About Street Kids"Street kids" are children who don't have an adult to care for them.
Some sleep in the corner of a relative's or neighbor's house, and must find food and clothing on their own.Others have no place in the world but the street. They sleep on pieces of cardboard laid out on a sidewalk, or in concrete pipes, or in trees. There are children as young as 3 years old, on their own, alone on streets across Africa.
Life on the street is harsh. When it's rainy, windy, or cold, there's no protection. Passersby mostly view them with suspicion and hostility. They are chased by the police, and younger and weaker kids are often victimized by those older and stronger.
When street kids get sick, they are, almost always, on their own. There aren't any well-accepted statistics on the life expectancy for these children. Many, maybe most, do not survive.
Because their lives are so brutal, it is easy to forget that they, like all children, also have basic, simple needs that go beyond survival. They want to be cared for and loved. They are desperate to escape from their hard lives on the street. They need hope and a way out.
Out of the Elements, Safe, and Learning about the World
Lubuto Libraries don't give street kids all that they need. But they are special places, out of the elements and safe.
The Lubuto Library project partners with shelters, drop-in centers, orphanages, and other community centers serving children in need. Partner organizations provide a site and staff for the libraries. The Lubuto Library project builds library centers (see Lubuto Libraries), delivers organized book collections that are ready to shelve, and trains library staff.
Children use Lubuto libraries to learn to read, to improve reading skills, as an entry path to formal schooling, and for enlightenment and pleasure.
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The HIV/AIDS Pandemic and the Crisis for Children in Africa
"One of the most devastating aspects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is the growing proportion of children the disease has orphaned. Unlike most diseases, HIV/AIDS generally kills not just one, but both parents.
What is more, the stigmatisation and discrimination that people affected with HIV often live with is passed onto their children, making their fight for survival that much more precarious.
When parents or caregivers fall sick and die, a child’s life often falls apart. With HIV and AIDS, the hardship hits well before children are orphaned. First a parent or caregiver becomes ill with HIV or AIDS, and is unable to work. The entire family feels the economic impact – children, especially girls, must often drop out of school to go to work, care for their parents, look after their siblings and put food on the table.
On top of the psychological impact of losing one’s parents, children who lose their parents to AIDS are often stigmatised or ostracised by their communities. These children are often much more at risk of becoming a victim of violence, exploitative child labour, discrimination or other abuses."
Source: UNICEF
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