In a bid to reduce the number of street connected children in the country’s cities, Lilongwe based organization, One Step Foundation (ONESF) has launched an ambitious project aimed at equipping street connected children with entrepreneurship knowledge.
Among others, the project will see street connected children receive vocational training opportunities and skills on how they can recycle waste products.
The organization’s executive director Moses Mwalabu told ProjectM in an interview that the organization aims to enhance the livelihoods of street connected children, who are mostly neglected.
“We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with an organization called Waste Advisers, specialists in waste management. We believe they will help in training street connected children the best ways to turn their agony into something profitable,” Mwalabu said.
The 2 organizations will be working with waste pickers that are mostly found at dumping sites in Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu and Zomba.
“For those that are below 18, we will be encouraging them to use the money they will be getting to go back to school while those above 18 will be equipped with further knowledge to sustain their recycling business,” said Mwalabu.
Through the project, ONESF hopes to reduce the number of street connected children popularly known as “ana amasikini”, and are mostly associated with violence and robbery in the country’s cities.
On their part, Waste Advisers organization has described the launch of the project as an opportunity to equip waste pickers with knowledge on how they can keep the county’s streets clean, while earning a living from the waste products.
Rights activist and media personality Violet Chiphiko has hailed the move, saying it will help to solve one of the county’s difficult challenges.
