Executive Summary
As a leading child protection organisation in Tanzania, Mkombozi works to empower children who are currently, were previously, or are at-risk of becoming street-involved through various interventions including direct services for basic needs, family reunification support, community engagement activities and awareness-raising through advocacy efforts. The 2012 Mkombozi census of street-involved children aimed to produce and analyse quantifiable data on street-involved children in Moshi and Arusha municipalities. The census took place over a period of 12 hours in each town with teams of interviewers approaching children on the streets with a questionnaire that asked questions about their age, gender, street-involvement, geographical origin, history of drug use, educational background, and daily activities.
The basic findings of the census showed that there was an overall increase of 62% of full-time street-involved children and 10% of part-time street-involved children since 2010. In Arusha there was a significant increase of both part-time and full-time populations, while in Moshi there was an increase in the population of fulltime street-involved children but a decrease of 14% of part-time street-involved children. Overall, the 2012 census found a total of 869 children under the age of 18 who were identified as street-involved over both towns; with 269 part-time and 107 full-time in Moshi, and 358 part-time and 135 in Arusha. There has also been a decrease in the number of street-involved children coming from the majority of Mkombozi’s target wards since 2010. The results of the census are analysed and discussed in more depth within this report, including an evaluation of Mkombozi’s street work and community engagement work with recommendations for the future.
