| TONY
ROBINSON IS STREET CHILD AFRICA’S
FIRST PATRON
Street Child Africa is proud to
announce that actor, writer and
television presenter Tony Robinson
has agreed to be our first ever
patron.
 Famous
for his role as grimy Baldrick,
side-kick to Rowan Atkinson’s Blackadder,
Tony Robinson has in recent years
enhanced his reputation as a champion
of Third World issues, and African
affairs in particular. He is a supporter
of International Debt Relief and
has made 3 films in Africa for Comic
Relief. African affairs are known
to be extremely close to his heart.
Tony Robinson is a hugely busy man
and much in demand. As well as presenting
Channel 4’s archeological programme
Time Team and putting the entire
works of Terry Pratchett onto Audio
Tape, he is also Vice President
of Equity, (the Actors Union), has
written 16 children’s books, directed
several stage plays and won numerous
awards for his television scripts.
In fact we wonder how he manages
to fit it all in! Which makes our
thanks to Tony for his support even
more heartfelt.
ANOTHER
SUCCESS STORY, THANKS TO YOUR SUPPORT:
Street Child Africa is proud to
support the medical assistance programme
for street children, run by our
partner Meninos de Moçambique (MDM),
in Mozambique’s capital, Maputo.
MDM has assisted thousands of street
children like Dinos. Dinos came
to the streets aged just 15, after
his mother was widowed. Tragically,
many street children leave home
because they think they are a burden
on their impoverished families.
 Luckily
for Dinos, he was found by MDM,
and given medical assistance and
counselling. With the support of
MDM he was eventually able to return,
aged 17, to his family. Since then,
Dinos has returned to school and
he is now in 9th grade. MDM continue
to offer financial support and counselling
to his family, ensuring that Dinos
never feels he is a burden again.
It is thanks to your continued support
that children like Dinos are able
to return to their homes and families,
and leave the streets behind.
Thank you to each and every one
of you for caring enough to change
these young lives.
SOLIDARITY WALK FOR STREET GIRLS:
Visitors from Ghana took part in
a solidarity walk in South Western
Germany in June 2003, to help raise
funds for a new house of refuge
for Street Girls Aid in Ghana.
Taking part were our own Fr. Patrick
Shanahan, (Executive Director, Street
Child Africa), Vida Asomaning-Amoako
(Director, Street Girls Aid), Frederick
Agbenorto (Baby Care Coordinator,
Street Girls Aid), Victoria Gomashie
(Training Coordinator, Street Girls
Aid), and George Afum-Ansah (Deputy
Director, CAS).
The walk, organised by the Diocese
of Munster in cooperation with Misereor,
saw 250 (mostly!) young people taking
part - finishing the 85 km in just
4 days.
Misereror has raised €87,500 towards
the purchase of a new house of refuge
for Street Girls Aid.
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“MAICARO”
– A LADY WITH
A BIG HEART
Hazel
Parsons, Director
of our partner
agency Streets
Ahead in Zimbabwe,
sends us this
heart warming
story of courage
and compassion
in the face
of extreme hardship:
I want to tell
you about Irene...
She is known
by every child
on the streets
of this city
as “Maicaro”,
meaning "our
mother".
Every day Irene
walks the streets
to meet the
children. She
knows them all
- new and old.
One day she
came across
a distraught
2-year-old who
had been abandoned.
Seeing no alternative,
she took him
home that night,
and cared for
him for a week
before she managed
to reunite him
with his family
through the
Department of
Welfare. The
next child was
also a boy.
He was 8 years
old, mentally
ill, and had
been sexually
abused.
Then there were
the girls. One
11 year old
had been traded
for sex by a
pimp. Another
had been raped
by her uncle
and could not
return home.
And so it went
on. Irene took
these children
home with her
to protect them
and love them.
Slowly, unofficially,
and without
any formal recognition,
Irene’s own
house became
a foster home.
First 8, then
10, then 14,
and finally
16 children
came to live
with her, every
one of them
sexually abused.
For each of
them she is
the only mother
they have and
they live as
a family, supporting
each other.
When she feels
children are
emotionally
secure, strong
and happy, Irene
carefully re-introduces
them back into
their family.
Out of her own
meagre salary
Irene buy books,
uniforms food
and clothing
for these children.
She has had
to move four
times because
of rent increases
by her landlords
.
Streets Ahead
now pays half
of Irene’s rent,
light and water
and contributes
towards food.
In July 2003
Streets Ahead
gathered enough
money to purchase
a Foster Care
Home for Irene
and her children.
It has been
a long hard
search but we
are in the process
of purchasing
a solid brick
house, with
hot and cold
water, indoor
plumbing, and
four bedrooms.
As yet we have
no beds or furniture,
but in time
that will come.
We do have one
woman with a
very big heart
and lots of
love to give,
and that is
what children
need most.
MORE
NEWS FROM ZIMBABWE:
Street Child
Africa and Streets
Ahead worked
together to
organise a street
workers training
course in Harare
in June 2003.
Without developing
the skills of
new and talented
young African
street workers,
we cannot reach
the street children
who so desperately
need our help.
Despite terrible
conditions of
famine and economic
collapse, 40
participants
still managed
to attend the
course, including
representatives
of Zimbabwe’s
Police Force
who wanted to
learn more about
street children,
and how they
can be treated
more humanely.
It’s
a testament
to the determination
of these workers
that they managed
to make the
journey to attend
during a mass
“stay away”,
and at a time
when petrol
is extremely
scarce.
Our thanks to
Misereor in
Germany, and
to CAFOD in
Zimbabwe, for
funding this
vital activity.
Street Child
Africa is proud
to support Streets
Ahead’s street
outreach programme
in Zimbabwe,
with your assistance.
It is the only
programme of
its kind in
Harare, the
capital of Zimbabwe. |
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CAS - TEN
YEARS ON
In April 2003, Catholic Action for
Street Children in Ghana (our oldest
partner agency) kicked off a year
of celebration to mark their tenth
anniversary. Amongst the distinguished
guests at their launch were His
Grace Archbishop Andoh - Archbishop
of Accra, and Mrs Mary Amadu - Director
of the Department of Social Welfare,
who gave the opening address.
An important event within the celebrations
was the launch of The Ghanaian Street
Child, a book detailing CAS’s discoveries
during their 10 years of working
with and for street children.
Bro Jos van Dinther, Director of
CAS, spoke to guests about the challenges
of CAS’s work - but also the successes
over the years. “In 1993” he said,
“nobody could tell us who street
children were or where they came
from. Today, we can give you the
answers”. According to The Ghanaian
Street Child, 86% of street children
in Ghana are a direct result of
family breakdown, and many have
never attended school.
CAS continued the celebrations with
an exhibition of craft items made
by street children during skills
training. CAS told the visitors
“Today we want to show you that
street children have many talents.
We want to show you what they are
capable of doing if given the opportunity”.
It is largely thanks to your support
that CAS has been able to survive
and grow, and continues to assist
many Ghanaian street children every
day. On behalf of CAS - thank you.
To obtain a copy of The Ghanaian
Street Child, please contact our
office: 0208 972 9820. or email
at.. |
