The Street Children Empowerment Foundation (SCEF) has marked the 2021 International Day for Street Children with a call on the government to make essential services such as healthcare, education and shelter accessible to street children.
The organization joined other civil society organisations around the world to highlight the challenges faced by street children, particularly in Ghana, and also call on the government to deepen its commitment to ensuring their welfare.
The theme for the IDSC 2021 is “Access to Essential Services”, with an urgent call on governments to take action so that street children can access the services they need to reach their full potential.
This theme is particularly significant, given the impact of COVID-19 on the vulnerable in society, especially street children and their families, as revealed by SCEF’s COVID-19 impact survey titled – Impact of COVID-19 on the livelihoods of street-connected families.
“Making essential services such as healthcare and quality education, among other things, accessible to street-connected children is now more important than ever, given the impact of COVID-19. We need to remember that, none of us and our children are safe until every street child is safe,” Paul Semeh, the Executive Director of SCEF noted.
Whilst recognizing the efforts by the government to build an inclusive and safe society for all children, SCEF highlighted three priority areas that will enhance the welfare of children at various stages, including life before the streets, life on streets and life after they exit the streets.
These include the insistence that “all children currently living within households, families and communities must have access to friendship and playtime (just being children); holistic wellbeing and development, education and mental health needs, healthy and positive relationships, loving and caring family, food, healthcare, safe sleeping environments, positive and meaningful faith experiences and protection from abuse and violence. Access to these will help reduce the desire to move to the streets.”
Also, “in the unfortunate event that they end up on the streets, as thousands of them have, they are still entitled to access essential services such as skills training and family reunification, food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, counselling, safe spaces to express themselves, to be heard and to play, among other things.”
Additionally, “upon successful exit from the streets, we advocate that children will still have access to education and skills training, opportunities for family reunification and reintegration education on child and human rights, food, water, healthcare, safe accommodation and safe spaces – understanding and accepting street residents for who they are and empowering them,” it concluded.
SCEF hopes that, as Ghana strives to leave no one behind in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the government will continue to actively work towards upholding the rights of street-connected children in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
About SCEF
Street Children Empowerment Foundation (SCEF) is a non-profit organisation that is committed to transforming the lives of street-connected children by rescuing, rehabilitating and reintegrating them.
