ADAC : Regional programme for children in street situations in Central Africa

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A social worker approaches a young boy, REIPER, Republic of Congo © Besnard/Apprentis d'Auteuil

Context

Children in street situations are a global issue found on all continents and characterized by different realities. In 2005, UNICEF estimated that there were more than 100 million such children worldwide. Unfortunately, associations working with these children in Central Africa have noted a worsening of the phenomenon. 

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the phenomenon is growing in major cities such as Kinshasa, where the number of children in street situations was estimated at 30,000–50,000 in 2017.

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Open centre for girls, ORPER, DRC © Apprentis d'Auteuil

Objectives

  • Provide holistic support services for girls and boys in street situations or at risk
  • Improve the quality and sustainability of child-protection practices for girls and boys in street situations
  • Support young people and organizations in promoting the rights of children in street situations at local and international levels and encourage those in positions of responsibility to address the issue

Activities

To respond to the problems children encounter in street situations, ADAC aims to provide comprehensive support tailored to the needs and profile of each child. 

Its support starts in the street and culminates in the reintegration of the child/young person into society, the workplace and, when possible, the family. Alongside our eight local partners, we employ all means necessary to ensure the protection and development of children in street situations. Front-line social workers care for and support these children until they are fully reintegrated. They begin with outreach and awareness-raising activities for children in the street. 

They then direct them to day centres, where they can find safety within facilities whose philosophy is to build a relationship with the children. Hygiene and health care are provided to meet the children’s basic needs. The partners also work with the families to prevent the children from returning to the street and to ensure they reintegrate sustainably into the family. Support for socio-professional integration is the final stage of the overall support process, which should lead to real independence for young people who have reached an age to take charge of their own lives.

Our local partners

Republic of the Congo

  • REIPER : Réseau des Intervenants sur le Phénomène des Enfants en Rupture avec les parents

Cameroon

  • CFSN : Chaîne des Foyers Saint-Nicodème

Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • ORPER : Œuvre de Reclassement et de Protection des Enfants de la Rue
  • OSEPER : Œuvre de Suivi, Éducation et de Protection des Enfants de la Rue
  • CCN : Communauté du Chemin Neuf
  • AED : Aide à l’Enfance Défavorisée
  • VTA : Vivre et Travailler Autrement
  • JOS : Jeunes au Soleil

Linked programmes

Child protection

Support children in street situations to promote their rights and reintegrate them sustainably into society.