The Life of a Street Child


This child is receiving care from SSN and CRARN


Why does the problem of street children exist in Nigeria?


The phenomenon of street children in Nigeria results mainly from family breakdown, which in turn is linked to polygamy. In an increasingly individualistic society, such children quickly learn to survive on their own and in the process are othen exploited through child labour and trafficking. Many take to the streets for refuge. Key factors that push children onto the streets include marital problems or instability in the home, poverty, hunger, insecurity, abuse and violence from parents, displacement caused by clashes in the community, insufficient parental care, death of one or both parents, inadequate family income, unemployment of one or both parents, lack of (or limited) opportunities in education, abandonment by parents, housing difficulties, drug use by children, and peer influence.



A current estimate of children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS in Nigeria puts the figure at 700,000. As a consequence many children will be orphaned, and no substantial provision is available to them.



In Akwa Ibom state (where the Stepping Stones School is situated) the problem of street children is made considerably worse by the deeply ingrained belief in witchcraft. Many of these children are branded as 'witches' or 'wizards' by churches and then cast out onto the street by their parents. On the street the stigma of being a 'witch' is likely to lead to regular beatings and very little help from anyone.



What is Stepping Stones Nigeria doing to help these children?



Our work is driven by the desire to help some of Nigeria's many disadvantaged children. We will do this by ensuring that 40% of the places at the Stepping Stones School are for street children and orphans. Our scolarships will not only provide these children with a high standard of education but will also provide them with their uniforms, books and transport.



Another crucial aspect of our work is to focus on the provision of vocational skills to each child. We believe that vocational skills training is of great value to children who have been traumatised and who have often dropped out of formal education. the training of skills such as computing, carpentry and farming will allow the children to possess the skills needed to find work on leaving the school. This will form a very important part of the social re-integration programme that we will implement with the assistance of CRARN.



We believe that it is also our responsibility to offer care and support for these children outside of school life. In order to do this we are working in partnership with the NGO, Childs Rights and rehabilitation Network (CRARN). At the moment our funds are extremely limited, but we hope that in future we will be able to assist CRARN with the building of housing units, provision of food and capacity raising. An important task to foucs on in the coming years will be lobbying governemnt to provide facilities for street children. This is an area that CRARN already have experience in and one that with the assistance of Stepping Stones Nigeria they will be able to make a real difference in.



Udoh's Story



Udoh (below) is one of the children at the CRARN childrens camp. His story is typical of many of those in the camp. Heres his story:



" I was often in trouble at home and my parents, brothers and sisters often beat me and told me that I was a wizard. One day my parents left me alone at home and i ate some food that was on the pot. When they came back and discovered this they were very mad and they dragged me to the forest to burn me. On the way we heard voices so they ran.

I ran away to the market at Eket where I slept underneath the stalls. Many people asked me if I was a wizard. One day some youths came and told me that if I didn't confess to being a wizard they would kill me. I confessed so they beat me and beat me. I hated it at the market. One day Sam (the president of CRARN) came and took me back to the camp. I like it here at least I have food and shelter".



Udoh's case is similar to many of the cases of the children at the camp. What makes his case unique is that at some point during Udoh's regular beatings both of his humerus bones have been broken. One has decayed so badly that it has now breached the skin and protrudes from his arm. The wound was slowly going septic and he used to have to keep the flies away by wrapping it in toilet paper. CRARN last took the boy to hospital in November 2005 but couldn't continue the treatment due to their lack of funds.

With the assistance of Stepping Stones fantastic supporters, the required funds have now been raised and Udoh is now on the road to recovery.




For a deeper insight into the complex problem of Child Witchcraft in Africa click here to read Save the Children's latest report on the issue: The Invention of Child Witches - Well recommended!




NEWSFLASH: Akwa Ibom State has highest rate of child trafficking in Nigeria

Click here for more on the plight of street children in West Africa - Almundos




he Life of a Street Child

This child is receiving care from SSN and CRARN .

