There are no exact figures, but it is estimated that between 100 and 150 million children worldwide live on the streets. Homeless, unprotected and far from their families, these children survive in environments marked by povrty. Violence and lack of opportunities. They are invisible children to much of society, with fundamental rights such as food, healthcare and education being violated. Children turned into adults before their time, who have learnt to survive and forgotten how to play…
The phenomenon can be found in Asia, Africa and the Americas, and continues to rise due to uncontrolled urban growth, family conflicts and social exclusion. Many have been abandoned or driven from their homes; others are fleeing situations of abuse. For all of them, the street becomes their only refuge, but also an environment of constant risk.
Stories like that of André, in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), reflect this reality. For years, he survived by sleeping in abandoned cars and looking for odd jobs to put food on the table. The street was his only home until he came into contact with the Salesian missionaries. Today, he is part of an educational programme where he has regained a routine, security, a family atmosphere and the chance to envision a different future.
Like André, thousands of children sleep in markets, stations, workshops or rubbish dumps; they work in precarious conditions or live in groups to protect themselves at night. Girls, moreover, are particularly vulnerable to violence and sexual exploitation.
Reaching out to these children on the streets is the first step towards rescuing them from danger
Faced with this situation, the Salesian missionaries run programmes in numerous countries to reach out to these children and offer them an alternative. Through multidisciplinary teams – comprising educators, social workers, psychologists and healthcare staff – they provide shelter, food, support, healthcare and education, with the aim of achieving their social and family reintegration.
The first step is to restore something essential: safety and dignity. Sleeping in a bed, having clean clothes and eating three times a day are changes that mark the start of a new path. Little by little, the children learn to live together, to trust and to build a life plan away from the streets.
Education then becomes the key tool for change. It enables them to overcome trauma, regain self-esteem and develop skills that open the door to a different future. At the same time, the programmes work to locate their families or create safe environments where they can grow up protected.
Through audiovisual initiatives MISIONES SAESIANAS shines a light on this reality and gives a voice to those who rarely have one. Stories that show not only the harshness of life on the streets, but also the ability to overcome adversity.
On this International Day of Street Children, celebrated on Sunday 12 April, the commitment of MISIONES SALESIANAS and the Salesian missionaries working across five continents is clear: to continue supporting, protecting and providing opportunities. Because no child should grow up without a home, without an education and without a future.
Source: Misiones Salesianas
