Senators raise concern over the growing number of street children
Senators have raised concern over the plight of children on the streets amid the current cold weather in the country.
The number of children on the streets especially in Harare appears to be increasing.
Most of them have taken to road intersections to beg or sell various goods to motorists.
Speaking on the motion on the plight of children on the streets, Senator Tambudzai Mohadi said it is painful to think of the children and what they are going through.
‘’When you are speaking of these vulnerable children on the streets, it hurts a lot. Looking at the weather currently, it is very cold even though you are under some shelter, and you have all the blankets, you feel the effect of the weather.
‘’It is worse when you imagine that some of these children sleep under bridges and on the streets without any blankets to cover themselves with. It is so painful, and I wonder what we can do to assist these children.
‘’We encourage the responsible ministries to come up with measures that can reduce the numbers of children that survive on the streets. It is so amazing that the numbers continue increasing despite the children growing older.
‘’Looking at these street kids, some of them have both parents but they are told to go and fend for the family and in the evening when they come home, they are supposed to provide food for the other siblings. As a result, they end up not even returning to their homesteads and stay on the streets for good,’’ she said.
Although various initiatives have been undertaken, they appear not to be working and the children keep growing. Previous media reports indicate that some of the children run away from the homes they would have been placed in around the country.
Senators raise concern over the growing number of street children
