invisible children

Invisible children.

Sometimes at functions especially big outdoor ones with the tents you notice raggedy looking kids hanging around the fringes. As soon as its over they assist with clearing up plates, bottles and stacking up chairs. I used to think they were children of poor people trying to earn a few naira or plates of food. They dont live in poor homes, they live in the street.

My innocence ended about 3 years ago. My friend runs an HIV/AIDS support NGO mainly for positives. She got a grant to work with what is known as OVCs ie orphans and vulnerable children who are not necessarily infected but are affected by AIDS through the loss of parent/s and caregivers. The project was very small and limited to scholarships and school supplies for a few kids.

My friend decided to aim for street kids, figuring none would more vulnerable than them, marched off to the Police (street kids go with crime), explained her project and they escorted her to all the spots were they live. This involved her and two policemen visiting the street kids camps as early as 5.30am in the mornings so she could be sure they slept there and were truly homeless.

She panicked when her list reached 350. Some had a parent or caregiver as destitute as they were, some were from other states and didnt know how to get back, some were orphans, some were hawkers kicked out by thier madames/ogas for not working hard or stealing... none lived under adult supervision and care. No regular food. No healthcare. No rules. No protection. No school.

Government social welfare in this country is one thing that hasnt broken down because it never existed. What has happened is that poverty has broken down earning ability and the extended family support system. Aside from a few small orphanges, remand homes and shelters are non existent or painfully inadequate.

For people that live in Lagos or PortHarcourt my late introduction to this issue or panic at 350 kids must be laughable. Forgive me because I thought it was an older city problem, not a Calabar problem. These numbers can grow to thousands in a heartbeat. I some cities that is the case.

Now my eyes are opened I see them in every single state I visit in Nigeria. Open your eyes. Do you see them?

Kids as young as five live in the street. They fend for themselves in groups. They are labourers, drug couriers, pick pockets, scouts for thieves...
Sexual activity is early... rapes are common place. The girls are regularly raped by fellow street kids and men seeking sex. Im talking about sex as early as 10 or less.

They have known no love or mercy, why should they show any if they are robbing you?
The only care they have known is from street crimminals that occasionaly feed and "protect" them in return for work.

I recently met a group of six people trying to set up a shelter here in Calabar. This effort was spearheaded by a social works student in the University of Calabar and the others joined him to volunteer when he needed help. Presently 40 kids have just been moved to a temporary shelter offered by the Government. They will be moved into a private shelter (a building donated by one family!) where they will be cared for and rehabilitated. The greatest challenge will be the teenagers... they may be too used to independence and too angry to respond.

I will be giving updates on this particular project as it unfolds.

We all know there are desitute people living on the street. We know children are amongst them. I dont think they are that invisible either. We just have a way of blanking out what we feel we cant deal with. "Let me handle my own wahala first"... "I have to take care of my family first"...
Ironically the money spent on high fences, barbed wire, alsatian dogs, electric fences, foreign security companies, private guards, bullet proof cars, guns and more could be spent making sure children dont grow up in the street at the mercy of the elements, thieves and perverts.

Please open your eyes...
I wrote a song 3 years ago about the child abuse issue... recorded it last year and wasnt sure about releasing it... i though it sounded to preachy... many of my songs do... im releasing it because it represents what I feel and who I am. No point burying my head in the sand.

Oh time to end this... I visited the temporary shelter. I was happy they were under four walls and they looked happy despite how bare it was especially the littlest ones but I almost started crying. They were stringing beads and rushing to show me thier work... "Aunty! Aunty! see my own!" Im not sure many had enjoyed simple praise before. One little girl had old scar wounds on her head. I dont want to imagine how.

Im visiting again today and will be involved with this extensively. I should be able to write further on it and do justice to the brave individuals taking on this project. None of them work for an NGO. Its purely a voluntary initiative.

So do me a favour folks and open your eyes. Do you see invisible children?