Over 6,000 Tanzanian street children now identified

The government has identified 6,393 street children from six regions who were engaged in child labour.

Of the total number, 4,865 are boys and the remaining 1,528 are girls.

"The government has embarked on addressing child labour issues countrywide," Deputy Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dr Faustine Ndugulile, told the Parliament.

However, he said the government was conducting a survey to identify the root cause and come up with best strategies on how to deal with the situation in a long-term.

Dr Ndugulile gave statistics when responding to Ms Fakharia Shomary Khamis (Special Seats-CCM)'s basic question on an increase in the number of streets children as well child labour which denied them their basic rights such as education and parental care.

Ms Khamis also wanted to know measures taken by the government to control the situation so that there were no street children.

Dr Ndugulile mentioned some of the reasons for increasing number of street children as the death of parents, separation, sexual violence and harassment at family or household level and poverty.

He said the ministry in May 2018 conducted a survey on the number of street children and child labour in the regions of Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Mbeya, Dodoma, Arusha and Iringa.

During the survey, 6,393 children living and working on the streets were identified and between October 2018 and March 2019, at least 2,702 were offered social services in the six regions under the survey.

He said some of the services offered to street children included health, food, shelter, being taken back to school, undergoing vocational and life skills training as well as rejoining some of them to their families after counselling.

"The government, in collaboration with stakeholders, has been conducting public awareness on proper upbringing and care of children as well as protecting them from getting involved in places that are detrimental to their wellbeing," said the deputy minister.