By Mutabazi Sam Stewart
First Lady Janet Museveni who also represents the people of Ruhaama County in Parliament was recently quoted in the media as having said that she is ashamed whenever she drives on Kampala streets and witnesses breast feeding mothers and street children. She said she thinks the reason why God put her into politics is to use this new found office to help these people. Janet sounded as though she had all of a sudden noticed the problem of street children. As if, all along they had not been there or that the problem had only gotten worse recently. Whether she meant what she said is up to her to decide in her heart. Whether she will succeed in taking off children from the streets is nothing but gamble, a preconceived failure.
All urban centers especially in developing countries have high numbers of street children but Uganda’s case has gone beyond imaginable proportions. Street children in Uganda are a manifestation of a failed system of political governance that would ordinarily direct resources to rural areas such that the children who would otherwise be attracted to stay on the streets in urban areas can comfortably eke a living in rural areas. Although life on the streets is difficult for these children, it is even harder for them in rural areas where they are not even sure of getting rotten bread and food left-over refuse that is readily available in many of Kampala’s uncollected garbage.
The condition of people living on the streets is not a choice these people make; it is rather a forced option that has been dictated upon them by the prevailing circumstances. Young girls for instance, who can not afford to look after their babies but at the same time can not fathom carrying out an abortion have only one option, to put such children on the street, at the mercy of the public and God. The common answer most researchers have received while asking street children as to why they choose to stay on the street rather than their homes has been that because there is neither food nor peace at home. There is no food at home because there is no money to buy it. At the same time there can’t be peace at home when there is no money. Parents quarrel and fight all night and the people who bear the consequences are the children. In some cases parents forcefully send their children to the streets while in other cases the children choose by themselves to run away hoping to get “peace” away from home.
Up until this point there have been many NGOs working with street children. There are more than fifty NGOs in Kampala and its environs alone. Various charities have used tremendous efforts in trying to work out a solution of eradicating the problem of street children. Their efforts have however been out rightly defeated. Pastor Robert Kayanja of miracle Centre Cathedral for instance, established a children’s home in Kapeeka Luweero in late 1990s to rehabilitate street children. The project started with a lot of vigour and vibrancy. Using his double Decker buses, his team would move around Kampala streets luring children with gifts and presents to jump on to the bus and take the opportunity of being taken to school, having better meals and clothing etc. the project registered tremendous success in its early years. Many children were indeed rehabilitated and some of them went on to become important people. Soon however, Kayanja realized that the project was not sustainable. It was like pouring water in a bottomless pit. The more the buses collected children the more new ones would pour on to the streets. Kayanja’s efforts were soon over stretched beyond measure and currently the project is in limbo.
Individual efforts like that of Kayanja are very important and welcome in dealing with the issue. However government’s deliberate policies of providing a conducive atmosphere for individual homes to develop would be more effective in stemming out the problem of street children. Janet is aware that the family is the fundamental unit of any society. What therefore happens at the family level will ultimately have an impact on the macro level of the entire country. Unless the issues of economic empowerment are squarely addressed in their entirety, the numbers of people living on the streets especially in Kampala is going to keep on increasing and Janet will keep talking.
Once in a while, KCC and government round up these children and put them on trucks to take them to Kampiringisa National Rehabilitation Centre (KNRC). One such operation was carried out in May 2002 spearheaded by the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development (MGLSD). Kampiringisa itself has been run down with dwindling budget allocations from the central government. At the same time, the rate at which the trucks were ferrying children there was higher than what the facilities could accommodate. As we talk now, KCC and MGLSD have decided to “look the other way” on the issue of street children as if it is no longer their concern. To make matters worse, street children in Kampala who had hitherto been from Kampala and its neighbouring areas have now been joined by children from Karamoja together with their mothers!
It is easy for Janet to talk and arouse people’s feelings hoping that something fundamental is going to happen soon that shall forever change for the better the lives of people living on the streets. It will take much more than mere talking to find a lasting solution to the problem of street children. In more specific terms Janet should direct her talk to the leader of the current government, who also happens to be her husband to reorient the government programmes from the current trend of emphasizing creation of middle class to a more realistic and meaningful approach of delivering services to those who need them most – the wanainchi and their children.
The writer is a Human Rights Activist
Contact mutasamste@yahoo.com
Tel: 0772-882547
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