Caring for Street Children

Location: Municipality of Lobito, Benguela Province.

Situation:

Four consecutive years of peace, following 27 years of civil war, have enabled Angola to open up again to international aid, so the government is now in a position to build up social services. More than three million refugees, mainly women and children, have returned home since the end of the civil war in 2002.The children show signs of malnutrition. Unexploded bombs, left over from the war, presents a major security threat which prevents people in some parts of the country from returning to agriculture.

Activities:

To improve the quality of care for street children and their access to it, MdM’s activities include:
• Training and awareness-raising of health professionals in Lobito about conditions affecting street children;
• Setting up a monitoring system in health facilities to ensure that street children are being cared for by the
Angolan health system;
• Ongoing training for six street educators responsible for linking children with the network of private, governmental and voluntary organisations which support children in the process of re-socialisation;
• Improving access to literacy classes, school education and vocational training in partnership with local institutions;
• Access to administrative status for recognition of the children’s citizenship;
• Individual assessments for the process of family reintegration.

Outlook:

Individual support and medical care for street children in the town’s health posts and hospitals.

Project start date: June 2004     

End date: December 2008