The numbers of street children have increased within the town of Aweil in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, with few apparent measures in place to address the problem.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Sunday on the streets in Aweil, one of the street boys Francis Akot said they are in the market because there is nobody to take care of them. He said they survive from gathering leftover food in the market.

One of the street boys said they would be able to go to school if the government could build for them a big building and fence it so that they can stay there.

Then they can go for study, he said. Each of them will decide on which kind of school to choose, whether for training for mechanical work or other work.

“We need to work but there is no work to do. We blame the government for not taking care of us,” he said.

Another boy blamed the police for beating them when they steal. He said this is the only way they can get food.

‘Paul’, one of the street boys, said, “We are ready to work in order to feed ourselves without depending on other people.”

But he said when they try to beg from ‘the big guys from the hotel’, they send the police after them instead of helping. He said this is what encourages them to steal.

File photo: Street children at an NRC-supported centre in Aweil, 2011 (Radio Tamazuj)

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