Why does the problem of street children exist in Nigeria?


The phenomenon of street children in Nigeria results mainly from family breakdown, which in turn is linked to polygamy. In an increasingly individualistic society, such children quickly learn to survive on their own and in the process are othen exploited through child labour and trafficking. Many take to the streets for refuge. Key factors that push children onto the streets include marital problems or instability in the home, poverty, hunger, insecurity, abuse and violence from parents, displacement caused by clashes in the community, insufficient parental care, death of one or both parents, inadequate family income, unemployment of one or both parents, lack of (or limited) opportunities in education, abandonment by parents, housing difficulties, drug use by children, and peer influence.



A current estimate of children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS in Nigeria puts the figure at 700,000. As a consequence many children will be orphaned, and no substantial provision is available to them.



In Akwa Ibom state (where the Stepping Stones School is situated) the problem of street children is made considerably worse by the deeply ingrained belief in witchcraft. Many of these children are branded as 'witches' or 'wizards' by churches and then cast out onto the street by their parents. On the street the stigma of being a 'witch' is likely to lead to regular beatings and very little help from anyone.



What is Stepping Stones Nigeria doing to help these children?



Our work is driven by the desire to help some of Nigeria's many disadvantaged children. We will do this by ensuring that 40% of the places at the Stepping Stones School are for street children and orphans. Our scolarships will not only provide these children with a high standard of education but will also provide them with their uniforms, books and transport.



Another crucial aspect of our work is to focus on the provision of vocational skills to each child. We believe that vocational skills training is of great value to children who have been traumatised and who have often dropped out of formal education. the training of skills such as computing, carpentry and farming will allow the children to possess the skills needed to find work on leaving the school. This will form a very important part of the social re-integration programme that we will implement with the assistance of CRARN.



We believe that it is also our responsibility to offer care and support for these children outside of school life. In order to do this we are working in partnership with the NGO, Childs Rights and rehabilitation Network (CRARN). At the moment our funds are extremely limited, but we hope that in future we will be able to assist CRARN with the building of housing units, provision of food and capacity raising. An important task to foucs on in the coming years will be lobbying governemnt to provide facilities for street children. This is an area that CRARN already have experience in and one that with the assistance of Stepping Stones Nigeria they will be able to make a real difference in.



Udoh's Story



Udoh (below) is one of the children at the CRARN childrens camp. His story is typical of many of those in the camp. Heres his story:



" I was often in trouble at home and my parents, brothers and sisters often beat me and told me that I was a wizard. One day my parents left me alone at home and i ate some food that was on the pot. When they came back and discovered this they were very mad and they dragged me to the forest to burn me. On the way we heard voices so they ran.

I ran away to the market at Eket where I slept underneath the stalls. Many people asked me if I was a wizard. One day some youths came and told me that if I didn't confess to being a wizard they would kill me. I confessed so they beat me and beat me. I hated it at the market. One day Sam (the president of CRARN) came and took me back to the camp. I like it here at least I have food and shelter".



Udoh's case is similar to many of the cases of the children at the camp. What makes his case unique is that at some point during Udoh's regular beatings both of his humerus bones have been broken. One has decayed so badly that it has now breached the skin and protrudes from his arm. The wound was slowly going septic and he used to have to keep the flies away by wrapping it in toilet paper. CRARN last took the boy to hospital in November 2005 but couldn't continue the treatment due to their lack of funds.

With the assistance of Stepping Stones fantastic supporters, the required funds have now been raised and Udoh is now on the road to recovery.


For a deeper insight into the complex problem of Child Witchcraft in Africa click here to read Save the Children's latest report on the issue: The Invention of Child Witches - Well recommended! .


NEWSFLASH: Akwa Ibom State has highest rate of child trafficking in Nigeria

Click here for more on the plight of street children in West Africa - Almundos

chineke ,what is this?

Where is the link to this story? I will like to know more about the organizations that are providing assistance to the "street kids".