Together we can get our kids off the streets

Editor, Refer to the story, “Street kids: Are we losing the battle to save them?” (The New Times, March 27)

Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Street children in Nyabugogo, a Kigali city suburb. (File)

Editor,

Refer to the story, "Street kids: Are we losing the battle to save them?” (The New Times, March 27)

This is a difficult problem to fix; there are many street kids in the world. Rwandan social workers should be given a chance to study how other countries are managing this problem and then apply best practices back home.

Mark Gipindi

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It seems Mr Gipindi is suffering from inferiority complex syndrome.

Rwanda has what to teach the rest of the world when it comes to dealing with runaway kids. Iwawa rehabilitation and vocational training centre is the best solution to this problem, much better than any solution that might come from anywhere else.

What country do you know that has better managed this kind of problem? Name just one!

Abdul Rahman Ntaganda

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I would like to request Mr Ntaganda to educate himself on this issue and maybe get to know some of these children personally.

Yes, Iwawa has its role; however, I have personally met and helped some of these children, some of whom are very young. Not all of them, as this article clearly alleges, have left home for devious reasons.

Many leave their home because of the abuse they are subjected to; they are sometimes pushed out by adults who believe they can manage in the streets and have one less mouth to feed at home, and sometimes, there are no relatives willing to take them in.

Some of these children are open to education and being part of a loving home, or staying in boarding school.

Also, Mr. Gipindi has an excellent idea: Why not garner more ideas and more knowledge by seeing what other countries are doing as well?

Rukundo