Be Their Champion
The International Day for Street Children 2019
This year StreetInvest and its partners coordinated its first global advocacy event to celebrate the International Day for Street Children on the 12th April. Government consultations were hosted in Mombasa, Kenya by Glad’s House; Tamale, Ghana by MFCS and Kolkata, India by CINI. Each consultation was co-designed with and attended by street-connected children on StreetInvest’s ‘Street Champions’ programme. The Street Champions programme empowers children to be part of the advocacy process, equipping them with the skills to speak for themselves in spaces usually reserved for adults.
Over 50 Street Champions, all of whom received leadership and public speaking training, presented on issues facing themselves and their peers to government representatives. In India, the team launched their City Level Children’s Group, which will leverage the Street Champion’s platform to give a voice to 100s of other street-connected children across the city. In Kenya, the headcount results from the Mombasa count in December were formally launched to the press and national government.
“Having the results of the Mombasa headcount validated by the government is the beginning of working and challenging them at a higher level, so that street-connected children can live better lives holistically.”
In Ghana, the team held a series of activities in Tamale and surrounding villages, including discussions on street-connected children in local schools, followed by a stakeholder meeting and a march through the streets of Tamale (image above, credit MFCS). The Mayor of Tamale, the heads of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social protection and the National Commission for Civic Education in the Northern region took part in the activities.
StreetInvest’s CEO Duncan interviewed Street Champions from each city on the day, over an online live-stream, which went out to StreetInvest’s supporters. This includes those at an event hosted at StreetInvest’s Twickenham base, which was attended by Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable MP. Congratulations and thank you again to all our partners who made the day possible!