Joe Walker’s Postings

Putting street children back on the agenda

It is my final night in Jo’burg. Tomorrow I fly down to Durban to join up with our partner Umthombo Street Children. The value of writing a blog as I travel is that I hope it will show supporters and those interested in our work why we visit our partners and spend time with children on the street. We regularly travel to South Africa or Burundi because we value the connections and relationship we have built with our partners, but also we recognise the importance of learning and understanding the issues that we then go and advocate, promote and raise money for.
One thing that has struck me as I’ve met with partners and colleagues to discuss the launch of the research is the urgency of putting street children back on the agenda. I met with Save the Children this morning, and in discussing this project, I realised how there continues to be a lack of understanding and knowledge about street culture and the extreme vulnerability of the children and young people exposed to that life. NGOs concerned with the welfare and rights of children tend to place street children under the framework of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) or Child Protection. This is fine, if the the issues they’re addressing are reflecting the needs of children living on the streets. Sadly, all to often this is not the case and I was reminded of the importance of this current research to be published.

This is a piece of research that we hope will start addressing policy around the issue of street children in South Africa and beyond, and specifically around the issue of health and HIV/AIDS. Its also important in terms of how South Africa perceives and treats street children and to inform policies that reflect the street child experience. Stories, films and pictures are very powerful when it comes to communicating the issues on the streets, but there is also value in statistics and objective data. I’m convinced that is we don’t critically look at the situation of children living on the streets then we are doing them a disadvantage and the opportunity to put them back on the map.

Back in South Africa

Its late and I should be trying to get some sleep before a long day of meeting people tomorrow, but I'm strangely awake. I'm back in South Africa and currently in Jo'burg for a couple of days to meet with friends and colleagues to discuss the next stage of the research. Whenever I arrive back in this country there is a strong sense of familiarity about everything, but despite my deep connections here for many years, I'm conscious of the unfamiliarity that lies in the culture, ideas and the whole order of doing things. South Africa is a place that has inspired, educated and challenged me every time I've returned and I sense this trip will be no different. I should try and rest but will write again tomorrow and hopefully post the first video diary! Good night.

'Street cleaning' with one eye on the World Cup

As I write, I'm preparing for another journey to South Africa to visit Street Action's partner Umthombo Street Children. I hope this blog will inform, encourage debate, educate and give readers more insight into the development of our partnerships that are based on relationships and trust. My journey will begin in Johannesburg. There I shall be meeting with some of the people who worked on the ground-breaking research which we'll be launching this year. I shall then travel down to Durban to re-connect with friends and colleagues in the Umthombo team in Durban to experience and learn about the many changes, challenges and developments that have occurred over the past year.

Only this morning was I reminded of the urgency of Umthombo's work as an article published in South Africa's Mail and Guardian describes the ongoing practice of 'street cleaning' exercised by eThekwini metro police who argue that street children are a safety and security issue rather than a social one. Clink on the link to read the article: http://bit.ly/86S9Wp

I hope you'll follow the daily updates of stories and video diary as we stand in solidarity with our partner Umthombo in this World Cup year that could either be an opportunity or crisis for Durban's street children.