Child homelessness in Jinja, Uganda, has surged by 192% since 2017, according to a new research report conducted by Manchester based charity, S.A.L.V.E. International. The research reveals that there are now an estimated 11,516 children living and working on the streets of Jinja, with children as young as three years old on the streets.
This rise in homelessness has been attributed to a range of factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, political instability, and an Ebola outbreak in 2022. As a result, children in Uganda are turning to the streets due to increasing poverty and starvation at home, forcing them to collect scrap metal to sell, beg, and engage in sex work in order to stay alive.
“This research was vital in understanding the scale of child homelessness in Jinja. Global homelessness is on the rise but, in Uganda, it is the children that are paying the price,” said Nicola Sansom, CEO and Co-founder of S.A.L.V.E. International. “Without support and intervention to break the cycle of poverty that many Ugandan families find themselves in, increasing numbers of children will continue to be on the streets. It is vital that we act now on global homelessness and empower the next generation to have brighter futures.”
Alfred Ochaya, Ugandan Director of S.A.L.V.E. International, added: “As a charity we strive to provide a lifeline to children on the streets of Jinja, Uganda, when they need us most. This research has highlighted the need for more support than ever before, to protect children both in Uganda but also globally. Children are the future and need to be prioritised.”
Since 2008, S.A.L.V.E. International has helped 744 children away from the dangers of the streets and back to a loving family home, trained 335 caregivers with business skills and seen 87 children graduate from education. The charity works with local communities to provide outreach services and initiatives such as business training for caregivers and education support to prevent children returning to the streets.
A research report on the findings can be found on S.A.L.V.E.’s website: www.salveinternational.org/research/2023-head-count/.
S.A.L.V.E. International, a UK and Ugandan partnership charity, has revealed that child homelessness in Jinja, Uganda, has increased by 192% since 2017. The research, conducted by the Manchester based charity, shows that there are now an estimated 11,516 children living and working on the streets of Jinja in Eastern Uganda, compared to just 3,943 in 2017.
The surge in homelessness has been linked to a range of factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, political instability, and an Ebola outbreak in 2022. This has resulted in children as young as three years old being forced to turn to the streets due to increasing poverty and starvation at home, leaving them to collect scrap metal to sell, beg, or engage in sex work in order to survive.
“This research was vital in understanding the scale of child homelessness in Jinja,” said Nicola Sansom, CEO and Co-founder of S.A.L.V.E. International. “Global homelessness is on the rise but, in Uganda, it is the children that are paying the price. Without support and intervention to break the cycle of poverty that many Ugandan families find themselves in, increasing numbers of children will continue to be on the streets. It is vital that we act now on global homelessness and empower the next generation to have brighter futures.”
Since 2008, S.A.L.V.E. International has helped 744 children away from the dangers of the streets and back to a loving family home, trained 335 caregivers with business skills, and seen 87 children graduate from education. The charity works with local communities to provide outreach services and initiatives such as business training for caregivers and education support to prevent children returning to the streets.
A research report on the findings can be found on S.A.L.V.E.’s website: www.salveinternational.org/research/2023-head-count/.
New research conducted by Manchester based charity, S.A.L.V.E. International, has revealed a staggering 192% increase in child homelessness in Jinja, Uganda, since 2017. The research estimates that there are now 11,516 children living and working on the streets of Jinja in Eastern Uganda, compared to only 3,943 in 2017.
The rise in homelessness has been linked to a
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