Street kids- Life on the Streets

Sudanese are known for a pleasant hospitality that bridges both Arab and African cultures; and many are sympathetic to the tens of thousands of homeless, impoverished children who roam the streets of the capital city. But in a nation scarred by decades of conflict, many have become inured to the sight of young children begging for food and money.

The majority of Sudanese street children are of southern descent. More than 2 million southern Sudanese settled in and around the nation’s capital during the nation’s twenty-one year civil war between north and south Sudan.
The majority of southern Sudanese live in poverty in squalid camps on the outskirts of Khartoum.

An investment boom has prompted the city to polish its image, and as the price of land has skyrocketed, many southerners have been forcibly relocated into remote, windswept areas outside of the capital—a practice condemned by the United Nations and human rights groups. These new camps lack even the most basic services, including water and schools.

Southern Sudanese also charge that they face racial discrimination when applying for jobs, condemning thousands to lives of poverty. Southerners typically work as day laborers or cleaners—positions that pay very little, particularly in families where it is not uncommon to have three or more children.

Traumatized by war and underemployed or unable to find work, some southern women simply cannot care for their children. Northern children are largely protected by intricate family networks that see a child taken in my relatives if his or her parents are unable to provide care. Furthermore, growing populations of children who have fled the war-torn Darfur region also make their homes on the street.

The life of a street child in Khartoum is unpleasant. Market vendors are largely unsympathetic to the hundreds of children who sleep and beg in marketplaces. Food, water and medical attention are hard to come by—even for the desperately ill. A lack of social programs means thousands of children simply slip through the cracks. Shelters are a rarity and most street children are unable to attend even government schools which charge small admissions fees.

Addiction, though, is the children’s greatest challenge. Street children—mainly boys—ingest glue into their mouths in order to stave off hunger and fear. They buy glue with money they have earned doing odd jobs or begging, leading many people to refuse to give street kids any money at all. Side effects of glue may include irate or erratic behaviour and the practice of ingesting glue can cause permanent damage to the brain.

Despite the challenges street children face, visitors are generally surprised by their almost constant cheer.

The few centers that work directly with street children say they are resilient and predict bright futures ahead for those who escape the pull of street life.