Mwanza, Tanzania - Nineteen-year-old Kulwa Joseph recently was able
to get off the streets. "I have been on the street more than 10 years,
since I was six. I work with Roots and Culture Foundation and earn money by
making and selling artworks to tourists."
His prized possession is his Techno phone, with neon green earbuds
that dangle around his neck.
"I bought the phone with money I earned selling paintings and
culture," he said, adding that he "uses the phone so people can call
about jobs and to talk with customers about the art. This phone has saved me
from a bad life."
Al Jazeera conducted its own sidewalk investigation, interviewing 24
street boys. While only five of them actually have mobile phones, all of them
said they know how to use one. Thanks to the mobile phones, each of the five
boys is able to pay for his own room and is able to make a modest income.
Thus far there are no projects to bring technology to street
children; however, even without any institutional support or programming,
mobile phones are improving the lives of the youth.
Mwanza is the second-largest city in Tanzania with an estimated
population of 700,000 people, and is perpetually plagued by thousands of street
children coming from villages across Tanzania. The real number of vulnerable
children in the region is unknown but is estimated to be 17,000 by Railway
Kids, a British non-governmental organisation that operates in Mwanza.
Handheld devices in the hands of vulnerable children can make a
difference according to Simeon Oriko, a development expert and community leader
at Open Institute.
"I bought the phone with money I earned selling paintings and
culture." Kulwa Joseph
"Communications are one of the best ways street children can
use technology to improve their lives. What information is of value and who
wants that information is important to know. Commerce is a way to use
technology in a more inclusive ecosystem, and the youth can use Facebook as a
marketing tool or learn more from schools online. Then they can teach the
younger children marketable skills," Oriko told Al Jazeera.
The children reported running away from home due to poverty,
physical and sexual abuse, or guilt because they engaged in petty theft to try
to make money for their families.
Joram Joel, 13, told Al Jazeera: "My parents got divorced. Mama
went to the island to fish and disappeared. Baba married a new wife and I lived
with them. One day a hawk came and ate a baby chick from the farm. When the
Baba asked what happened, [he] said if I lost the chicken I would have to leave
until he was able to bring it back. So I took a chick from a neighbour to replace
the one the hawk had eaten. The neighbour found out and told my father. My
father beat me and told him to get out. Now I clean dishes for the mamas who
run food stalls, watch TV at the bar and sleep in the cracks of the
rocks."
Wezo, 18, leads a group of eight street boys. According to Wezo and
"his" boys, they are harassed daily by police and arrested for no
reason. He said: "When one street child commits a crime, all are
considered guilty. We have no direction and no protection." Wezo explained
to Al Jazeera how "the thugs have a system for forcing the younger
children to steal for them or face more physical abuse".
He wants to start a business selling tea or eggs to support himself.
"I can use a mobile phone and wish I had one for myself. I know people use
Facebook on their phones to talk to far-away friends." Now, he "just
wants to be busy and not go to jail".
Valentino Mlowola, the regional police commissioner for Mwanza,
described street children as a "cross-cutting issue".
"No one can tackle it alone, and many departments have a duty
to play. The police department is meant to control criminal activity. Other
agencies and the community should also approach the reason why so many children
are on the street. The police have some solutions and social welfare has to be
involved as well as the local government. If they are arrested they end up
mingling with the serious criminals and then have been changed... How many can
you put into jail?"
Section 176 of the Penal Code of Tanzania states that children who
are idle are liable for fines for up to 1,000 Tanzanian shillings ($0.61) per
event and imprisonment for up to three months. Wezo said: "Boys who can
call someone for help on their phone are less likely to be beat or detained, as
they can be seen as more legitimate business people."
Joseph Mwandwanga runs Roots and Culture Foundation, a small
community-based organisation that helps street kids. When asked about the
number-one need of street kids, he replied: "Education and marketable
skills. Kids have different kinds of skills. One street kid was an especially
good artist, and was sponsored to be sent to an art school in Bagamoyo. The
sponsor also sent a laptop and now he is learning graphic design, is on
Facebook, and uses email and Skype."
While many Tanzanians lack mobile phones, the technology is making a
dramatic impact in improving these boys' lives.
Source:aljazeera
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