice he has returned to his mother, and twice he has
left home again and gone back to the street. He has for some time attended the
preparatory class in Kashabo school, that is run by Tumaini, but currently he
is not attending school.
He
describes what he had done earlier the same day I met with him, which was
around 4 pm. He slept in the town together with some other boys. In the morning
he went to the lake to take a bath. After that he started making money. He went
to the market, and helped with the onions, to make them into bundles (knippen).
He earned 200 TSh. He had had a cup of tea, but no food that day. He was
planning to buy food from the money he had earned.
The day
before he hadn’t been able to work because his leg hurt. He had been beaten by
another boy and he had a wound on the knee. He hadn’t eaten the day before
because he couldn’t earn money. Some of the days when he couldn’t work he got
some food from other street children.
He says
that the biggest problem he faces while staying in the street is that he
doesn’t have anything to cover himself with at night, so he is cold. He doesn’t
go to bed hungry when he is living on the street.
He says
that last time he went back home, he stayed at home for a month, before he left
again. His mother has remarried and his stepfather beats him. His mother gives
him work that he isn’t able to conduct. He doesn’t want to live with his
mother. He says that he would prefer being in prison.
When asked
about if he has any other relatives that he likes. He says that he has a
grandmother in Karagwe, who he likes. When asked if he could go to school
there, he says that she would allow that because she is a teacher. He says that
he would like to live with his grandmother. When he will have grown up he would
like to work with building houses.
2. Country and
region
2.1 Tanzania
Shortly
after independence, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of
Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in 1995 with the first
democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s.
Border
countries: Burundi
451 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 459 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km,
Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km.
|
United
Republic of TANZANIA
|
|
|
|
Areal: |
945,087 sq km |
|
|
Population |
34.4 million |
|
|
Population 0-14 years |
44% |
|
|
Annual growth rate
1990-2002 |
2.8% |
|
|
Life expectancy at birth |
44 years |
|
|
Reduced life expectancy due
to HIV/AIDS 2000-2005 |
9 years |
|
|
Under 5 mortality rate |
165 |
|
|
GNI per capita |
280 USD |
|
|
GDP annual growth rate
1990-2002 |
0.6% |
|
|
Total adult literacy rate |
75% |
|
|
HIV/AIDS prevalence rate |
7.8% |
|
|
No. of people living with
HIV/AIDS |
1.5 million |
|
|
No. of orphans, all reasons |
1,929,000 |
|
|
Orphans as % of all
children |
12 % |
|
|
No of orphans due to AIDS |
815,000 |
|
|
Total double orphans |
288,000 |
|
|
Total paternal orphans |
1,299,000 |
|
|
Total maternal orphans |
917,000 |
|
|
Orphan/Non-orphan School
attendance ratio |
0.74 |
|
Figures from 2002. Source: UNICEF and United
Republic of Tanzania.
The total
population in Tanzania according to the 2002 census: 34.4 million people.
In Tanzania
23% are urban population and 77% are living in rural areas.
In Kagera
region only 6% live in urban areas and 94% live in rural areas.
Age distribution
|
Age |
Tanzania
|
Kagera Region |
||
|
|
No |
% |
No |
% |
|
0-14 |
15,238,612 |
44.2 |
959,411 |
47.3 |
|
15-64 |
17,857,906 |
51.9 |
990,106 |
48.8 |
|
+ 65 |
1,347,085 |
3.9 |
78,640 |
3.9 |
|
Total |
34,443,603 |
100 |
2,028,157 |
100 |
Source: The United Republic of Tanzania, 2002 Population and Housing Census
2.2 Kagera Region.
Kagera is
located in the north west corner of mainland Tanzania and is one of the 20
regions of mainland Tanzania. The land area is approximately 28,000 sq km,
while the water area is 11,000 sq km. The region borders Uganda, Rwanda and
Burundi. The total population in Kagera is 2 million people. 80,000 live in
Bukoba town.
