Beyond Covid - Street Work for Street Children
StreetInvest will ensure that the most marginalised street-connected children have access to emergency relief, healthcare & protection during the COVID-19 pandemic & beyond by training and supporting a network of trusted adult Street Workers in Ghana, Kenya and India.
Situation
Street Connected Children (SCC) that we support in India, Kenya & Ghana are marginalised with no or limited access to emergency relief, health, education and other support services. SCC face numerous abuses & violations of their rights. They are regarded as criminals simply for being on the street. SCC are deemed to be too challenging to support during normal times or throughout the pandemic. SCC’s livelihoods like begging & collecting have disappeared or declined significantly due to COVID-19.
Solution
StreetInvest’s vision is for every Street-Connected Child (SCC) to have access to a trustworthy adult in their lives so that they are safer, better supported and valued by their communities. To achieve this vision, we promote & support Street Work, a rights-based, child-centred, strength-based approach that responds to the realities of SCC rather than treating them as either victims or criminals. We support SCC to grow, develop and reach their full potential, reducing abuse & discrimination.
Campaign Aims
This project aims to ensure Street-Connected Children (SCC) access to emergency relief, health services & education through the COVID-19 pandemic facilitated through trained & skilled Street Workers.
Impact
Street-connected children will be safer, have improved access vital services – including emergency support in the wake of Covid, and vaccinations when available – and have a stronger sense of belonging in their communities. As a result, street-connected children will be better able to grow and develop so that they can reach their potential and reduce the abuse and discrimination that they face.
Reporting
StreetInvest uses the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) to evaluate the impact of street work – protection rights (safety), provision rights (access to services) and participation rights (sense of belonging). Data is gathered through Street Work Monitoring tools, quarterly focus group discussions and case studies, analysed and fed back to street workers and the children they support to allow for a closed feedback loop and ongoing evaluation and improvement.
I came in touch with an aunty [Street Worker] who saw me begging and began visiting me regularly. After a long time, I actually found someone who was interested in me and wanted to know what I liked or had to sa.y. She told me I could access a safe space during the day and stay at the girls’ shelter
Street Work in 2021
Read more about our impact through Street Work (click on the images below)
India
Ghana
Kenya
