The Crisis of Street Children in Tanzania Solution Comes from the Values of African Family, Ujamma Policy, and the African Synods

Kilolelo, Ignas Lazaro (2014) The Crisis of Street Children in Tanzania Solution Comes from the Values of African Family, Ujamma Policy, and the African Synods. PhD thesis, Santa Clara University Berkeley, California.

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Abstract

It is very common to see unsupervised children roaming around in the streets of Dar-Es-Salaam. At traffic lights children knock at car windows to attract the driver's attention and ask for money. Sometimes, they are accompanied by their parents or guardians. Occasionally, these children and youths carry containers of soapy water. When a car stops, the children immediately start washing the windscreen without the owner's permission. They expect that the owner, out of kindness, will throw some change to them. This happens not only in Dar-Es-Salaam, but in almost every big city in Tanzania. Called "street children", these children live and work on the street. Many social problems underlie the crisis of street children in Tanzania, at the base lies the lack of recognition and respect for human dignity and rights. This crisis began in the 1980s when Tanzania was heavily stricken by poverty. Things grew worse in the late 1980s when the country was forced in to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Structural Adjustment Policies (SAP) to recover from the struggling economy. As well, the HIV/AIDS crisis forms a reciprocal, causal relationship with poverty, which has struck many communities in devastating ways. Other factors include orphanage conditions, and verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. Some on the street are children of prostitutes, some are handicapped children rejected by their families, and some are non-marital children who have been disowned by their parents who could not face the shame of a sexual affair before or outside their marriage. Due to this combination of factors, most families failed to meet the critical needs of their members, especially those of growing children. As a result, young people and children started migrating from their home villages to the big cities, expecting to secure good jobs and live a decent life. Contrary to expectation, many ended up living and working on the street. When these children live on the street, they experience various types of hardships, including physical and sexual abuse, hunger, and lack of healthcare and shelter. As a result, these children lose their sense of identity and belonging, and their future prospects are bleak. Their squalid life has moved me to research the crisis of street children in Tanzania in order to understand its cause and effect, ultimately to propose ways of mitigate or eradicate them. I am encouraged by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights which observes, "investing in children in a street situation is essential to build a society that respects human dignity, because every child counts." The crisis of street children is one of the pressing social problems in the world, particularly in developing countries. Studies show the number of street children is growing due to various causes, especially poverty. However, my research does not focus only on the number of children on the street. The increasing presence of street children in the cities of Tanzania indicates a growing social crisis. Unfortunately, some people consider these children to be the problem. To solve it, the government resorts to detention, imprisonment, and repatriation to their home villages. The "welfare approach" (rescuing children from the street) and the "repressive approach" (detaining children) do not solve the problem because they are based on misconceptions and ignorance of the root of the problem. My work is neither welfarist nor retributive, but rather follows along the research lines of various experts in human rights and children's law, like Lutfried Mbunda and Chris Maina Peter; social anthropologists like Joe Lugalla, Joachim Mwami, and Catherine Panter-Brick; poverty and health theorists like Huruma Sigalla and Colleta Kibassa; as well as the work of organizations like the Consortium For Street Children (CSC) and Mkombozi Center for Street Children. The following is a note about the terminology in this work. First, the word “man” occurs frequently in Julius Kambarage Nyerere’s and the Church’s documents. When Nyerere uses the word “man” in the African family and Ujamaa context, he is not referring to a “male person” but rather a “person” or a “human being”, either male or female. In Kiswahili (the national language of Tanzania), the word translated as “man” is gender inclusive. Mtu or Binadamu means both a male person (mwanaume) and a female person (mwanamke). Second, I use the term “African family” rather than “African extended family” because a real African family is necessarily an extended family, as opposed to a nuclear family. In an African context, the term “African extended family” is a tautology. Therefore, throughout this work, unless it is in a quotation, the term “African family” or “Traditional African family” signifies “extended family” (for the sake of non- Africans). Thus, Daniel Bitrus, an African author, describes the African family as "a network of relationships through which individual members receive or give care and support for each other in various ways. These interpersonal family ties provide cohesion as well as a sense of belonging and accountability to those in relationship." This mode of life is at the heart of Nyerere's Ujamaa policy, whose core message is "Fraternity" or "Family-hood". It is this "oneness" that the First African Synod in 1994 appropriated in naming the "Church as Family of God." In this appropriation, the Church of Africa used the notion of the African family to pastorally examine Africa’s situation. Fifteen years later, (2009) the Church acknowledged some failures in the implementation of the First African Synod's resolutions. The Church called for a Second Synod of Africa that emphasized global reconciliation, peace, and justice. The African family, the Ujamaa policy, and the Synods of Africa constitute three verses of a beautiful song whose drumbeats sound "We", whose lyrics are living together, working