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Make a real difference...
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to communities across Africa.
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Share skills and knowledge...
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and sponsor children...
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to develop a better future
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...and change lives forever!
Through-out the world hundreds of thousands of children and
young people leave their homes for a number of reasons from
ill health to abject poverty, or are simply abandoned by
adults who are barely able to look after themselves let alone
hungry children who may be too disadvantaged to help seek out
an existence on the land. Many, too, have been orphaned by
HIV/AIDS
or have fled domestic violence. These street children are amongst the most disadvantaged in
the world and are not only open to financial exploitation, but
sexual abuse, kidnap and even death. In some countries they
are rounded up and put in prison, charged with not having an
adult to provide care for them. In other
places they are trafficked and taken across borders to work in domestic
servitude or as labourers on the land. All without papers. All without rights.
UNICEF currently believes the number of street children across the world runs
into tens of millions.
It is hard to
imagine for many in the west, a life without any form of
social safety net. There is no state provision for these
children only non-government organisations who do what they
can. If these children do not beg, steal or rob they would
literally starve to death. They have no
prospect of an education and so no prospect of a job or
providing for any children they may have in the future. Unless
people like yourself are prepared to help, these children will
have no future. Below there are a selection of pages about
street children in different parts of Africa which go into
more details about the challenges and dangers these children
face.
It is hard to get up to
date statistics for street children, because, by their very
nature they are elusive and different to collect data about.
As such statistics for street children are often out of date,
but they do show patterns. Here are some recent street
children statistics:
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Street children in Africa, like all children on the continent, are technically
protected by the provisions of the African Charter on the Rights
and Welfare of the Child, also known as ACRWC or the Children's
Charter. It came into force in 1999 and amongst its provisions is
Article 25 which states "Any child who is permanently or
temporarily deprived of his family environment for any reason
shall be entitled to special protection and assistance."
It also guarantees all children the inherent right to life,
education and health and the right to be protected from all forms
of economic exploitation.
Street Children Africa: Angola
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Street Children Africa: Cameroon
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Street Children Africa: Central African Republic
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Street Children Africa: Congo Brazzaville
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Street Children Africa: Congo Kinshasa
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Street Children Africa: Egypt
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Street Children Africa: Kenya
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Street Children Africa: Madagascar
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Street Children Africa: Malawi
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Street Children Africa: Mali
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Street Children Africa: Nigeria
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Street Children Africa: Senegal
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Street Children Africa: Uganda
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Street Children Africa: Zambia
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Details of current volunteer work
opportunities in each of the
countries of Africa.
Find how to sponsor a child in Africa
with our list of organisations,
charities, programs and projects.
Discover all about Africa, its tourist
attractions, history, people, culture
and daily life there.
