If you ever thought street children are in the town alone, then think again. Here in Kibera we also have street children. The only differnce between the street children in Kibera and those in town eg. the CBD of Nairobi, Nakuru, Naivasha, Kisumu and Mombasa is that most of those who live in Kibera have parents.
These children, i do not wish to call them ‘Street Children’ at all but they indeed have a way of living. They wake up every morning like any other school goer/employed person would do, to go out to the suburbs because they have no schools to go to like other ordinary children. It is not a shock to find children between the age of 9 – 16 years of age picking up plastic material, metal and steel on the drainage areas the sewerage around.
And again a question arises, Why are they picking up these waste material?
During my research, i found out that they pick up these material for sale and this is how they earn their living. They would pick up plastic material in one sack and metal in another sack if they are children between the age of 9 – 12. The younger age usually walk in groups of 4 or 5 while doing what they do in their daily life. This is basically because of protection from brutal people around the areas and fear of being chased by dogs if they are seen carrying the sacks.
The older usually go gathering all by themselves carrying one or two sacks according to how much they can carry. They would take the sacks to Laini Saba or Makina just mentioning two locations. They would sell their collections of the day at Ksh. 15 per Kilogram of Plastic material and Ksh. 25 per Kilogram of Metal. According to the attendant at the collection point the plastics and the metal are taken to industrial area every week for recycle. After selling their days products they would buy mostly food with the money or go gambling with the money. Those with parents would go back home and try to share it with the rest of the family.
Who is to blame? I ask myself one more time?
Is it the parents of the children who sometimes chase the children away from home or when the children feel they are been mistreated run away from their homes?
Is it the government for raising the life standards so high that it forces less privileged families to struggle with life or send their children out to the streets?
Should these children be somewhere in school learning?
Should these children be at home during the holidays helping their parents?