STREETCHILDREN IN MALAWI

Just like all children, children living in the street have their rights too. For instance a right to a proper education, necessary to be able to follow classes, so that they can attend the field of vocational training for boys and girls and that they will have a home with their parents.

For several reasons a large number of children from all districts in Malawi end up on the streets of Blantyre. Economic factors, food shortages and HIV-Aids have caused an increase of street children.
Since 1997 brother Henk Munnich FIC has been involved in the projects of The Samaritan Trust concerning the Streetchildren in Malawi.
How things are set you will find here.
The Trust aims at promoting the protection and welfare of the street children.
These aims are achieved through the following objectives:

1. To identify and provide moral and financial support
2. To implement literacy and skills programmes essential to the successful re- integration
3. To integrate the street child back into the family unit and community structure
4. To assist with family empowerment and so to prevent the need for the children to return to the street
5. To defend the rights of Street Children

The target groups are girls and boys between 4 and 20 years old.

The Chitolera House:

That is a building comprising an office, a kitchen, an ablution block and dormitories. The noun 'chitolera' means someone who picks up, in this case the Samaritan Trust, who picks up the children from the streets. The main activities at this centre are a variety of life skills training. Examples:

business, e.g. working at a cash-desk	sports, e.g. football training	agriculture, e.g. tending goats	arts and crafts

	Chitolera House has six staff members to guarantee 24 hour care: a qualified teacher, two caregivers, a matron, a cook and a watchman.
a dormitory	The girl's dormitory has been constructed in February 2003 with the help of many organisations.

The Blantyre centre:

The Blantyre Centre is temporily located on land belonging to the Blantyre CCAP Synod. It is close to the centre of town, being near to the areas where street children are often found. In June 2003 there were 44 children cared for at the camp, of which 25 boys at the centre, while others including 9 girls return to their homes for the night. 90% of the children attend primary school. Some of the main activities at the centre are agriculture and sports.

The children sleep in 4 Red Cross tentes. Meals, education lessons and other activities are done in a multipurpose tent.

The caretaker sleeps in a Red Cross tent as well, which is doubled up as a storage area . Cooking is done in a small shelter.
There are five staff members at this centre: a teacher, two caregivers, a cook and a watchman.
The problems at this centre are self-evident. The accommodation is inadequate and poses a big problem during the rains. Health problems easily arise.

The Skills training centre

Besides the Skills training facilities the centre also accommodates the head office of the Samaritan Trust and some income generating projects. The Skills Training Centre trains young people in bricklaying.
Literacy classes are given for the school drop outs who, due to their age cannot join or rejoin a primary school. This includes reading, writing and basic numeracy education.

Reintegration:

	While the children are in the centres, the social workers start making visits to the familyguardian and try to get "the other side of the story". Together with the family and the child a plan is made for integration. After reintegration the social workers monitor if the agreements made are followed by all parties.
	Grace, a social worker during a home visit. In this case a small business like selling charcoaland sugarcane enables this mother to take care for her four children.
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