Withdraw street children or face more delinquencies--CESTAS Malawi

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

  Children need protection 

Centre of Health Education and Health Appropriate Technologies (CESTAS Malawi), an Italian-Malawian non-governmental organization, has warned of increased cases of delinquencies if parents and guardians of street kids do not withdraw their siblings off the streets.

CESTAS Malawi Country Coordinator, Dr. Mario Bacchiocchi was commenting on recent reports that police in Lilongwe had arrested four street children on suspicion that they set fire on Tsoka Market after picking a quarrel with businesspeople trading their wares in market.

The law enforcers had earlier nicked a teen prostitute on allegations that she stole from her client. She denied wrongdoing.

In an interview Friday, Bacchiocchi warned the situation could exacerbate if parents and guardians do not prevent their children from going onto the streets to beg.

While appreciating that many people are poverty-stricken in the country, Bacchiocchi deplored the tendency by some less privileged parents who lade their children with responsibility to fend for the family through begging.

“Begging is not a profession and cannot offer a solution to our social and economic challenges. Less privileged parents should find better means of survival than forcing children onto the streets with open arms,” he said adding that street life is dangers to children as it exposes the minors to abuse, neglect and exploitation.

“It's wrong to use innocent children as a bait to meet family needs. Children need to be given optimum protection from abuse and exploitation by providing necessary support and sending them to school,” Bacchiocchi added.

The CESTAS Malawi boss further askedto “Good Samaritans” to find better means of exercising their charity rather than giving alms on the street saying such a practice will only help in begetting "more problems than we intend to solve”.

“It’s better we channel our efforts towards orphanages or NGOs that support orphans and vulnerable children than practice street charity because it will not help in curbing problems that force children into that situation,” he advised.

Family breakdown, poverty, physical and sexual abuse, disinheritance or being disowned are some of the problems that force many children opt for street life, according to World Health Organization 1993.

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