Last Updated on: 21st November 2023, 11:15 pm
Research conducted by Manchester-based charity S.A.L.V.E. International has shown that child homelessness in Jinja, Uganda, has increased by 192% since 2017.
Analysis of the region, which has a population of 570,000, revealed that there are now an estimated 11,516 children living and working on the streets of Jinja, compared to just 3,943 in 2017.
This rise in street children is part of a global trend, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, conflict and political instability, and an Ebola outbreak that occurred in 2022.
Nicola Sansom, CEO and Co-founder of S.A.L.V.E. International, said: “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.”
With increasing poverty and starvation at home, children are turning to the streets in search of work, such as collecting scrap metal, begging, or making money through sex work, to stay alive.
Nicola added: “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, commented: “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 to date.
The charity has said that further research into the issue of global homelessness can be found on their website, www.salveinternational.org/research/2023-head-count/.
Child homelessness in Jinja, Uganda, has soared by 192% since 2017, according to research conducted by Manchester-based charity S.A.L.V.E. International.
The analysis reveals that there are now an estimated 11,516 children living and working on the streets of the Eastern Ugandan region, compared to just 3,943 in 2017.
The rising levels of homelessness are attributed to multiple global factors, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, conflict and political instability, and an Ebola outbreak that occurred in 2022.
Nicola Sansom, CEO and Co-founder of S.A.L.V.E. International, said: “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. 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 S.A.L.V.E. International was founded in 2008, they have 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 to date.
The charity has said that further research into the issue of global homelessness can be found on their website, www.salveinternational.org/research/2023-head-count/.
