Introduction
Although small-scale business
training and credit programs have become more common throughout the world,
relatively little attention has been paid to the need to direct such
opportunities to young people. Even less attention has been paid to
children living on the street or in difficult circumstances.
Over the past nine years,
Street Kids International (S.K.I.) has been working with partner
organisations in Africa, Latin America and India to support the economic
lives of street children, The purpose of this paper is to share some of the
lessons S.K.I. and our partners have learned.
Background
Typically, children do not end
up on the streets due to a single cause, but to a combination of factors: a
dearth of adequately funded schools, the demand for income at home, family
breakdown and violence. The street may be attractive to children as a place
to find adventurous play and money. However, It is also a place where some
children are exposed, with little or no protection, to exploitative employment,
urban crime, and abuse.
Children who work on the
streets are generally involved in unskilled, labour-intensive tasks which
require long hours, such as shining shoes, carrying goods, guarding or
washing cars, and informal trading. Some may also earn income through
begging, or through theft and other illegal activities. At the same time,
there are street children who take pride In supporting themselves and their
families and who often enjoy their work. Many children may choose
entrepreneurship because it allows them a degree of independence, is less
exploitative than many forms of paid employment, and is flexible enough to
allow them to participate in other activities such as education and
domestic tasks.
Street
Business Partnerships
S.K.I. has worked with partner
organisations in Latin America, Africa and India to develop innovative
opportunities for street children to earn income.
• The S.K.I. Bicycle Courier
Service first started in the Sudan. Participants in this enterprise were
supplied with bicycles, which they used to deliver parcels and messages,
and which they were required to pay for gradually from their wages. A
similar program was taken up in Bangalore, India.
• Another successful project,
The Shoe Shine Collective, was a partnership program with the Y.W.C.A. in
the Dominican Republic. In this project, participants were lent money to purchase
shoe shine boxes. They were also given a safe place to store their
equipment, and facilities for individual savings plans.
• The Youth Skills Enterprise
Initiative in Zambia is a joint program with the Red Cross Society and the
Y.W.C.A. Street youths are supported to start their own small business
through business training, life skills training and access to credit.
Lessons
learned
The following lessons have
emerged from the programs that S.K.I. and partner organisations have
created.
• Being an entrepreneur is not
for everyone, nor for every street child. Ideally, potential participants
will have been involved in the organisation's programs for at least six
months, and trust and relationship building will have already been
established.
• The involvement of the
participants has been essential to the development of relevant programs.
When children have had a major role in determining procedures, they are
more likely to abide by and enforce them.
• It is critical for all loans
to be linked to training programs that include the development of basic
business and life skills.
• There are tremendous
advantages to involving parents or guardians in the program, where such
relationships exist. Home visits allow staff the opportunity to know where
the participants live, and to understand more about each individual’s
situation.
• Small loans are provided
initially for purchasing fixed assets such as bicycles, shoe shine kits and
basic building materials for a market stall. As the entrepreneurs gain
experience, the enterprises can be gradually expanded and consideration can
be given to increasing loan amounts, The loan amounts in S.K.I. programs
have generally ranged from US$30-$100.
• All S.K.I. programs have
charged interest on the loans, primarily to get the entrepreneurs used to
the concept of paying interest on borrowed money. Generally the rates have
been modest (lower than bank rates).
Conclusion
There is a need to recognise
the importance of access to credit for impoverished young people seeking to
fulfil economic needs. The provision of small loans to support the entrepreneurial
dreams and ambitions of youth can be an effective means to help them change
their lives. However, we believe that credit must be extended in
association with other types of support that help participants develop
critical life skills as well as productive businesses.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment
thank you for visiting my blog and for your nice comments