|
District |
Population |
|
Karagwe District |
424,287 |
|
Bukoba Rural District |
394,020 |
|
Muleba District |
385,184 |
|
Biharamulo District |
409,389 |
|
Ngara District |
334,409 |
|
Bukoba Urban District |
80,868 |
|
TOTAL |
2,028,157 |
Source: The United Republic of Tanzania, 2002 Population and Housing Census
The region
is divided into six districts: Bukoba rural, Bukoba Urban, Muleba, Karagwe,
Ngara and Biharamulo. The region is mainly inhabited by four major ethnic
groups: the Wahaya, Wasubi, Wahangaza and Wanyambo. All of these ethnic groups
are Bantu speaking. The Wahaya constitute the majority of the population in
Bukoba Urban, Rural and Muleba Districts. The Wahangaza and Wasubi constitute
the majority in Ngara and Biharamulo. Karagwe is mainly populated by the
Wanyambo.
The region
is divided into districts and these are further divided into divisions, and the
divisions into wards. In the urban area – Bukoba town, the wards are further
divided into ‘streets’, the administrative structure that replaced the ’10 cell
unit’ formerly in place before the multiparty democracy came into place in
1995. For the rural setting the wards are further subdivided into villages and villages
into ‘kitongoji (which replaced the 10 cell unit). A ‘street’ may consist of
25-150 households, while a ‘kitongoji’ may have 50-200 households.
The main
economic activities in the region are agriculture and small business. The
staple food grown is bananas. Other crops include cassava, maize, potatoes,
beans, millet and groundnuts. The cash crops are coffee and tea in a few areas.
Those who live along the lake engage in fishing. Formal employment is scarce.
It is difficult to secure reasonable, permanent employment in Kagera region,
for there are few industries. The three industries in Bukoba town are Pepsi,
Coke and Tanica (a coffee factory) and in Bukoba rural there is the Kagera
Sugar Factory. The industries are only employing around 5,000 workers.
Unemployment
in the rural areas accelerates the movement of people to urban areas.
Even though
Kagera Region has cash crops, the distribution is uneven. Some parts of the
region are not able to support their residents sufficiently. Many families barely
survive at subsistence level.
From time
to time, political and ethnical conflicts in neighbouring countries create an
influx of refugees to the region. In 1994 Ngara District hosted over 500,000
refugees from Rwanda and Burundi, and Karagwe had about 200,000 refugees the
same year. However, by 1997 most of the refugees had returned to their
respective countries and most of the refugee camps were closed.
2.2.1. HIV/AIDS in Kagera Region
The
increasing morbidity and mortality due to HIV/AIDS are placing a heavy burden
on the families in the Kagera region. AIDS does not only reduce the working
capacity of the patient, but also of other family members that spend time
caring for the patient. There is also additional expenditure for treatment. The
social impact of AIDS manifests in lower standards of living and increased
social stress in the families and the community in general.
HIV-1 infection among antenatal clinic attendees from Bukoba urban sentinel site:
|
1993 |
16.1% |
|
1996 |
13.7% |
|
1999 |
7.0% |
Source: Kwesigabo 2001.
Research
conducted by the Kagera AIDS Research Project shows a declining trend of HIV-1
infection from 1987 to 2000 in the Kagera Region. The decline was more
significant among females compared to males, for both sexes the decline was
most significant in the age group of 15-24 years.
Prevalence estimates
|
|
Bukoba Urban(high prevalence) |
Muleba(medium prevalence) |
Karagwe(low prevalence) |
|
1987 |
24.2 % |
10.0% |
4.5% |
|
1993 |
18.2% |
-- |
-- |
|
1996 |
13.3% |
6.8% |
-- |
|
1999 |
-- |
4.3% |
2.6% |
Source: Kwesigabo 2001.
2.2.2 Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Kagera Region
Orphans due
to HIV/AIDS and other causes constitute a significant problem in Kagera Region
today. It’s estimated that 12% of all children are orphans. The numbers of
orphans have increased dramatically during the last years.
The distribution of Orphans in Kagera Region from 1998-2003 cumulatively.
|
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
|
138 046 |
148 353 |
163 423 |
169 309 |
185 018 |
195 894 |
Source: Twende 2003
There are
several NGOs (e.g. HUYAWA, WAMATA, Partage, World Vision) supporting the
orphans with the greatest needs in the community. The support is usually school
fees, school equipment, medical care, assistance with legal matters (such as
solving problems with property grabbing).