together, and benefiting together from our work and resources. Respect for human dignity, rights and duties cut through these verses. Therefore, these three verses together exemplify very rich and basic values for developing concrete proposals and recommendations to address the present situation effectively. In this project I argue that many values inherent in the African family mode of life, the Ujamaa policy of Julius Nyerere, and the African Synods, if seriously examined and implemented, could reduce the crisis of street children and ultimately eradicate it completely. Scholars like Joe Lugalla and Colleta Kibassa have conducted research on the crisis of street children in Tanzania and proposed remarkable solutions which are already helpful to these children and, hopefully, will eventually eradicate this situation. Organizations like the Consortium for Street Children (CSC) and the Mkombozi Center for Street Children have approached the problem from social, political, and economic perspectives. This project is intended as a background study for the Church and the people of Tanzania, uniquely approaching the crisis from a theological perspective. The significance and uniqueness of this project lies in emphasizing the values found in the "We song", and considering solutions in light of these values, read through the lens of the Church’s teaching in an African context. The task of eradicating the complex crisis of street children in Tanzania calls for a "pastoral circle" (circle of praxis) methodology. This methodology is a continuous interplay of planning and implementation. The pastoral circle consists of four parts: insertion, social analysis, theological reflection, and pastoral planning, all of which are held together by experience. Insertion provides an encounter with people’s life experiences in a given society and how they respond to them. Social analysis reveals the causes, consequences, and the actors behind the social experience. Theological reflection seeks to understand the experience from the point of view of faith, tradition, Scripture, and the social teaching of the Church. Given the analysis and reflection, pastoral planning asks: what is to be done at the individual and community/societal levels? It also offers strategies and actions providing both short and long term solutions to deal with a given experience. Then the circle starts afresh. Throughout my studies at the Jesuit School of Theology, I took courses in light of my interest in the crisis of street children in Tanzania, children with whom I have met, and whose stories I have heard. In my term papers, I researched the causes and difficulties these children face on the street. I tried to understand them from the point of view of Scripture, African tradition, and the social teaching of the Church. I offered some solutions to the crisis. However, I did not see the method behind my work: social analysis as discussed in the books Social Analysis and The Pastoral Circle Revisited. When I read these books, I recognized my methodology as the "pastoral circle." I was happy to find my instincts validated, and to have a name for what I was doing. This work consists of five chapters. Chapter One: Insertion, through two childrelated stories (my own encounter with street children and a street child’s own story), opens up the social reality of street children in Tanzania. Though neither precise definitions nor the exact numbers of street children have been established, research enables us to identify the makeup of this particular group of children who work and live in extremely difficult circumstances in the towns and cities of many countries, and to give estimated numbers of street children. This chapter also summarizes the causes for children to take to the street, the difficulties they face there, and their coping strategies. Finally, the chapter discusses efforts already in place both to help street children and stop the migration of children to the streets, and offers general suggestions to improve the efforts already in place. Chapter Two: Social analysis of the causes and consequences of the crisis begins by tracing the historical background of this dilemma going back to the 1980s when Tanzania’s economy suffered a severe breakdown. In order to recover, the country gave in to the conditions set by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in their structural adjustment polices (SAPs). Some of these conditions included reduction or withdrawal of subsidies, retrenchment of workers, freezing of wages, and the introduction of cost-sharing policies in education and health. This had a devastating effect on social services in Tanzania. As a result the cost of living increased, and in the end many Tanzanians were left poorer than before the introduction of SAPs. The HIV/AIDS epidemic which has a reciprocal and causal relationship with poverty, also contributed in a devastating way to the crisis of street children. The chapter also gives various “push factors”, factors in the home environment that either force or encourage children to take to the street, and “pull factors”, attractions that exist on the street that encourage children to leave their homes. These factors (push and pull), are complexly interrelated and often it takes more than one factor for a child to leave home and live on the street. Lastly, the chapter reveals the difficulties children encounter on the street. These difficulties include lack of basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, education, and parental love. Children take jobs beyond their age and capacity in order to survive on the street. They are physically and sexually abused by the police, detained, and imprisoned; they live in fear of violence and brutality from both the public and the law enforcement officers. Chapter Three: Critical assessment of responses by the relevant social actors continues the social analysis. Consisting of two parts, this chapter first explores how the role of the various stakeholders affects the lives and well-being of street children. The stakeholders include street children themselves, families and community, police officers, social workers, everyday citizens, Community Based-Organizations (CBOs) and Nongovernment Organizations (NGOs). The crisis of street children is the result of society’s embarrassing failure to provide