1 - STREET CHILDREN

AFRICA/ETHIOPIA More than 40,000 children live on the streets in Addis Ababa. Salesians Fathers work to re-unite them with the families

Addis Ababa (Fides Service) – The problem of street children is tragedy in a tragedy, ignored by most people in Ethiopia a country which is suffering the consequences of prolonged sever drought. “Here in Addis Ababa alone there are more than 40,000 street children” Father Cesare Bullo, Salesian coordinator in Ethiopia told Fides. “The situation worsens as time passes. In recent years thousands of people from rural areas fleeing the problems caused by drought have poured in the city swelling the population, work is impossible to find and these families have no other option but to send their children onto the streets to beg.”.
“Once they start living in the streets the children gradually loses contact with the family and live in groups” Father Cesare said. “In this situaiton they have no assistance of any kind and are an easy prey for ill-intentioned people”.
The local Salesians run a programme to help the children. “At our centre in Addis Ababa we offer direct assistance to 60 children. Another 110 come to eat a hot meal once a day at our canteen. This is the first part of a wider project to build a centre in the coming months to provide shelter and food to 200 children. For a number of other children we have found families to take them in”.
“Our aim is to help the children return to their own families ” Father Cesare said. “and our dream is to eventually to eliminate the phenomenon of street children all together.
“Adoption at a distance system of helping the children” Father Cesare said. “By providing parents with regular funds to help support their children we are already preventing many little ones from being pushed into the streets to beg. We hope to reach our goal of 4,000 adoptions at a distance”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 28/2/2004, righe 30 parole 379)
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