Life on the streets - Student unveils study on children at risk

Nadisha Hunter, Gleaner Writer

RUSHANE FINCH, a student of Dunoon Technical High School, has painted a dismal picture of children living on the streets, saying their living condition is inhumane and requires immediate attention.

Finch presented his data from research on why there are so many street children in Kingston and St Andrew, during the Caribbean Children Research conference on Wednesday at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.

"When I went to Cross Roads to conduct the research, one girl asked me to buy her something to eat because she has not eaten for a month. This is terrible and it really touched my heart," he said.

He collected data from 20 children.

In providing a clearer picture of the horrendous living conditions faced by the children who are between the ages of seven and 18, the young researcher said cardboard boxes or even the bare ground behind buildings were their resting place at night.

He went further to outline the worrying nature of the activities some street children engage in to survive.

According to Finch 20 per cent of respondents ask members of the public for money, another 20 per cent of respondents are engaged in stealing, 10 per cent peddle drugs, 10 per cent are involved in prostitution while the remaining 40 per cent take part in other illegal activities.

The majority of children interviewed said they want to leave the streets while about five per cent expressed the view that they had no problem with their current lifestyle.

Finch pointed out that his study found that most of the children ended up on the street as a result of physical and emotional abuse, neglect, as well as poverty.

Finch called for the Government to redouble its effort to change the worrying trend, which was stifling the future of some youths.

"By talking to them I realised that some of them are intelligent. They have the talent and the potential but all they need is love," he said.

family-planning

Finch recommended that the Government introduce an intensive family-planning programme to reduce the high level of unwanted pregnancy, address the problem of unemployment and poverty as a matter of priority as well as provide more foster care facilities for abandoned children.

He also said universal education especially for the poor must be pursued with the provision of free books, uniforms, meal and assistance with transportation, as well as to strengthen the capacity of education for children who are at risk of becoming street children.

He further added that more training must be provided for social workers with special skills to get children off the street.

In the meantime, Children's Advocate Mary Clarke said there has been a decrease in the number of children on the streets after much advocacy from her office.

She said the law made it clear that it was illegal for the children to be on the streets and, as such different agencies were working together to stem the problem.

"What they have been trying to do now is to find the relative of these children and get them to take responsibility for them," Clarke said.

"Some of them were placed in areas where they are being trained in different areas as well as given food so it is a concerted effort," she added.