fbpx
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsTales of Zimbabwe’s invisible children

Tales of Zimbabwe’s invisible children

The sun has been swallowed and evening vehicle headlights are at full beam, Tafadzwa and his gang emerge from under the Seke Road flyover.

By Elia Ntali

They all look alike- ragged, grubby feet, red eyed and their stature tells they are still young.

Confidently walking, the urchin produces a 500ml container with contact glue from his dirty jacket and sniffs it and the other boys beg for a drag.

Then he offers the container to his buddies, but for a price. He punches one, and a scuffle ensues among the young lads.

Unperturbed by what his peers are doing Tafadzwa goes to vehicles at the nearby traffic lights begging money from drivers.

“Boss, can I please have a dollar I am hungry” he begs, but most of the drivers signal that they do not have.

He jumps to the next vehicle and cracks a joke which sends everyone in the vehicle into laughter then he begs for money which proves elusive to come despite the rib cracker.

These are Zimbabwe’s invisible children who have been overlooked.

During the day they are at road junctions begging for money and food and at times steal.

They sleep in the midst of stinking waste and they all had a home once. They all have stories to tell, but they tighten up when asked about it.

It is after offering them some money that they open up but with scepticism.

“I lived with my uncle following the death of my parents but because he was cruel I decided to run away,” says Tafadzwa.

“Today I feel free and life is going on just like those in homes I buy my sadza and the only difference is I am on the streets of Harare,” he adds.

ALSO ON 263Chat:  Open contracting key to driving mining revenue

The other boys had similar tales where they say they lived under cruel conditions from parents and other family members.

A few metres from Tafadzwa’s ‘hunting ground’ a young girl probably 13 years is busy soliciting for cash from motorists.

Emirates

“I was born in the streets and have never been to school, I survive on begging and in some cases men take me out for sex. I have no option as I want to feed my mother who also lives in the streets.

“Of course the fear of contracting HIV/Aids is there. I insist on the use of condoms and others offer large amounts to have unprotected sex. I have no choice,” said the young girl.

They have turned into the owners of the city roaming the streets and since then it has been a story of drugs, prostitution and stealing.

Claris Madhuku, Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD) executive director said the lack of traditional methods in guiding children has worsened the situation.

“The absence of platforms to accommodate these children has worsened the situation. The only platform at the moment are schools but they have adopted a Eurocentric approach where information is limited,” said Madhuku

He added that information shared in the secular world had creeped into the young generation.

“The level of information shared in the secular world has led to the young generation believe that parental knowledge systems are outdated however, alternative sources are to follow traditional methods such as the engagement of uncles and aunties,” he said “Groom children in modern systems that value and strengthen family relationships.”

He called for families to stick to religious values that promote morality and called on the Government to implement punitive measures on drugs.

ALSO ON 263Chat:  60% Of Sexual Abuses Committed By Close People

“Children have nothing to occupy them and the only way to hide from these reality is to engage in drugs leading to morality decay. As a way of curbing these issues the government should provide opportunities that offer skills to these children.

“They should deal with drug issues and implement heavy sentences. The children’s behaviour is now acceptable, the moral fabric of the country has been destroyed” he said

Section 19 of the Constitution specifically provides for children. The Section calls upon the state to “adopt policies and measures to ensure that in matters relating to children, the best interests of the children concerned are paramount.”  Amongst these measures is the need for the protection of children from all forms of abuse and exploitation.

 The Zimbabwe Government ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and as such became a State party to the Convention.

“As a State party, Zimbabwe has committed itself to respect and continue to observe the rights set forth in the Convention. One of the obligations of States parties to the Convention is the submission of reports on the measures adopted which give effect to the rights recognized in the Convention and on the progress made towards the enjoyment of these rights,” says the report

Tafadzwa and company have no desire to go to school; they just want their daily dose of glue and to them the next meal is their future.

For the ordinary citizens Tafadzwa and crew are viewed as ‘terrorists’ since they are in the habit of snatching food and other valuables from them.

Share this article
Written by

263Chat is a Zimbabwean media organisation focused on encouraging & participating in progressive national dialogue

No comments

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

You cannot copy content of this page