𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐒

Many parents and guardians are overwhelmed by economic and behavioral challenges and feel unable to manage their children. Although school fees were paid for resettled children to support families, many still face significant difficulties. The ongoing city demolition and restructuring have added immense pressure, causing some parents and guardians to return children to the streets even after long periods of successful resettlement.

This is a concerning setback that undermines resettlement efforts, requiring renewed support for previously resettled children, those in shelters, and others still undergoing rehabilitation before returning home. Many parents face difficult circumstances and, despite wanting the best for their children, some believe they will have better opportunities elsewhere. This highlights the severe challenges families face and, in some cases, limited awareness of parenting responsibilities and available support systems.

Through the numerous follow-up visits we have conducted, it has become evident that many families are going through extremely difficult periods. In some cases, we have personally contributed towards monthly rent payments to help families maintain stable housing. Others regularly contact us seeking support and guidance.

Another challenge has been the enrollment of children back into school. Some parents have become frustrated when children are not immediately re-enrolled after school holidays. In certain instances, parents and guardians have reported us to local chairpersons, believing that we had failed to return their children to school.

This has been surprising and concerning, particularly because enrollment is carried out in phases and cohorts to ensure fairness and proper management of the process. These reactions demonstrate the level of stress, anxiety, and expectation within many family settings.

Parents and guardians continue to experience significant emotional strain and frustration, particularly around rehabilitation timelines and school re-enrollment processes. Managing expectations remains challenging, especially when priority is given to children in examination classes, leading some families to feel overlooked.

While these circumstances can result in criticism and occasional threats, such reactions are often rooted in difficult living conditions and desperation. Through patience and understanding, we have found that concerns generally decrease once children are successfully re-enrolled in school and begin making progress.

Working with both guardians and children is extremely demanding. When combined with the financial hardships affecting many families, the complexity of the resettlement process becomes even more apparent. Despite these challenges, continued support, patience, and collaboration remain essential to achieving lasting success for the children and their families.

𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐂𝐘 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐒

Our advocacy efforts during this period have remained focused on one of the most pressing challenges facing our communities: the growing number of children living on the streets. Engagement has centered on the children themselves, their families and places of origin, and the wider communities affected by this issue.

We have participated in numerous advocacy meetings related to street children, with a particular focus on identifying opportunities for collaboration that can strengthen rescue efforts and improve coordination among organizations working to remove children from the streets.

While these workshops and advocacy initiatives have provided valuable opportunities for dialogue, they have yet to produce the tangible outcomes many stakeholders had anticipated. This remains a source of concern, especially given the commitments that are often expressed during discussions. In several instances, follow up engagement has revealed a gap between commitments made publicly and the actions taken thereafter, which continues to hinder progress and limit the effectiveness of ongoing interventions.

Despite these challenges, there have been encouraging developments. Several individuals and partners have provided meaningful support in the area of vocational training, including recommendations for quality skills development programs. Constructive discussions have also taken place regarding collaborative approaches to reducing the number of older children and youth living on the streets.

To facilitate these efforts, we hosted one stakeholder meeting at our office. However, due to ongoing construction works, future meetings will be held at alternative venues to ensure continued engagement and collaboration with partners and community stakeholders.

Another area of concern is the continued rise in police arrests involving street-connected children. While various allegations and narratives are often associated with these arrests, our experience suggests that many of the children involved have limited capacity or experience to organize and carry out the crimes for which they are frequently accused.

This underscores the importance of child sensitive approaches, careful assessment, and a stronger emphasis on protection, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

A number of stakeholders remain actively engaged and continue to contribute wherever possible. However, we have observed that many organizations place significant emphasis on tracking statistics, such as the number of children on the streets or enrolled in programs.

While data collection is important, there remains a critical need to balance quantitative reporting with meaningful interventions that create lasting change in the lives of vulnerable children and young people.