Millions of children around the world survive in the street and only few people and organizations are concern about this scenario. This lukewarm, or rather, passive response to the problem of street children phenomenon is a problem that needs urgent attention. Although poverty remains a constant issue in Nigeria, specific type of poverty such as homelessness and kids in the street is yet to capture attention.
The term street children have many definitions, street children are children experiencing poverty, homelessness or both, who are living on the streets of a city, town, or village. Homeless youth are often called street youths or youth at risk; the definition of street children is contested, but many practitioners and policymakers use UNICEF’s concept of boys and girls, aged under 18 years, for whom “the street” (including unoccupied dwellings and wasteland) has become home and source of livelihood, and who are inadequately protected or supervised(Sarah 2009). The Public from whom these children beg from sees them as nonentity,When this vulnerable group does not get appropriate facilities, they suffer from malnutrition and many other basic life problems which affect their overall growth, community development, and which ultimately causes rise of a poor developed nation.
GSK initiative has been trying in her reach to provide the basic needs required for every street child within the organization reach such as Feeding, Clothing, hygiene products, also seeing to it that the street children are not being arrested unjustly by security agencies and accused wrongfully within the society they dwell.
Street children are characterized by loneliness on the street, shelter less, loss of parental contacts, loss of parental protection, love and care, and most often exponentially squalid (Lugalla&Mbwambo 1995). Another interesting reality is that street children share the streets with millions of adults, many of whom regard them as nuisances, if not as dangerous mini criminals. However, it must be noted that what the bulk of the children do on street is, of course, work to survive or earn money for their significant persons (parents and guardians).
National Security entails the ability of Nigeria to advance her interests and objectives, to certain instability, control crime, eliminate corruption, improve the welfare, and quality of life of every citizen (Obansanjo 1991). National security or national defense of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government (Wikipedia). National Security pose serious threat to Street children, making the street unbearable for the children to live in as a result of illegal arrest, harassment and wrongful accusations as a result of that many of them are being detained at the police custody while other have been sent to prison where harden criminals are kept, in which affect the behavior of the child when he gets out of prison (ex-convict).
Security agencies should be a safe place for a street child to run to when in trouble and not a place to run from (GSKinitiative 2022).There’s a need for security agencies to equip themselves with the right knowledge on handling cases that deals with street children and this can only be acquired through training, seminars, workshops, that is of children interest. Finally, government policies centered at protecting the children should be strictly adhered to by all agencies and there should be a body who would see to it that all these policies are been followed. Sanctions should also be giving to those who flout these policies. With this the society would be a safe space for children in street situation.
