Africa-Press – Uganda. The First Lady, Ms Janet Museveni, has called for a comprehensive strategy to put an end to the recurrent issue of street children littered across the streets of Kampala.
Ms Museveni, who is also the minister of Education, says the “withdrawal, rehabilitation and resettlement” approach currently employed by the government is not sustainable if the root causes that influence them to flee their homes are not addressed.”
“Presently, many of the children found on the streets come from Karamoja for one reason or another. It does not make sense to take them back to homes they run away from when we know they will run back to the streets. Our programme must now have a sustainable end,” she said.
Ms Museveni was speaking at an event where the Chinese Embassy donated an assortment of items to homeless children housed at UWESO Children’s Home in Masuliita, Wakiso District.
Currently, 102 children are at the rehabilitation home, 85 of whom are from Karamoja, Ms Olive Lumonya, the UWESO National Executive Committee chairperson, revealed.
Majority of these, aged between zero and 16 years, are taken from the streets to the home where they spend an average four months before they are sent back to their families. Officials now say this method is not working.
“You will rehabilitate them, take them back to Karamoja and tomorrow they come back. You find that the problem is the other side,” Ms Sarah Mateke, the State minister for Youth and Children, said. Ms Museveni, also the UWESO patron, pointed out many of these children end up on the streets as victims of human trafficking.
She revealed that a national programme to address the issue is in the works, and further urged parents to make time for their children, invest in healthy families and positive parenting.
Ms Museveni also applauded the Chinese government for continuously supporting the different interventions meant to improve the lives of Ugandans.
The Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, Mr Zhang Lizhong, led a team of doctors who conducted a medical check-up on children at the home, in addition to the donations. Some of the items donated include stationery, toys and medical care kits.
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