Situations of Street Girls in Ethiopia & The practical experience of Organization for Prevention, Rehabilitation and Integration of Female Street Children (OPRIFS) April ,2009 SPAIN

1. Street children Street children is a term used to refer to children who live/work on the streets of a city (Consortium for Street Children UK) - They are deprived of family care & protection. - Most children on the streets are between the ages of about 5 and 17 years old - According to UNICEF they are classified “On the street” children & “Of the street “children

Causes Children may end up on the streets for several basic reasons: - They may have no choice. They are abandoned, orphaned, or thrown out of their homes. - Secondly, they may choose to live in the streets because of mistreatment or neglect or because their homes do not or cannot provide them with basic necessities

Causes cont… Many children also work on the streets because their earnings are needed by their families. But homes and families are part of the larger society and the underlying reasons for the poverty or breakdown of homes and families due to social, economic, political or environmental or any combination of these.

Causes cont… According WHO report 1993 the following are list of causes : family breakdown armed conflict poverty natural and man-made disasters famine physical and sexual abuse exploitation by adults dislocation through migration urbanization and overcrowding acculturation Family death due to HIV/AIDS is another cause that might be added to this list.

where OPRIFS usually operating. Str. Chi. Cont… “As more and more parents die, the capacity of the extended family to take care of orphans becomes smaller and smaller”. (UNICEF Representative) Further more the complex socioeconomic problem aggravates the problem especially for the poor families where OPRIFS usually operating.

problems forces the girl child to go out to street life Str. Chi. Cont… In general speaking the cumulative effect /the pull and push factors like:- - early marriage - rural urban migration - being orphan - family conflict - employee –child conflict - peer pressure and other problems forces the girl child to go out to street life

2. Street Children in Ethiopia Ethiopia is one of the most populous and least developed countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. There are an estimated 60,000 street children in Addis Ababa and 150,000 nationwide (UNICEF, 1994). Street children are continuously exposed to various forms of exploitation, including sexual exploitation. They do not have access to basic rights such as access to proper care, education, psychological support The rural girls are suffering of arranged/forced marriage

3 .Experience of OPRIFS OPRIFS is a legally registered local NGO(2000) exists : To improve the Livelihood of abused and vulnerable Female Street Children through Prevention, Rehabilitation, Reintegration and family Empowerment.

3.1.Operational Areas of OPRIFS Reunification Coverage All over the country

3.2.Program components a) Protection, Rehabilitation & Reintegration of trafficked/abused and exploited female children b) Protection & Prevention of vulnerable /working children c)Working with parents, community (SHG, CC, neighborhood group) d) Capacity Building (CBOs, CBCPU) e) Networking and Partnership

a) Safe home service Lucky to be accompany by a trained bus station worker Wondering at the bus station Bus station workers are identifying any suspects of trafficked children and refer to CPU then to OPRIFS Criteria for admission at OPRIFS shelter:- the child has to be female aged 7-18 and abused

The Key activity in the TSH Rehabilitation Guidance and Counseling (group and individual) Play and Recreation Life skill training Vocational skill training Drama, Art and music Therapy Self expression and discussions System of carrying responsibilities with rewarding ( Safe home committee Saturday mediating)

Art Therapy

Music Therapy

Life Skill Training

Drama

Sport and Recreation

Play and Recreation

Protection, Rehabilitation & reintegration of trafficked/abused and exploited FSC Target Group - Sexually abused - Physically abused Rural urban migrated - Emotionally abused

Reunification

Working with police local authorities CPU and others Reunification

b) Protection and Prevention of vulnerable FSC Assist children from school drop out ( regular school) - School Material - Tutor & Library - Including Guidance and counseling - Life skill training - Education on RH and HIV/AIDS - Peer education & support girls clubs Marketable vocational skill training Facilitate ABE Small scale capacity improvements to government school. Strengthen the participation of parents through parents’ committee

Life Skill training Vocational skill Marketable Vocational Training

Alternative Basic Education

c) Working with SHG/CLA Why we organize SHG/CLAs’? -to reach vulnerable children Who are these people? - poor women who are struggling to Survive (to feed their family, send children to school and fulfill basic necessities) How we select and organize ? by using PRA techniques a homogeneous groups will be selected and organized.

SHG cont… It is purely a women Self Help Group who have a common interest and socio economic status A series of trainings will be given to the women that helps to realize their potential and enable them to work on their problems The whole exercise focuses to empower the members economically, socially & politically

SHG members weekly meeting In the past 2 years: - 1,050 women organized under 69 SHG/6 CLA - 1,414 under 18 children reached - Trained on - Gender, RH, HIV/AIDS, parenting skill etc. - saving, BBS,BBP, leadership etc. - Active involvement in - family/neighborhood /community conversation Campaigns

Neighborhood conversation

SHG member in cleaning campaigns Stop gender based violence/ a reaction against the death of a 13 year girl after being raped SHG member in cleaning campaigns

SHG members are playing an active role in educating the community & preventing children from going out to street CBCCP committee Community Awareness

d) Capacity Building to CBOs, CBCCPc CBCCP on capacity building training CBCCP on experience sharing visit

e) Networking and Partnership Informal - Community - CBOs (Idir, CBCPU) - GO & NGO - Women’s Affairs Office - Police - Non- Governmental Organization Formal - Two in process

Over all Accomplishment Since its establishment about 4333 FSC benefited :- - Among these, 1659 are abused female children protected and prevented from further abuse in the shelter. - 1403 reunified - 54 children transferred to other org. In the past two years 5 abusers sentenced from18 months to 18 years and 3 cases group case) found difficult to proceed with the trail because of lack of /weak evidence ( legal case remain OPRIFS challenge)

Over all achievement cont… - 1215 vulnerable children have got education support (715 in regular 500 in ABE) - 90 trained in vocational skill training & 85 are self reliant - 12 school clubs were strengthened

Best Practice Children’s participation in exercising responsibilities Program integration and linkage of prevention program with parents, CBOs and most importantly SHG(women groups) Community involvement in tracing and reunification High cooperation of formal and informal networks such as police, community, civil servants Recognition of SHG by the community and local authorities Active involvement of SHG members in prevention program The new initiative of Community Based Child Care & Protection

Challenges Capacity limitation - Financial capacity which relate with HR and other technical issues - Current economic situation Limitation of legal frame work for SHG to be recognized at higher level Safe home activity is costly (requires qualified workers which is expensive ) Tracing , reunification and follow up is challenging and costly

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