Background |
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Since its inception, the project’s intention was to address the unmet needs of vulnerable children living on the street, specifically their intricate literacy and emotional needs and to provide the necessary yet complex support required to facilitate reintegration into family, community and school. From 2004 to 2006, the project was piloted under the auspices of the catholic archdiocese of Mwanza, alongside the activities of Upendo Daima project. As the pilot phase drew to an end, the project’s donors at the time requested that the project be housed within a non-governmental organisation with no religious affiliation. Poverty Alleviation Initiatives Developers trust (PAID) – an organisation committed to focused interventions with the most vulnerable. Seeing the synergies between PAID and the project, the trustees agreed to welcome and house Streetwise, in line with institutional and governmental procedures. Streetwise Africa has now been housed within PAID since 2005. It has successfully forged working relationships with many of the relevant government departments at the regional, district and ward levels. |
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Juma was 11 years old when he first left his home — home was a tiny room, 2.5 meters by 2.5 meters in terrible condition where his mother, his sister Mary and two half sisters lived. His mother tried to make a living on selling a handful of vegetables and ground nuts. When Juma was 11, his mother had another child from a man called China who worked at the brewery. China came every night to sleep with his mother in the room where they all had to sleep. Juma would tell China there wasn’t enough room for him and his ways — China would react by beating him. Juma left home for the streets of Mwanza. Streetwise met him and just started to get to know him when he disappeared from the streets again. We later discovered that his uncle came to find him on the streets and took him on as a house servant. A year later, when he was 13 years old he came back to Streetwise. And our work with him began… |