UNICEF is
currently piloting a project in 7 districts in the country, one being the
Karagwe district. If the villages set up a Most Vulnerable Children (MVC)
committee in the village with the aim of taking care of the MVC in their
community, UNICEF then matches the funds that the MVC committee has put into a
bank account.
3. ELCT, The Local NGO
3.1 Background Information and
Brief History of NWD
The North Western Diocese (NWD) is one of the 20 dioceses, which form the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT). The diocese is an autonomous
institution, with its own constitution. However, it abides by the ELCT
constitution in certain common matters.
The NWD is located in Kagera Region, which is in the north-western corner of
Tanzania, west of Lake Victoria. The diocese operates within three out of five
administration districts of Kagera Region. The three districts are Bukoba,
Muleba and Biharamulo. They cover a total area of 28,694 sqkm (i.e. 73% of the
total area of the region), with an estimated population of 1,057,393 (1997).
Out of this number, Lutheran Christians account for 150,000.
The history of the NWD dates back to 1896 when the first Evangelical Christian
moved into northern Buhaya ( Bukoba) from Uganda, and began preaching the
Gospel. However, the official birth date of the Evangelical Church of Buhaya
(now the NWD) is set at 1910 when the Bethel Mission from Germany began work at
Kashura, Bukoba. The name Buhaya came into existence of the present day
administrative districts of Bukoba, Muleba and Karagwe - all in Kagera region.
Karagwe is located in the extreme north-western corner of Tanzania. It is now
an independent diocese of the ELCT.
3.2 ELCT-NWD Central Office
The Central Office is the head
office of Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania – North Western Diocese. This
office coordinates all activities carried out by the North Western Diocese.
The Central Office of the diocese is located in Bukoba Urban District on the
west of Lake Victoria. It engages in preaching the Gospel and in development
activities in the service of people of all faiths in the area of operation.
The Central Office is headed by the Bishop who is the head of the Diocese
according to North Western Diocese constitution. The Dean of Bukoba assists the
Bishop. The General Secretary is the chief administrative executive of the
Diocese. He is assisted by the Assistant General Secretary who is also the
Treasurer of the diocese. Currently these positions are occupied by the
following:
Bishop: The Rt. Rev. Elisa Buberwa
Dean: The Vary Rev. Phenias Lwakatare
General Secretary: Rev. Dr. Fidon Mwombeki
Assistant General Secretary & Treasure: Mr. Godwin Lwezaura
The organization structure is shown below:
3.3 Development Activities and Initiatives
Besides its primary calling of preaching the Gospel, the NWD has, from
its early days, engaged in development activities in the service of people of
all faiths in the area of its operatives.
3.3.1 Medical institutions
The Medical institutions of the Diocese serve the people with the aim of
fulfilling the responsibility of the Church to take care of the sick and the
disabled, as well as give them health education.
The diocese runs 2 hospitals at Ndolage and Izimbya; 2 health centres at
Kigarama and Ntoma; 9 dispensaries: Nyabugera, Rwantege, Rwigembe, Kerebe,
Katare, Kashasha, Igayaza, Butainamwa and Bugango; 1 nurses training school at
Ndolage; and 1 medical store (at Bukoba) which supplies drugs, etc, to
hospitals and dispensaries run by the diocese.
3.3.2 Deaconic institutions
Two such institutions are operating in the diocese: One training
deaconesses and taking care of needy persons at Ntoma; the other caring for the
disabled people (epileptic, mentally disturbed, etc.) at Igabiro.
3.3.3 The Orphanage
The newborn orphans are cared for at Ntoma before they can be handed back
to their close relatives.
3.3.4 HUYAWA - Short form for HUDUMA YA WATOTO Service for Children)
HUYAWA takes care of hundreds of older orphans and, in exceptional cases,
sick and poor relatives of the orphans, through the following services:
(a) Education:
HUYAWA helps to support pupils and students with education each year. Around
6,000 primary school orphans are given assistance with school fees and school
materials.
From vocational training and secondary schools, 500 students are assisted with
school fees. Thousands of exercise books, pens, blankets, shoes, etc. are
issued too.
