StreetWise - The Children

at our school are very special children. Each have their unique backgrounds and also a shared one. They live on the streets or, have at one point, lived on the streets. They have faced poverty, hunger and abuse on many different levels. Everyday, our children are exposed to persons engaged in criminal activities, bribes, physical abuse, drugs and alcohol, pimps, sexual predators, violence and kidnapping.

Our children, aged from 4 to 15, have made great sacrifices to attend our school and have truly become students by sheer determination. Given the circumstances, their guardians depend on them for a large percentage of their income and attending school is a luxury. Once the girls reach puberty, parents are eager to marry them off. The responsibilities that our children bear for their families are tremendous. StreetWise tries to find ways in which to help them juggle with their desire for education and their fear of becoming burdens to their families. We honor their desire to contribute and provide for their families.

Since the beginning of our pilot project in January 2006, our children have grown with us, not just in height and years but on many other levels. When we first invited them to StreetWise, they all faced illiteracy. Some guardians, at one point or another, had enrolled them in local schools, only to have them rejected by the system or had pulled them out themselves. At StreetWise, our children are staying. They are learning how to read and write and much more.

Our children lacked proper shelter and mentoring. Now they have a place where they are looked after, cared for and educated. School starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. On a rotation basis, every night, a couple of students are scheduled to spend the night at school. The time they spend in school valuable time that not only keeps them off the streets but teaches them how to stay out of trouble.

Our children faced poor health and nutrition. They now have access to medical care and treatment, daily vitamins and have 2 meals a day. On a rotation basis, the children that stay overnight have three meals a day.

Our students' guardians also benefit from StreetWise. They collect a percentage of the funds from the sales of StreetWise products, medical attention when required and have come to use StreetWise as a drop-in center when in need of advice.

There are of course many other ways in which our students benefit from the school. Our program helps them boost their self confidence and build leadership qualities. StreetWise has become a haven of fun and learning for them, and most importantly, a place where they can be children.