for and protect children. This embarrassment manifests itself when families, communities, and society treat street children as a source of family income as well as a threat to society. Street children receive inhumane treatment from individuals, police, and other government officials. To protect themselves, street children live and work in groups that offer a sense of identity, belonging, and solidarity. The government’s policies, to provide basic necessities for street children and protecting other vulnerable children, are insufficient. As a result, CBOs and NGOs, both secular and religious, play a very active role in addressing these children’s needs. Secondly, the chapter looks at international/regional and national laws and policies enacted for children. These laws and policies do not directly address street children. However, their implementation affects the lives of street children both positively and negatively. The implementation of some national laws makes their lives even more miserable. Under such laws, many street children are arrested and detained by police. Such treatment is contrary to the intent of international and regional treaties about children. Although these treaties do not address the phenomenon of street children directly, realization of children’s rights, as stipulated in these treaties, would serve both children who live at home and children who live on the street. These treaties posit that all children deserve equal treatment, no matter where they live. Although the government of Tanzania has made commendable efforts to domesticate these treaties in national policies and laws, they need to direct more efforts toward protecting the rights of children, especially street children, so that all children in the country enjoy equal rights. Chapter Four: In a critical theological reflection on the “We song”, I evaluate the ethics of the African family, Ujamaa, of the Synods and Catholic social teaching. The chapter consists of two parts. It begins by introducing the metaphor of the “We song”, which illustrates the interconnectedness of the three resources: African family, Ujamaa policy, and the social teaching of the Church, especially in the two African Synods. Despite their emerging in different periods in Tanzania’s history and using different language, the three resources emphasize the same values of human dignity and rights, respect, and equality. Human equality does not imply uniformity. In a community all individuals do not necessarily receive the same share of resources, nor benefit equally from them. The fact of the matter is that some community members, like the sick, the elderly, and children, who because of their status as dependants, need more attention and have the rights to receive from the community without contributing directly to it. Through the metaphor of the “We song”, I discuss in detail the values of the African family, of Ujamaa policy (which is based on the African family’s values), and the values found in the two African Synods that focused on the Church as the family of God, which works for reconciliation, peace, and justice. The second part of the chapter brings to light the commonalities between the “We song” and Catholic social teaching. The Ujamaa, in particular, integrates the language of human dignity and rights very well. In this way, the “We song” illustrates well the Church’s social teaching. This marriage between the “We song” and Catholic social teaching, in turn, plays a central role in the final chapter’s proposals. Chapter Five: In an effort toward pastoral planning, I suggest some strategies and actions to minimize and ultimately eradicate the crisis. These concrete proposals/strategies try to answer the question: how can Tanzania respond to God’s call in addressing the needs of children who live and work on the street, as well as those who live at home. The answer is divided into three parts: short-term, mid-term, and long-term strategies, which interrelate in a complex way and complement each other. Therefore, we need to consider them holistically. The bottom line however, is the recognition that all children, including street children, are right holders who when incorporated into policy making and implementation efforts, can be active agents of change in our society. Short-term strategies deal with the day-to-day difficulties street children face on the street, that is, their need for food, shelter, and healthcare, and re-unification of street children with their families. Mid-term suggestions mainly look at the near future life and development of children, both on the street and at home, including issues like education, entrepreneurial opportunities, and laws and policies protecting street children. Long-term solutions address the corruption, poverty, laws and policies at the source of Tanzania's social crisis. As the main argument of this project stands, the foundation for these strategies is built on the values embedded in the three verses of the "We song," to provide a holistic and authentic liberation of street children, and in so doing, to liberate the society of Tanzania from the crisis of street children. While some of my suggestions offer concrete solutions to the problem, others carry my hope that when implemented, they may provide a platform for more research. They express a strong invitation for all Tanzanians to listen attentively to this song whose lyrics are the values of humanity, living and working together, and sharing our natural talents and resources according to everyone’s needs. They reflect the principles of the social teaching of the Church: human dignity, rights and duties, solidarity and the common good, and the preferential option for the poor. If we decide to sing/live together by these values, we will improve the life of street children and ultimately eradicate the crisis from the country of Tanzania.

Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BV Practical Theology
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BX Christian Denominations
H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
Divisions: Africana
Afro-Christiana
Jesuitica
Depositing User: Tim Khabala
Date Deposited: 13 Sep 2017 09:01
Last Modified: 13 Sep 2017 09:01
URI: http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/2125

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