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Sets of problems and solutions of street children and youngsters and a few solutions thanks to having worked with them

The set of problems of street children, boys and girls, dates back to the years 1970, at which time they were nicknamed “pajaros fruteros” (fruit birds, since this name recalls these small birds flying from one tree to the next to pick fruit at the harvest time, Ed.)

It is only from the years 80 that one takes stock of this situation, after the death of one of these children whose friends called him “petiso”. Since this occurrence, the non Governmental organisations (NGO) and the State took this populations in charge.

The means of intervention towards this population is the “boarding”, which allows us to carry out the work having as purpose to obtain the social re-integration of the children and youths living in the street, without fixed delay.

A child in street situation is an individual, a subject of right, who owing to problems in his home (physical, psychological mistreatment, sexual violence, etc.) decides to escape and chooses the street as a new place to live in. These children gather in groups in order to find protection, have aggressive and hostile behaviours, consume drugs (inhaling of solvents, marijuana, coke, tablets) and develop an activity of sexual freedom.

The children break off all links with their family and society.

IMPARES, a NGO which worked for 9 years with this population, informs that there are 500 children and youngsters living in the street. Most of these children and youngsters have quit school, and some of them even never went to school , which means that they can neither read nor write.

Unfortunately a real census of this population does not exist, since the mobility from one place to the other and the use of different assumed names in order to escape from the police are part of these characteristics.

The number of girls and female teenagers in the street increases… which is the more dramatic that they live in a country where the gender question is hardly beginning to be approached, and where the theme of sexuality is still a taboo in many families.

A certain number among them escape owing to sexual abuse or due to a situation in which this type of abuse appears inescapable. They land in the street in a state of severe vulnerability, and since it is easy to live in this environment if one has some one who can be a protector, they quickly look for a boyfriend, a friend or a support.

Sexual practices in this environment are considered as “normal” and these youngsters consider prostitution as a means for survival. The problem is that these young girls only have vague or false information about sexuality and are therefore exposed to sexually transmissible infections, non wished for pregnancies and denigrating sexual practices, such as the fact of being paid more if they don’t use a condom.

Presently we are facing 5 cases of teenagers’ pregnancy at the centre of Lima, and we continue to help them thanks to medical visits and steps taken with a view of obtaining their national identity card which will permit them to register with the State health service and thus allow that their child be borne in decent conditions.

In the course of the work carried out with them, they take part in information and training sessions regarding the care necessary to their physical condition, their self esteem, how to conceive their life plan, etc.

All these children and teenagers in street situation benefit from the service we offer through our project “Street without frontiers – Peru”, which we reinforce thanks to the support of our network REDENAC (network of street educators in Peru) and which we realise in conjunction with public awareness campaigns, delivery of identity papers, educational recreation and all that is necessary in favour of our target population.

Between March 2008 and March 2009 we accompanied 100 teenagers at medical consultations.

As a network, we have handed out, 600 national identity cards to children in street situation or at social risk.
(One million Peruvians do not possess an identity card, and without it they cannot accede to the State health service, with the result that their rights are affected.)

This year the REDENAC educators will benefit from a training in the field of the rights of the children and the teenagers, as well as concerning other connected themes which will be very useful for their field work.

Thanks to our project “Streets without frontiers – Peru”, nine youngsters have reintegrated their family; we also have twelve youngsters possessing a natural gift for music who are touring the Lima streets by bus whilst playing their typical Peruvian instruments.

Our project allows the youngsters taking part in the program, and those wishing to join it, to acquire new musical instruments.
We organise private performances allowing them to earn more money so as to guarantee their independence.
A follow up is ensured for each one of these cases.
We also help them to enter or return towards the school system.
All this is feasible thanks to the help of our work team, of REDENAC and the voluntaries coming from Quebec and other regions. They are for us an enormous support in the dream we have to build a better world for our children.
 

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