Hope For Street Children

03 February, 2010

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Street Children Operation Siza hosted a Christmas party at Albert Park last year

By Ken Mchunu

A homeless child deserves love and comfort, just like any other child. That’s the thinking of Street Children Operation Siza (Scops), an organisation working to improve life for homeless and abandoned youngsters. Its approach is societybased, seeking to rekindle ubuntu in the community so “everybody sees the homeless child as their own”, said Khehla Ngcobo, of Scops. “The intention is to transform the mindsets of the public . . . In African culture, a child belongs to society. “If a child finds himself without parents or a home, the community takes it upon itself to protect and raise the child,” said Ngcobo.

Scops was established by a group of individuals “from all walks life, of different cultural and religious inclinations” in 2006 and now takes care of more than 200 children daily. “Instead of starting another street children organisation, we decided we would identify gaps in existing organisation and together work at making it better,” said Ngcobo. Scops is now busy acquiring a R7-million building to house street children. Miyere Miyandazi, a Massai who works with Scops, said the organisation was about Africans caring for abandoned African children, thus “redeeming the African society from peril”. “This is not about whether there are sufficient resources for street children to be fostered – we are the resources.

If each of us would see these children as our own, we would give of ourselves to meet their daily needs,” said Miyandazi. He said Scops aimed to rekindle trust between street children and the community. “It’s heartbreaking to see a businessman in his posh car roll up his window when approached by a begging child. It is because of this that the children have lost all trust in society.” He said street children were often fearful, usually as a result of abuse. Scops was tackling this problem and to this end hosted a Christmas party for street children at Albert Park last month. Miyandazi said, “Living on the streets takes a lot of will power and a drive to survive. These are children who have taken a decision to walk away from abusive backgrounds and search for better lives. They need to know society cares about them.” Scops are at Office 167, 9 Archie Gumede (Old Fort) Place, or call 031 305 5081.

mchunuk@durban.gov.za

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