(b) Health Care:
Some 40,648 orphans in the diocese are assisted in order to keep in good
health. In very few cases some very poor guardians and those AIDS victims are
helped.
(c) Legal Rights Support:
This service is given to widows or orphans whose properties are confiscated and
who are mistreated or ignored by the legal system.
(d) Social Help:
Communities are encouraged to devise self - help programs. Also, guardians and
older orphans are encouraged to work hard and run small - scale projects for
self - support. Generally, HUYAWA:
- Counsels and gives moral and material support to AIDS victims.
- Does a fieldwork and impromptu home visitation.
- Carries out seminars to communities about AIDS and its effects;
self-reliance, health care, etc.
3.3.5 Kagera Zone Aids Control Project (KZACP)
The Kagera Zone AIDS Project (KZACP) in Tanzania is being funded by DANIDA
through DanChurchAid (DCA) and was started in May 1991. The project covers the
three diocese of: North Western (NWD), Karagwe (KAD), and East of Lake Victoria
(EOLVD). The latter covers Mwanza and Shinyanga regions. The total population
in the three dioceses (project area) is estimated to be 5.5 million. The
project covers about 110 parishes, 2 Church hospitals, 12 Health centres and 11
dispensaries in the ELCT zone. Phase I of the programme was completed in 1995.
The main goal of the programme is to prevent the spread of HIV infection in
high-risk groups and in the general population; and to ensure optimal quality
of life of the AIDS patients and families.
3.3.6 Education and Youth Department
This Department is in charge of overseeing Primary and Secondary education,
Teachers training, activities and development of the Youth groups in the
Diocese. The diocese operates a secondary school (Forms I - IV) at Iluhya; a
vocational training centre at Kashasha; an agricultural training centre at
Igabiro and the Evangelical Academy at Ruhija, established in 1957 (with a
Bible School; an Afro-Art School and a Music School). A Theological College was
established at Ruhija in 1995.
A school for the deaf is operating at Mugeza. The Bukoba and Chato Youth
Centres train youths in different crafts; the Women Training Centre at Kashura
trains women in different social and economic aspects. Diocesan institutions
and the general public utilise the services of the ELCT Conference and Training
Centre in Bukoba town for their conferences, seminars and accommodation.
Deaconesses are trained at Ntoma Deaconesses Training School. Namalira, which
is the NWD Mother House, is also situated at Ntoma.
3.3.7 Department of Literature and Communications
Supervises the Publication and Communication activities in the Diocese.
Through the Northwestern Publishers, an ELCT Church Bookshop with its
headquarters at Bukoba, and a branch at Muleba, serves the general public
through publishing and selling religious and educational books, stationeries,
magazines and newspapers.
3.3.8 Department of Planning and Development
This department engages in planning and preparation of all types of
projects for the diocese. It trains church groups and individuals to plan and
implement income-generating projects. Through this approach, individuals and/or
groups are able to raise their incomes. They should then be able to support
themselves, the diocese, as well as mission work. Several diocesan institutions
are under the charge of this department. These are Bukoba and Chato Youth
Centres, ELCT Garage, Igabiro Training Institute of Agriculture, Ujirani Mwema
Restaurant.
3.3.9 Building Department
All building constructions in the diocese are either done or supervised by
the Building Department. In so doing, the department assures the diocese of
well-built structures; and well-spent funds.
3.3.10 Department of Women and Children Affairs
The Department of Women Affairs (Bethania) has the following objectives:
- Co-ordinate the women within the diocese for the purpose of consolidating
their belief in Jesus Christ through education and action. They should proclaim
to the world that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
- Enhance academic and economic advancement of the women, their families and
the community at large.
- Encourage the women to volunteer in serving God, and develop sisterly
co-operation for service to church and to the community.
- Teach children the word of God in order to get them to know and serve him
through their physical, mental and spiritual capacities.
The mentioned objectives are fulfilled through conducting seminars, courses and
workshops. This is done at all levels from the diocesan level down to the 217
congregations. There is a committee at every level whose chairperson and the
assistant chairpersons are ladies.
3.3.11 The Medical Department:
This department supervises the medical and health activities in the
Diocese.
