Street children speak out ahead of the Day of the African Child

Written by Daniel Saenyi

Altogether for urgent action for street children is the theme for the Day of the African Child celebration which will be celebrated all over the world on 16^th of June. In Bungoma County, street children are set to have day of their life as they prepare to celebrate these day at Bungoma Poster Grounds.

As much as the day is to make these children forget some of their troubles, they still can’t put behind them the difficulties they have to face daily. The hustle through life with each day taking care of itself. They have to sleep through the cold nights and sunny days with no one to look up to but themselves for survival.

One of the bright and hopeful face of Africa's future through its children.

Salim Alfan narrates, life on the streets is survival for the fittest as they constantly fight for food and have begged for leftovers. Their only plea is that some of them are willing to go to school if they are given a chance.

“Out here we have children of all ages; sometimes the streets get really tough for them as some of the children are too young to be out here. The easily get infected with all kinds of ailments and we don’t have money to take them to hospitals,’” said Alfan

As though life is not hard enough for these children, they are constantly harassed by residents of the town and the police as most of them claim. Suleiman Kioko a street kid says they are always the first suspects of any theft.

“We are mostly harassed by the residents and the police saying we are thieves even when we are innocent. We get beaten up and no one cares to help us because we are children of the streets. We are always running from someone daily,” said Kioko.

Salim Alfan (middle) one of the street children in Bungoma town. photo/ Daniel Saenyi.

Life on the streets is clearly hard enough as it is, but the streets are always getting an increase in the number of street kids. Most of them claim that life on streets is way better as compared to their homes; some of them are just runaways while others are orphaned due to different issues.

“Most of us out here are run away from home because of different issues, some ran away from ill treatment of step-parents while some see the poverty on the streets is better as compared to their state at home,” said Kioko.

The streets are getting high numbers of street children because Bungoma doesn’t have a centre for street children that can accommodate them.

On celebrating the day of the African Child, the Bungoma committee for the African Child has organized the celebration to address the issues facing the street kids and how to help them. The day will involve sensitizing the community of how we can put up with these children and to help them.

They will get new clothes and food donations from different organizations and have football matches against non street children which the street kids promise to win.

According to Pastor Patrick Siabuta, the chairman of the African Child Committee, as much as the celebration is all some of them will get, those who are willing to leave the streets will be given a chance to go to school by the African Child Committee.

“Some of the children who want to leave the streets will be given temporary home while the committee looks for a permanent home them. Bungoma has enough resources to accommodate the children who want get education’” Said Pastor Siabuta.

As Bungoma is on the eve of the African child Celebration, its about time we take in consideration the tough life they face and try to come up with ways to help them.