Children of the night, the growing menace of street kids in Zambia

Wed, 17 May 2017 10:06:48 +0000

By Kanyanta E.Kaunda

Like werewolves transforming before a full moon, a metamorphosis occurs on the streets of Lusaka every night. Under the cover of night, relatively harmless youths transform into aggressive children, attacking and robbing passers-by.

Certain areas in the city like town center, the Kamwala fly -over bridge and Manda-hill footbridge are avoided as soon as dusk falls due to  their notorious reputations for hosting violent street kids . During the day, the city of Lusaka is a bustling metropolis, with people moving up and down, getting their work done.  Citizens can be seen going about their business  free to move around the city under the safety of the sun. Once night falls however, the streets transform into a haven for street children who rule the night, asserting their authority over the alleys, bridges and paths of the city. When night falls,  the people of Lusaka retire to their homes from  school, jobs and various engagements, the central business district and surrounding areas remain a desolate place with dark alleys, empty carparks, closed shops and vacant buildings. It is in these desolate echoes of the night that street kids find a home and come out to prowl , with some as young as 11 and 12  wandering and scavenging to find food, shelter and money. During the day they spend time begging and crossing the busy Lusaka roads to gain the sympathy of a “good Samaritan” often risking their lives in the process. These relatively vulnerable children however commit the most violent acts after dark.

Once the traffic clears in the central business district , there  is hardly a soul in sight save for security personnel locked safely inside their buildings and a  few passing cars. To be stranded in the area alone would be nothing short of unpleasant. The  presence of troublesome street kids makes it difficult for business to be conducted in the area during the night.  Shop keepers and business owners often have to close shop early or heavily secure their premises if they are to operate at night. Often frustrated by their circumstances and impoverished these  children  go to extreme  lengths  to satisfy their needs. During the night they usually move in mixed groups and under the influence of “Bostik”, Harassing and attacking any unsuspecting people that cross their path.  During the day  you will probably encounter these children humbly begging for  assistance either at the side of  a road, parking lot or  shopping complex. Some of these children are genuinely needy it must be noted however, many of them on the other hand turn into petty criminals at sunset. In the cover of night the streets become a risky place ,with different groups of street children wandering and waiting in the shadows to pounce on unsuspecting individuals in a desperate attempt to acquire  valuable goods.

Like many other third world countries, Zambia  faces the problem of  dealing  with street kids. Children often  find themselves on the street For several reasons For some it is an inevitable fate due to the demise of parents, guardians and abandonment by relatives. Others however turn to the streets as the much needed freedom from their overbearing parents and guardians, a place dictated by their own terms in partnership with their peers.  Some of these children are said to children come from decent homes, resorting to street life only to get away from overbearing  parent’s and guardians. Many of These children leave home young and grow up on the streets, making it hard to integrate into society. For  girls the situation is far worse, often selling their bodies in exchange for food and shelter and  eventually contracting diseases and teen pregnancies.  Lacking  proper skills and education, they end up living a frustrated life of crime,. They often adopt street slang and vulgar expressions which they hurl indiscriminately  on passers-by . Women moving alone at night often need be wary of adult street children who have been known to sexually harass females.   Certain areas  in particular are hotspots for street kids  after sunset and a no-go area for individuals especially on foot. North mead, and the show grounds are among  the most notorious hangouts for These gangs of street kids. People will often refrain from movement at night for fear of attacks  by street kids. As early as eighteen hours in certain areas people will be safely locked in their houses with not a soul in sight, the unlucky few that find themselves out after dark often return robbed and bruised. Sometimes these young children  will be seen chasing after people and cars outside restaurants and filling stations in hopes of stealing something valuable from shoppers. These seemingly innocent children will usually hurl insults and objects at the passer by if not given money. Foot-bridges have also been known to be the most frequented locations by street kids. The foot-bridge along Kafue road in Lusaka a few meters from Downtown shopping mall is one of these  structures. In 2009,the bridge was constructed  to reduce the number of accidents that claimed the lives of people crossing from one side to the other. Today the bridge stands firmly but ironically  residents would rather risk their lives crossing the  busy lanes than walk into the hands of street kids  who  frequent the bridge after dark.

These children of the night have adapted to street life for so long that they evolve from just a wandering group of children to a cohesive sub-society complete with its own hierarchies and fending systems. These children often feel rejected as outcasts in the daylight, only finding solace in the shadows of the night and taking it out on passing  people. Each area often has its own distinct children led by an older “veteran “ street kid who discharges duties and monitors the group. The life of a street child  is often difficult with many having to endure harsh conditions thus  resorting to petty crime to earn a living. . For this reason in 2007 the government and stakeholders began the erection of billboards and posters around the country to discourage members of the public from giving money to Street children.  Citing alms-giving as a contributing factor  to their  remaining on the street. This  move greatly reduced the number of children on the street by  roughly 34% since 1996. Today however with an estimated 13,000 street kids  living in Zambia, there still is a long way to go in addressing this issue.

In the past, efforts  have been made by donors, stakeholders and the government to get more children off the streets through skills training and rehabilitation program in the hopes to transform their lives and earn skills  .In 2007 a number of children where taken off the street and into orphanages by the government  some  where  able to lead normal lives while  others still failed to integrate and returned to the streets.  Recently, the government proposed the recruitment of street kids into the Zambia National Service, a move that many have welcomed as a step in the right direction.  Others however suggest that  the government and stakeholders  ought to engage These children in discussion on the best ways they can be assisted.  The plight of street kids in Zambia cannot  be ignored but neither can the trouble they cause in the city. As authorities sit down to discuss the way forward regarding this situation however the streets remain a risky place at night , the thriving domain of the children of the night.

The author is a journalist and student currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass communication at Cavendish University . For comments and contributions email davidmwengwe@yahoo.com.