3.3.12 Treasury Department
The Treasury Secretary heads the department. It is charged with the
following responsibilities, among others:
- Take care of the diocesan finances and properties.
- Take care of cash books, and all documents related to the diocesan finances
and properties.
- Supervise collections and expenditures of diocesan incomes.
- Prepare a yearly financial report.
- Place orders for different requirements (e.g. vehicles, medicines, building
materials) from within and without the country.
- Audit financial records being kept by different institutions of the diocese.
- Communicate with Mission societies and other donors.
- In matters pertaining to finances.
3.4.1
Background
ELCT has a
long experience of development, health and social work in the region. With the
increasing number of street children in the region, ELCT decided to start a
project for rehabilitation and reunification of street children. The project
has been functioning since the end of 2002, but with a limited budget. The
project is now expanding, and ELCT has bought a farm, which will be the
rehabilitation center. There will also be a counselling centre in Bukoba town.
3.4.2
Structure of the project
The project
is run by ELCT and has a project committee, which consists of the following
people:
- Sr. Debora Brycke, Chairperson
- Rev. Fidon Mwombeki, General
Secretary, ELCT
- Mr. Godwin Lwezaura, Assistant
General Secretary & Treasure, ELCT
- Mr. Anselemi Twende, Regional
Social Welfare Officer, Kagera Region
- Mr Ishengoma , Regional
Education Officer, Kagera Region
- Sr. Adventina Kyamanywa, Team
Leader of Tumiani Children’s Center
- Rev. Jonas Balami, Co-ordinator
Huyawa
- Mrs. Bibi Peace Kagaruki,
member of Church Council
4. Target group
The target
group for the project are the street children in Kagera Region, with main focus
on the street children in Bukoba town.
As described
above the estimated number of street children in Bukoba town is between
2,000-3,000. The number of street children in the Kagera Region is not known,
but they are present at all trading places in the region.
The project
has been functioning since end 2002 and has had 107 children up to now. 68 of
them are now reunited with their families or staying with a foster parent, 4 of
them are staying in shelters and 35 are still on the street. The number of new
children receiving care and support from the project is likely to increase when
the project is expanding with a rehabilitation center and a counselling center
in Bukoba.
4.1 Statistics on the children in the project
2002
- 2 street children in the
project, both were boys.
- They are both staying with relatives
in the villages. One is staying with his mother and one with his father.
- Both boys are attending school.
2003
- 75 street children in the
project. 7 girls (9%) and 67 boys (91%).
- They are between 8-18 years of
age.
- 11% are between 8-11 years.
- 79% are between 12-15 years.
- 10% are between 16-18 years.
- 41 of the children (55%) are
now living in a home with a relative or foster parent.
- 4 of them (5%) are living in
shelters, Pentecostal and Red Cross.
- 30 (40%) of the children are
still living on the street.
- None of the girls are still
living on the street.
- Of the children living at home
all of them except 2 are attending school.
January-March 2004
- 30 new children in the project,
2 girls (7%) and 28 boys (93%).
- They are born between 1985 and
1995, 9-19 years of age.
- 25 of the children (83%) are
now living in a home with a relative or foster parent.
- None of them are living in
shelters.
- 5 (17%) of the children are
still living on the street.
- None of the girls are still
living on the street.
5. Goals and
Objectives
The main
objective of the project is to work with rehabilitation and reunification of
street children in Kagera Region, with main focus on the street children in
Bukoba town. The project is built on the voluntary participation of the child.
Another
objective is to increase the awareness in the community about the situation of
the street children and what can be done to prevent further children leaving
their homes to become street children.
Measurable
outcomes will be how many children are participating in the project and how
many will be reunited with their families or will be able to set up a home for
themselves.
ELCT will
through this project increase its knowledge about the most vulnerable children
in the society.
ELCT is running a project that
targets orphans, the project is called HUYAWA (see above). A large group of the
street children are orphans. HUYAWA does not work with children without
location, and therefore there was a need to establish another project targeting
that group. Once the child is reunited with its family, the responsibility of
the child will be HUYAWA’s.
6.
