From Street life to Class life

In brief Kampala streets host hundreds of street kids in the ages of 2-16. Over time, Kampala City Authority, KCCA has found this an uphill task. Umbrella of Hope Initiative, a local Non-governmental Organisation conducted attitude change campaigns. Genesis There is a thinking that life and opportunities in Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, are well above those in other parts of the country. Following some rebel insurgencies in the northern part of the country, a number of people, especially youth and children struggled to find their way to the golden land of Kampala. In 2015, Kampala streets hosted over 1200 street children and these young people presented a time-bomb for the country’s future. The unfortunate part of the street life is that the children feel threatened by the continuous hunt launched by KCCA. On its part, KCCA is on the right side of the coin—these “kids” can be a danger, security and social wise. It can be safely concluded that these kids have a mind-set challenge—considering Kampala as a promised land which is not very true. Light at the end of the tunnel In 2016, Umbrella of Hope Initiative, UHOPI started to mobilise street kids into small groups in which they could be sensitised about better life skills than begging. At the start, it took lots of efforts including offering of attractive items such as sweets and food. The kids then realised there was something bigger in the offering. The kids then accepted to gather for a talk. UHOPI opted to keep it simple – meeting the kids in the open environment as opposed to more formal and structured places. This made it possible to hold a number of attitude change campaigns. What else then followed The bring-a-friend strategy helped UHOPI to mobilise more than 150 kids in one month. The topic then gradually changed from survival skills to education and sustainable vocational skills. Options like return to ancestral homes did not quickly arise as this would discourage turn-up. Gathering kids at 6pm was a magic stick, food hand outs however little were effective. The end results UHOPI registered some success despite a short (one year) period intervention. Over 50 street kids accepted to join school, while about 33 opted for hand craft making. It was also realised that kids were rather mature, over 15 years, and could easily become peer supporters for continued change. This was another achievement! The future Since the number of street kids in Kampala cannot become zero (due to unplanned teenage pregnancies among street kids and influxes from upcountry districts), the need to transform the kids into a useful labour force is prudent. We realise the need to duplicate the attitude change campaigns in the districts of origin of the street kids. To this end, parents, guardians and other caregivers need to be sensitized. Sensitising young children to join the government’s Universal Primary Education is yet another winner. Engaging the local communities in meaningful and gainful occupations would go a long way keeping the children in their home districts. Bus operators and drivers of big transit tracks would also need to be sensitised on the dangers of transporting kids, without their caregivers, to Kampala. A whole community approach would be more sustainable, enhancing local area development and promoting socio-cultural togetherness among others. Given an enabling resource UHOPI won’t rest until the problem is no more.