supporting street children growing

SUPPORTING STREET CHILDREN

The growing number of abused and neglected street children throughout

the world, often the victims of political conflict, war, criminal

gangs, HIV-AIDS and economic exploitation, is alarming. Estimates

vary, but an oft-cited UNICEF figure is that the number of children

living independently in the streets, most aged between 10 and 14

years, totals between 100 million and 150 million worldwide, and is

forecast by 2020 to have increased to 800 million.

Put that way it looks insurmountable. Of course it is the political,

economic, social and cultural-religious problems underlying the crisis

that need to be addressed. But grassroots humanitarian and

community-building responses are also vital. I heard of one such at my

local church, St Stephen's in Exeter, on Sunday. Ian Harvey and Mark

Gant are doing a remarkable job establishing a project called Kimbilio

(Swahili for a place of refuge) in Congo's second city, Lubumbashi.

There are some 250,000 street children in DRC alone.

You can find out more about Kimbilio here and at the Congo Children

Trust online, which is also receiving PayPal donations. The project is

being established in cooperation with the local Anglican Church, and