Claudette Pious (right), executive director of Children First, speaks to members of the NGOs drama group, Environmental Protectors, and 16-year-old Rayon Leachman (centre), a student who served as chairman of yesterday's launch of a video and campaign to change the perception of street children. - Ian AllenWHETHER THEY are lurking outside of supermarkets begging "a ten dollar", wiping windshields for change or selling small items, the island's growing number of street children are often ignored as if they are invisible.
They're frequently stereotyped simply as delinquents, drug addicts and sex workers. But for the local non-governmental organisation (NGO) Children First, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) they are children who have rights and are entitled to protection, health, food, love and education.
These organisations are hoping to change the negative perceptions with the launch of a video and public education campaign called "Don't call me a street child - Innovative projects at work".
The aim of the video, prepared in English, Spanish and Portuguese and being distributed in 10 countries, is to change public perception so that the children can be seen as being "a promise" needing help instead of "at risk".
The video, to be shown on local television and distributed at police stations, schools, libraries and other NGOs, uses scenarios in Jamaica, Honduras and Brazil to look at family, economy and other factors resulting in a child's move to the street, the activities they carry out while there and programmes aimed at helping their families and getting these children into schools or NGO educational programmes.
At yesterday's launch at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, executive director of Children First Claudette Pious described the move as "most timely".
"This campaign aims to highlight that every child is a child. It aims to encourage the use of creative methodologies in working with families, communities, in providing the opportunities for these children to develop to their full potential," she said.
"There is no quick-fix solution to addressing their needs or the root cause or the preventative methods needed. I think it is time now to honestly look at what we are able to commit and stop making empty promises which only make good media airplay but have no substance," she added.
Responding to a question on what was being done to train law enforcement and school officials in children's rights, Ambassador Marjorie Taylor, Special Envoy for children, said that the Health Ministry's Child Support Unit (CSU) had already taken steps to help train police officers, guidance counsellors and teachers in how to respond to children in school, on the streets or if they are in custody and helping children form "child rights clubs" in schools.
