Today was the day for visiting the Chisomo projects. Well, two of them anyway – the drop-in centre in the middle of Lusaka, and the transition home that is situated in one of the suburbs. The programme that I didn’t see was the Mothers Programme, mainly because it wasn’t happening today, but together those three programmes seek to provide a continuum of care for the children who have ended up on the streets of Lusaka, and their families.
The drop-in centre is open every week day for the young people, from 0800 – 1530. Today there were about 15 there by the time I left, ranging from 7yrs to 18yrs, and both boys and girls. When I arrived they were finishing their devotions, and then we sat and chatted together. They told me how they have already done their chores – sweeping the centre and compound, washing themselves, and doing their bit to make sure that they are ready for the day. They said that the other activities of the day include having breakfast, having lunch, doing schoolwork (although none of them are actually at school at the moment), and then various optional extras – sleeping in a safe environment, washing their clothes, arts, crafts and games. They can watch a film together, they do daily devotions, and there is counselling and medical care available. They all shared how they would like to go back to school – each of them has been to school at least for a bit, but for them to be able to return to school requires them to be living in a family unit or children’s home.
Given that many left home due to breakdown in family relationships, returning home can be a challenge, and sometimes not an option. Fostering is an accepted option in Zambia, but with poverty levels of approximately 70%, there aren’t many families who feel able to take in an extra mouth to feed. And many of the children’s homes are closing down due to lack of funds and rising costs.
So, getting into a home is much harder than it sounds, and something that many of those I chatted with looked very wary about. It’s tough, because without that it seems like the route back to education is very limited, and the expectations of the children that they will manage it are low. But in the meantime, they keep coming to the drop-in, where they have people who support them, care for them, and look out for them, and try to find the best for them in the circumstances.
The main focus of the drop-in is to prepare the children for reintegration into the community, and this continues at the transition home.
The home is in the suburbs of Lusaka, and has space for 40 children. During term-time that limit is maintained, but that’s because secondary schools in Zambia are pretty much all boarding schools, and so several of the children on the books of Chisomo home are away during term-time. In the school holidays it all gets a bit crowded, thanks to the police and government officials who keep bringing each children to the home from the streets, even though Chisomo tell them that really, in school holidays, when everyone is home, they are already full. So there is a lot of top and tailing goes on to fit everyone in beds, and extra mattresses on the floor to try and find space. But as far as the young people are concerned, it is better than living on the streets, which is where they were before.
Edna is the wonderful house mother who gives her life for these young people. She supports them emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually, and is always there for them. Yes there are more Chisomo staff who are working alongside her in a social worker capacity, to make contact with parents and carers, schools and other agencies to try and get the children rehoused. But Edna is always there.
On average, to get a child reintegrated into a family takes at least 3 home visits before the child goes to the family, to give support and preparation counselling to the family. And then at least 3 more once the child is home to monitor how things are going and provide ongoing support. So there is a lot needs doing, and the Chisomo staff clearly do it very well, as they have a 90% success rate of children not returning to the streets. By comparison, when the police do a ‘round up’ and take children home, almost all are back on the streets within two weeks.
The other programme that Chisomo run, and that I didn’t see today, is the mother’s programme. This targets mothers living in poor areas whose children are vulnerable to leaving home and going to the streets, and the programme seeks to upskill the mothers with parenting skills, and help them develop some income generation activities that can reduce the poverty within the family. The groups also act as peer support for the mothers, and help them to feel less isolated in their worries and their struggles. It has been a very successful programme with many mothers feeling much more empowered, and children from those families not going to the streets. But, as with so many of these societal issues, the need for support is always greater than the supply.
It's been a real privilege to meet the Chisomo staff and young people today, and to spend time chatting with them and hearing something of their lives. It’s a huge issue that they are tackling, and one that has no clear solution. But what they are doing is very impressive to see, and I pray that the resources will be available for them to continue to thrive and grow.
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