Results
6.1 Expected results
- To
continue to have a majority of the children reunited with their families.
The percentage that is still on the street is expected to drop further
when the rehabilitation center is functioning.
- Increase
the quality of life among the street children.
- Increase
their own abilities and capacities.
- Increased
awareness and knowledge in the community about the street children.
- Increased
involvement by the villages to work with the most vulnerable children and
thereby preventing more children to become street children.
7. Main
activities
7.1 Counselling center
The street
children are often identified by the field assistant and brought to the project
center. Many children also find their ways there themselves or they are brought
by other street children.
The
counselling process begins with building a trusting relationship. This is a key
to be able to work with the child and its family.
The staff
investigates the child’s situations in terms of who it is, where it comes from,
what family it has, how long it has been in town, its school experience, health
status etc.
Once the
relationship with the child has been established, the staff suggests that they
should contact the relatives of the child. The staff conducts home visits even
to distant places in the region or the relatives come to the center.
Counselling with the relative and child together can reveal the reasons for the
child’s departure and how that can be solved so that the child can return.
The reason
for the child leaving the village differs (see above), and the solution for
each child will differ accordingly.
When the
farm has been established there will also be a screening process of which
children need to be staying at the farm and which children can return to the
village immediately or after a shorter period of counselling at the center.
7.4
Rehabilitation Center – Kyakaikabwa
Some of the
children are very traumatised by the abuses they have faced both at home and in
the street. The abuse can be both physical, verbal and sexual. Some children
became used to life on the street and the freedom to be able to make their own
money and have difficulties to adjust back to the life in village.
The
children who will need a longer time of care and counselling will be offered to
stay at the farm. There they will get schooling, counselling (individually and
with the family) and be taught how to take care of a farm. The duration of the
stay will vary, from a couple of weeks up to a year.
20 children
can stay at the farm at the same time, there will be rooms both for girls and
boys, but since 90% or the street children are boys, most of the places at the
farm will be used for boys.
At the farm
the children will be given food and clothes. The farm will grow its own food
and the children will help with the gardening work. Near the farm there is a
demonstration farm, and the staff there has promised to teach some of the boys
more advanced knowledge of farming.
7.3
Schooling
All the
street children have dropped out of school and one aim of the project is to get
them back into the school system. For some of them it’s difficult to start in
an ordinary class so therefore the project has started a preparation class in
the Kashabo school. They can start at any time during the year and after one
semester they take a test examining the level of knowledge. After that they are
put in an ordinary class in the grade that matches the knowledge of the child.
The children that move back to a location further away from Bukoba go to the
local school. The children that re-enter into the school system are given the
necessary school equipment including school uniform.
The children
living at the farm will be enrolled in the local school nearby. There will also
be a special class, where they can begin before re-entering into the normal
school system.
Children
living on the street don’t have access to health care, and often have a need to
get some medical attention. They might have wounds on their legs that need to
be taken care of, malaria etc. The medical care will be conducted at the
government or the church health facilities.
7.5
Reunification
The aim is
to reunite the children with their families. Sometimes the children are
motivated to move back to the relative they stayed with before they went into
town, and sometimes the solution will be to find some other place for them to
live, which could be another relative or a foster parent. The duration before
the child is motivated and ready to move back varies a great deal. Some of them
move back after only a shorter period of time after entering into the project,
while some of them come from families with a lot of violence and abuse, which
makes it harder for them to return, and it’s often in those cases that there is
a need for a longer time of family counselling or to find another home for the
child.
Some of the
older children can with some help start their own life, either by starting a
small farm or going to a vocationally training. (The church has a plot of land
where a person who wants to start a farm can receive a small piece of land for
free, but they need money to build a house.) Some boys start small businesses,
e.g selling fish.
The project
will also conduct meetings and seminars in order to increase the knowledge and
awareness of the street children’s situation. The aims are to strengthen the
involvement of the community in order to prevent future street children and to
improve the way the street children are treated by the society.
- The project is planned to last
for about 10 years. The HIV prevalence in Kagera region is declining,
which means that the number of orphans will be declining at the same rate,
but with a 7-10 years delay. A decline in the HIV prevalence will also
lead to increased productivity and a larger percentage of the population
being in their productive years. The assumption is made that the global
economic situation will not worsen.
