2023-04-28 13:34:37
The issue of street children and beggars has not had its last word. Almost ten months after the Burundi government launched the operation “zero street children and zero beggars”, they came back. They are there, numerous and threatening.
“We are in line with the implementation of government recommendations so that at the level of the whole country, at the level of the city of Bujumbura, there are no more beggars in the streets”, declared, at the launch of this operation, on July 7, 2022, Félix Ngendabanyikwa, permanent secretary at the ministry in charge of social affairs.
On this occasion, charitable hearts were also warned: “We also make an urgent appeal to the people who give money to these beggars because today we are fighting against begging but tomorrow or the day after tomorrow we will fight against people who give money to beggars because at the level of the penal code, sanctions are provided for those people who give but also for those people who beg”.
Today, it is enough to take a walk in the neighborhoods, in the city center, in front of the markets, the churches, the mosques, etc. only to find that the situation remains the same.
A public hazard
Today, street children are organized into groups. Like teachers, bankers, shopkeepers, civil servants… in the morning, they leave the outlying districts towards the city center. There, they show up in certain strategic places: in front of bars, restaurants, shopping malls, etc.
Today, they are not even afraid of the police anymore. “Because we know how to work with them,” entrusts one of these children, crossed on the Boulevard de l’Uprona. ” They are friends “, he adds, without giving more details, before running behind a car to beg for something. A few minutes later, this young boy, originally from Kayanza, returns with 500 Fbu in his hands and continues the description of their daily life: “We have no choice. To live, I have to beg. I have been a street child for more than seven years. » He says he was arrested several times by the police, but later released. « Comment ? », I throw at him. There, with a small smile, he refrains from commenting but points out that arrangements are possible. He also specifies thatthey work in groups and that there is some organization.
Another boy, in a street situation, bluntly admits that he steals mirrors or other objects in cars. ” That’s life. If people don’t give us, we help ourselves! I cannot accept starving when I am sure that in these vehicles or in these women’s handbags there is money..
In case of illnesses, he points out that they resort to self-medication. “How do you expect us to be treated in a hospital or a health center without the money? », he throws. The only option is therefore to buy drugs without a prescription. “Fortunately, we don’t get sick often. Just sores. And there, we take care of them with our means”, adds his friend.
“The failure was predictable…”
According to data from the ministry responsible for national solidarity, since the start of the campaign, only nearly 1,500 street children have been reintegrated into their families.
Nevertheless, this same ministry recognizes that this phenomenon is complex and is linked to several causes: “Poverty, family dislocation and delinquency are the main causes of this situation”, explains Ildefonse Majambere, spokesman for the said ministry. According to him, it is necessary to work in synergy to succeed in removing these children to reintegrate them into their families or other foster homes. And to deplore the fact that some parents have resigned from their duty to educate.
On the side of civil society, we do not mince words: “It’s a fiasco. The campaign failed. criticizes one of the leaders of an organization campaigning for children’s rights. Under anonymity, he points out that the failure was foreseeable: “We submitted several proposals, we asked that we start by raising awareness among the actors, but the government did not want to listen to us. He forced. And here’s the result “, he lets go. He regrets that these children and adults in street situations have become very violent today.
“They are on the defensive. They have seen that there is no pity for them, and today they say to themselves that they have no choice but to defend themselves, to fight for their survival. And let us remember that some, the majority, have not had a parental education. They have nothing to fear.” he explains.
For this activist, you should not ask them to be tender, disciplined, when they have never known this tenderness, this parental education. Today, they believe that even society has rejected them. Hence, they are aggressive, he comments, mentioning that in this case, it is necessary to approach them, to make them understand the interest of leaving this life. And to wink at the government and the police: Every time you use force, without associating us, expect failure”.
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