The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child has published a concept note on the commemoration of the twenty-first edition of the Day of the African Child on 16 June 2011 under the theme, “All together for urgent actions in favour of street children”.

The publication points out that the Day of the African Child seeks to mobilise and call to action the collective efforts of all role-players on the African continent to commemorate the 1976 massacre of children in Soweto, South Africa. The AU seeks to commemorate this day by encouraging all actors – both state and civil society actors – involved in improving the condition of children on the continent, to engage in activities that promote the rights of the child.

This year the AU will focus on the rights of children living on the streets.

It is noted that conditions in African countries create a risk that children will be forced to live on the streets and that “[d]espite the efforts made over several years by States as well as private sectors and families, the phenomenon of street children persists and increasingly appears to be part of daily life, to the extent that it is likely people will become indifferent to it” (p. 3).

It is estimated that 120 million children live in the streets across the world, with 30 million living in Africa. It is difficult to provide these children with the services and protection they urgently need. Children living on the streets are vulnerable to all forms of exploitation and inhuman treatment.

The objectives of the 2011 Day of the African Child are to:

• contribute to the awareness of the dangers faced by street children and encourage the taking of urgent steps to protect them;
• determine strategic guidelines keeping children off the streets and with their families;
• propose innovative strategies to ensure their care and protection;
• take stock of the position of children living on the street in Africa;
• sensitise African people on the importance of protective action to ensure the rights of these children;
• advocate amongst African governments and civil society for greater resource allocation for the protection of these children;
• reflect on data problems; and
• provide overall care for children living on the streets, including accommodation, psychosocial mentoring and reinsertion into families.

The AU suggests that States and civil society undertake the following activities:

• The adoption by States of plans of action which include specific measures that are adequately resourced to guarantee the rights of children as set out in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
• Conduct nation-wide studies to ensure up-to-date data on street children.
• Raise public awareness of the rights and risks for street children.
• Facilitate coordination of efforts to address the holistic needs of children.
• Strengthen families and other caregiving environments to prevent children from living on the streets.
• Strengthen the skills of child protection workers to support children living on the street.
• Ensure the provision of material assistance and support, especially with regard to nutrition, health, education, clothing and housing.

The African Union Commission expects every country to submit a report on their activities commemorating the Day of the African Child, and has indicated that these reports could and should include information about children living on the streets.

The age of children living on the streets is decreasing. A study by Linda Richter in 1990 found children on the streets to be aged between 7 and 18 years. Bill Raftery, who works with children on the streets in Durban, said in an interview that since 2002, when he first started working with these children, the age of children on the streets has dropped; that it is not uncommon to find children as young as 5 or 6 years old on the streets.

It is critical that any national policy or programme recognise and urgently address the needs of these very young children as a matter of urgency. There is a need for advocacy in which street children programmes as well as ECD programmes seek specifically to address this emerging problem.

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View a copy of the African Committee of Expert’s Concept Note.