All My Children

Transition homes in the community

This is an area where it is extremely difficult to succeed. Because of the stigma attached to the street children, people in the community generally fear to accommodate them in their own homes. There is a tremendous need to educate the community in this regard; already the project held its first seminar in the township to make people aware of the street children’s plight and of its difficulties in finding transition homes, before the children can return to their own families. The project has also approached the churches for transition homes, but failed to obtain a positive response! As a result, it applied to the local township council and was given a piece of land to erect a transition home but funds are needed to build such a home to accommodate the children.

Should a project succeed in organising homes where children can be catered for while in ‘transition‘, it is imperative that the people accepting children into their homes be prepared to deal with them accordingly. The time of transition will vary from child to child, depending on his family circumstances and the feasibility of re-integrating him. However, should it become clear that a child will have to stay for some time at the transition home, the project has him admitted at a local school to continue with his studies. He may or may not be formally registered as a pupil. The goal is to build up his confidence and to encourage him to progress so that by the time he returns home, he has `adopted’ a new lifestyle.

Usually, the length of time a child has spent on the street determines the length of time he will stay in transition; in other words, the longer away from home, the more attention the child needs. Children who cannot be re-integrated into their families or who have been abandoned may be entrusted to relatives willing to take care of them, after their situation has been assessed. Foster families are the last resort. Again, because of the small town situation, the project does not deal with many children and therefore the need for a children’s home in the township in which to place children permanently is not seen as a priority, provided there is at least one available in the area. (The Eastern Transvaal Province does not have any children’s homes at present.)

Children need to come to the ‘transition home‘ in twos or threes in order to feel secure and to have the support of a friend. When arriving at the home, the first thing they do is take a bath, wash their clothes and mend them if necessary. If they have no other clothes, they are given underwear, a t-shirt and a pair of trousers/shorts. Then, as they live in transition, they are expected to clean their room or the house in the morning, wash dishes, and get involved in any daily chores as they would do at their own home. They eat three times a day, with the main meal in the evening. It is usually difficult for street children to get used to eating three times a day because, while on the street, they ate as the need arose and according to their means.

While in transition, the street children mix with the local children, play with them, discuss issues with them, and so on. The goal for the first few days is to ensure that the children experience genuine love and care as well as family life. The friendships they develop with their own peer group are beneficial both to them and to the local children. While they are at the transition home, the street animator visits the children as well as other people like the social worker, doctor, etc, depending on their circumstances. The visits are kept as informal as possible. During that time, the children reach a decision themselves as to what they want to do: return to their home, go back to school, etc.

Re-integrating the children into their families

The project’s goal, when the children are in transition, is to help them gain self-confidence, self-respect and human dignity; to strengthen their trust relationship with each other and those trying to help them, and eventually with adults at large. (It must be remembered that their experience of adults at home and on the street is usually a negative one). As they build up a trust relationship, their particular problems start emerging and the beginning of possible solutions for each child become evident. It is important that the street children themselves decide to return home and go back to school. Usually they will speak of the possible difficulties they think they may have to face once they return home.

While the children are in transition, contact with their families (most of the time they have only a mother) takes place. This gives an opportunity to assess a child’s ’story’ and to assess his family situation as well. There are times when a social worker is needed to help the family after such a visit with the child. The project normally uses the opportunity to meet the school principal and the teacher at the child’s school so as to discuss the situation with them as well. Because many of the children need a father-figure, the project tries to find a man in the community to whom the child can relate (a teacher, a church member, etc), and who is willing to take a special interest in the child once he returns home. Again, in this instance, there is a need for someone to advise and guide such a person who then becomes the link between the child and the project for the aftercare. In this way, should the child encounter difficulties at home, he knows where to turn and he also knows that the project is willing to help him.

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