As a result of long term conflicts, poverty and social exclusion, it is estimated that at least 2,250 children live in highly vulnerable conditions in Khartoum. The term street children is used in Sudan to include a variety of conditions: children and adolescents living in the streets, orphans, and children abandoned by their own families. They all suffer from lack of access to basic services (health, education), violence (including GBV), addictions, lack of income generation opportunities, and crime (both as victims or perpetuators).
Although a capillary and functioning system of social protection of vulnerable children is already in place, there is an urgent need of technical training, especially on issues such as human rights and psycho-social special needs of Street Children and Adolescents in Conflict with Legality. Moreover, the demand of services exceeds the current capacity of supply. Also, there is a general lack of public opinion awareness on children’s rights.
The project aims at ensuring the improvement of the living conditions of Street Children of Khartoum state, by strengthening the capacity building of public and private institutions that work with them; improving access to social protection services for Street Children and Adolescents in Conflict with Legality; and increasing public awareness on the rights of Street Children by strengthening civil society networking and advocacy capacities.
The project will create a network of civil society and institutions representatives to support awareness and advocacy actions on behalf of vulnerable children in Khartoum. Vulnerable children will be directly involved in the awareness and advocacy actions. Also, in order to increase the social protection system, media operators and legal experts will take part to the designed intervention. In order to ensure the respect of vulnerable children rights, it is important to create permanent networks in charge of the protection, respect, and fulfilment of children rights.