- The counselling center is
functioning since end of 2002, but will be relocated to a place in town.
- The farm is bought and the
repair will start. The first round of repair will take 2 months and after
that it can be started to receive children, which could be in beginning of
August 2004.
- Recruitment of additional staff
for the farm and counselling center is ongoing.
8. Resources
8.1 Staff
The
farm:
1 team
Leader
1 assistant
and bookkeeper
2
care-takers, which will be recruited shortly
1 gardener
2 guards
1 teacher
The
counselling center in town:
1 social
worker
1 field
assistant
1 assistant
- The farm with necessary
equipment
- Counselling center with necessary
equipment
- Vehicles: 1 car, 1 motorbike, 1
bicycle
The
procurement of vehicles and other goods will be made by the treasury department
in ELCT, using its rules and regulations. ELCT is tax exempted, as all
religious organisations in Tanzania. The owner of the equipment after the
project ends will be ELCT.
9. Budget and finance
See
attached budget.
The Swedish
NGO collected their contribution through fund raising in Sweden.
ELCT, the
Local NGO, provides resources in terms of financial and judicial expertise,
meeting room facilities etc.
The
statistics for the past shows that out of 107 children only 35 are still living
on the street, success rate being 67%. The result is likely to be further
improved once the rehabilitation center at the farm is functioning. The number of children participating in the
project each year is also likely to be higher in the future when the project is
expanding with more staff.
But even
when using existing statistics applied to the planned budget the project will
be very cost effective. If 100 new children start in the project each year for
five years with the success rate being 67% this will mean 335 street children
are being rehabilitated. The total budget is 270 million TSH.
The unit
cost for each rehabilitated child will be approximately 800,000 TSH (800
US-Dollar (USD)). The GNI (Gross National Income) per capita is 280 USD. The
child will only have to be productive and work for 3 years until it’s a gain
for the society. There will also be other savings for the society, e.g later
cost for rehabilitation.
10. Plan for local take over
The project
is already now headed by local staff, the only foreigner is the chair person of
the committee. The staff is well trained, and will also receive ongoing
training.
The project
will be ongoing for approximately 10 years, and for that time there will need
to be external funding, even though a greater involvement from the community
for the most vulnerable children is an expected outcome of the project.
11. Support by local government
The local
government is closely connected to the project. Both the Regional Social
Welfare Officer and the Regional Education Officer are members of the project
committee.
In the interview with the Regional Social Welfare Officer he says that ELCT has
a good track record of development and social work, and that he is sure that
ELCT has the capacity to succeed in this project.
12. Risks and side effects
Factors
that can hinder or make it more difficult to implement the project would be
lack of funding, or short-term funding. The risk that this will happen, is
probably not so big in the long run, since this is an important issue that
needs to be addressed. In the short run it could however be a problem if it
takes time before the funding has been approved.
External
factors that are crucial for the project are to continue to have close
collaboration with the local government and other NGOs, especially those who
are working with the most vulnerable children in the community.
Possible
positive side effects could be an increased knowledge in the society about the
need of children and the importance to work with families in distress in order
to prevent abuse etc.
Possible
negative side effects could be complacency from the community if the problem is
addressed by a NGO. To counteract that one aim of the project is to increase
awareness and involvement both with each individual child, but also at a more
general level.
References
FOCUS
(1999) Reaching Socially Marginalized Youth. www.pathfind.org/focus.htm
Kalelangabo
Z. (2000) Institutional remedial welfare service to street children in Tanzania:
A case study of Kagera Region: Problems and prospects. National Social Welfare
Training Institute, Dar es Saalam.
Kwesigabo
G. (2001) Trends of HIV infection in the Kagera Region of Tanzania 1987-2000.
Umeå University, Sweden.
The United
Republic of Tanzania (2003) 2002 Population and Housing Census. Central Census
Office, Dar es Salaam.
Twende A.
(2003) A research on improving support and care to orphans and vulnerable
children in Kagera Region. Bukoba, Tanzania.
UNICEF
(2003) The state of the world’s children 2004. UNICEF, New York.
