Lobbying for support for street kids in Gulu City through Kabake Radio Programme
By Tolit Ivan
08.11.2020
The end of the over two decades of violence in northern Uganda perpetuated by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, has seen influx of street children in the region. Between 2016 and 2020, the number of number of children living on the streets in Gulu City increased from just 10 to 600. A mini survey conducted in 2014 by Lapewa, a local NGO working with street children in Gulu revealed that 70 percent of children are being forced to the streets by poverty, HIV/Aids, domestic violence, and abuse.
During Kabake Community Radio Programme aired on 102 Mega FM, leaders in Gulu City called for collective efforts to support the street children.
Morish Okello Bari, the Local Council One Defence Secretary Industrial Area sub-ward in Gulu City said majority of the street children are escaping from the violent environment from home. “The children are being forced to run to the streets due to violent environment at home. Home which should have offered comfort for these children have turned into place of abuse. There is need to address the problem so that our children are safe,” Bari noted.
He adds that leaders are finding it hard to address domestic violence. According to Bari, due to poverty, parents are finding it hard to provide necessities such as food and clothing. Bari was appearing one of the guests on Mega FM for Kabake Community Radio Programme on November 8, 2020.
Kabake is a pre-recorded program aired on 102 Mega FM, one of the leading radio stations in northern Uganda every Sunday between 10AM and 12noon. Mega FM has partnered with Konrad Adenauer Foundation to give a platform to communities who are still recovering from the effect of the over two decades Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) led insurgency to discuss issues related to post-war recovery, social justice, health and education, gender-based violence and land rights, among others.
But due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the program is broadcast live in the studio with limited number of guests.
Participants now contribute through live phone call-ins since large gathering is banded by government.
Kelly Komakech, the former Pece Division Chairperson said there is need to find a lasting solution to the problem of street kids. “Something need to be done so that children do not have to live on the street anymore. One of the solutions is to ensure that parents take their responsibilities and provide for their children. If needs be, arrest can be done as a deterrence to others who are not taking care of their children,” Komakech said.
According to a recent police crime report indicate that street children are being used by members of criminal gang to commit petty crimes and others which are capital in nature such murder and aggravated robbery. Some of these children said to be engaged in substance abuse.
Michael Ojok, the Coordinator Hash Tag Gulu, a non-governmental organisation rehabilitating child rescued from the streets said getting rid of children from the street is not an easy task. Ojok said before children are rescued from the street and reunited with relatives, there should be plans to rehabilitate them.
“There is need to provide an alternative to these children if they are not to return to the street. For example, technical skills. This will provide them with source of livelihoods and keep them off the street. Unless we do that, children will keep coming back to the street,” Ojok adds. Currently, Hash Tag Gulu is rehabilitating 30 street children at their centre in Gulu City. The children receiving life skills and vocational training.
The former Layibi Division Chairperson in Gulu City, Alfred Oluba said street children have duped everyone into believing that they are desperate. “These children have their parents. There is no justified reason why they have to leave home and live on the street. I have personally investigated and found that majority of these children come from their parents,” Oluba said. He added that parents are struggling hard to provide for their children. He noted that children have become ungrateful to their parents.
Moses Maandebo, a social researcher with Surface Uganda, a local non- government organisation in Gulu said the children who have been forced on the street are facing constant danger. According to Maandebo, street life exposes children to sexual abuse and risk of violent attack.“Children who are living on the street are at a greater risk since they live without any basic security and sleep rough,” Maandebo said. Maandebo said that some of the children takes 4–7 days without sleep since they fear sleep might expose them to danger.
He added that is the reason why they are involved in theft and other criminal activities for survival. He said unless the broken social fabric broken by the war is woven, more children will pour on the street as community continues to ignore the problem.
Inspector of Police Moses Ogwang, the Community Liaison Officer at Gulu Central Police Station said there is need to skill street children. Ogwang said arresting and prosecuting the children will not solve the problem. “These children need skill training to become self- sufficient,” Ogwang said.
Recently, the Dr John Baptist Odama, the Archbishop of Gulu Archdiocese raised concerns over abuse of street children. Dr Odama said children are turning streets into homes because of lack love from their parents. Odama also noted that some of the children have been orphaned by HIV/Aids and their relatives are not providing them with the necessary support forcing to them to run to the street.
According to government estimates, as many as 15,000 children live on the streets in Kampala, aged from seven up to the age of 17.
