Street Children in Egypt
“Street children…are prey to anything and they know things children should not.” - Nevine is 18, has lived on Cairo’s streets for 4 years (Still dreaming of a better future : a Cairo street girl recounts her traumatic experiences).
The issue of street children is nothing new on the international children’s right radar, however in Egypt the issue has only become more substantial in recent years. There is estimated to be some one million street children in Egypt, many of whom have left rural areas to look for work in the city, or who are looking to escape abusive homes. Once on the street, children find themselves working shining shoes, collecting rubbish, begging, cleaning and directing cars into parking spaces, and selling food and trinkets, in order to survive. Children living on the streets are more pron to violence, more susceptible to disease and malnutrition, and are prime victims for traffickers and pedophiles.
According to UNICEF, the results of a study in 2000, showed 86% of street children stated violence was a regular issue, while another survey showed 50% had been exposed in some manner to rape (Egyptian Street children: issues and impact -UNICEF).
I have come across a few videos this past week, which I think you will find both very interesting and heartbreaking.
Living in a cemetery (IRIN video) - Near one million poor people live in ‘the City of the Dead’, one of Egypt’s largest cemeteries, located on the outskirts of the capital, Cairo. Many of the residents are families with children.
Girls forced to sleep rough in Cairo (IRIN video) - 10-year-old Sayyida, has been living on the streets of Cairo for at least two years, this video shows many of the battles she faces nightly on the dangerous city streets.
Links and Articles:
Egypt: Street children and substance abuse
Human Rights Watch - Egypt
Hope for Street Children