Education for the street children of Malawi comes mainly from the school of hard knocks.
It’s an unforgiving classroom where youngsters can find themselves being beaten up, robbed, sexually assaulted and hungry.
Begging is an inescapable part of the curriculum with all its damaging side affects to self-esteem and respect.
Life on the streets is tough and unforgiving for Malawi's street children. Picture: Chisomo Children's Club
Every day, more children turn up on the streets of Malawi’s main cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe.
Many are orphans but there are just as many escaping domestic abuse and some are just lured to the city by the dream of a better life.
As one of Africa’s and the world’s poorest countries, the state offers little in the way of a safety net.
Instead, it falls to organisations like the Chisomo Children’s Club – a Tearfund partner – to show compassion to this most marginalised section of society.
Workers go out each day to meet the latest new faces and find out why their life has brought them to the streets.
Reuniting families
Nelson Mkandawire, from the club, said, `The majority of children run away from rural areas. They think “If I run away I’m safe from this hostile environment where there’s no food or no one cares”.
`But when they come to the cities they realise that it’s very hard for them.’
The children’s club, which has been going for 10 years under the auspices of the Living Waters Church, aims, where possible, to return children back to their families.
But the first task can be finding where those families are and that can take time. So youngsters are offered a safe place to stay while work is down to see if they can be reunited with their families.
And a lot of effort goes into restoring a sense of value and self-worth to the children.
One way is by running a football club which gives them not only a sense of fun and self-confidence but teaches them about hard work and discipline.
Negative perception
You don’t get to represent Chisomo FC unless there’s evidence of diligence at school or in your apprenticeship.
Last season, the team won their league and three players have gone on to represent the under-21 national team.
For those less sportingly inclined, Chisomo runs a 12-strong band which has performed on TV, radio and at national events.
Members sing about their plight and their message is helping to break down negative perceptions about street children.
Reducing the stigma towards street kids is also done by providing them with opportunities of paid work at public events, such as being ushers at weddings or public events.
It removes the kids from begging on the streets and brings them into direct contact with sections of society who otherwise wouldn’t engage with them.
The Chisomo Childrens' Club aims to help youngsters break dependency and realise their full potential. Picture: Chisomo Children's Club.
`It allows the public to be more accepting of the child,’ said Nelson. `They understand the circumstances that led to the child being on the street.’
The Chisomo Children’s Club is currently working with 3,000 boys and girls aged up to 14. Its success rate in reintegrating kids back into their homes is about 90 per cent.
Nelson sums up the ethos that drives his staff: `It doesn’t matter what the children’s situation is. In them is a potential that must be nourished, cared for and protected.’