This study was commissioned by the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services to provide a comprehensive situational analysis of street children in Zambia. Its approach differs from previous situational analyses of the issue as it took a more solution-oriented view of the challenges facing street children. Based on available information, it is anticipated that over the next 10 years (2015) the number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) will increase in Zambia. Street children represent a particular sub-category of OVC as their vulnerability is exacerbated by the partial or complete absence of support structures based on kinship, education, parents, siblings and general social cohesion.
Four objectives were formulated for this study in order to improve the response to the problem of street children:
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to promote knowledge-based decision-making in respect of law reform, policy development and service delivery
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to promote effective inter-sectoral co-operation between government, civil society and international stakeholders
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to define and promote good practices in service delivery and facilitate their incorporation into policy development and practice
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to steer strategy development in a direction that is based on reliable information.
Apart from reviewing the extant literature, this study also used interviews with stakeholders from government and civil society to gather information on their views on the problem as well as possible solutions. A significant part of this study also involved a national survey of street children, involving more than 1 500 respondents.
A successful response to the situation of street children would be highly dependent on knowledge-based decision-making and three key conclusions are made in this regard. Firstly, there is a growing body of domestic and international literature describing the situation of street children, the shortcomings in the legislative framework, gaps in policies, and the need to align practice and theory with the requirements of the CRC. Secondly, decision-making would be greatly enhanced by monitoring the situation of street children, therefore a set of indicator types are proposed in this regard. Thirdly, it is important to develop a research agenda that feeds into the strategic plan and informs decision-making. In this regard, particular attention should be paid to conducting research on “what works” as opposed to “what is wrong”.
The survey of street children confirmed in many regards what was already known and found by previous studies. Poverty, parental mortality, exclusion from education and lack of support structures are the main drivers behind children ending up on the streets. The study found significant differences in life history and lifestyle between children who sleep on the street and those who do not. The study confirmed previous findings that the streets are dangerous and nearly all respondents reported having experienced some form of victimisation. Girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Previous studies estimated the number of street children in Zambia to be approximately 75 000. This study found no evidence for this estimate and a revised estimate based on empirical evidence places the number of street children in the region of 13 200. There is, however, a much larger group of extremely vulnerable children who may end up on the street as risk factors converge upon them.
A successful response to the problem needs to be inter-sectoral as government is not able to address the problem on its own. There are promising initiatives from both government and the NGO sector, but the impact of these could be increased through proper planning and co-ordination. Government, NGOs and the donor community can make significant contributions to the situation of street children if there is clarity on roles, supported by mutual accountability. It is evident that an inter-sectoral response is required to address policy and legislative concerns effectively with a view to improving the protection that children should enjoy and remove discriminatory and marginalising measures currently in place. To achieve an effective inter-sectoral response on policy and legislative reform, but also in respect of planning, service delivery and monitoring, there is a strong need for formalised inter-sectoral structures supported by the necessary skills and resources to enable effective functioning.
The report deals in a fair amount of detail with the extant literature in respect of “what works” with interventions aimed at street children. This is motivated by the fact that based on the fieldwork, there is not significant consensus among stakeholders on what is regarded as effective services or good practice and that it would be important to build consensus in this regard. Good practice guidelines and principles for effective service delivery are described based on relevant international literature, but service delivery agents would require assistance in interpreting these for local conditions. Following from this it is recommended that minimum standards for services to street children be developed to ensure that children’s rights are protected and that they are guaranteed services of a minimum standard at least.
The concluding chapter aims to develop guidelines for a strategy and plan of action. Based on the fieldwork, national and local priorities are identified, but more importantly, recommendations are made in respect of criteria for identifying priorities. A proposal is made in respect of a co-ordinating structure (a subcommittee of the National OVC Co-ordinating Committee) to facilitate inter-sectoral co-operation and proposals are made as to a work plan for such a co-ordinating structure.
This report should serve as a basis for inclusive consultations with stakeholders to ensure that there is increased consensus on a co-ordinated response to the plight of street children in Zambia.
©Zambia Ministry of Community Development and Social Services and Zambia Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development
