Organisations: The Consortium for street children

A number of organisations in the UK have been working hard to alleviate the plight of street children. In many countries they have, in collaboration with local charities and groups, initiated and developed projects which have brought hope and comfort to these children. But now these organisations see the need to:

* build a network of information and expertise that charities can share to develop efficient and cost effective strategies for working with street children;

* increase public awareness of the issues of street children through media and public information campaigns;

* lobby and advise national and international legislators and policy makers;

* monitor and promote children's right in line with the commitments made under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

They have, therefore, come together to form the Consortium for Street Children to focus and strengthen their work.

For further information about the work of the Consortium, contact:

The Secretariat, The Consortium for Street Children, CHILDHOPE, 40 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4RN United Kingdom. Tel: 071 833 0868 Fax: 071 838 500

Membership of the Consortium includes the following organisations:

ActionUK
c/o CIRM, PO Box 694, Rhyl,
Clwyd LL18 1JU, UK
Tel./Fax: 0745 344060
Director: Ingo Abraham

ACTION UK is part of Action International Ministries, an interdenominational Christian organisation. It has large mission programmes working with street children in Brazil, Colombia, India, Mexico and the Philippines. The work of these missions include drop-in centres in the cities and ranch camps for children in rural settings. There are offices in USA, Canada, Philippines, New Zealand and the UK.

AHRTAG
1 London Bridge Street,
London SE1 9SG, UK
Tel: 071 378 1403
Fax: 071 403 6003
Contact: Christopher Castle,
AIDS Information Officer

The Appropriate Health Resources and Technology Action Group is an international development agency which supports the goal of health for all by promoting primary health care. It has a unique resource centre of primary health care materials, runs an information service and produces practical newsletters, manuals and publications. AHRTAG's work with street children has been through a partnership with SOS Crianca in Brazil supporting the development of the Hand-in-Hand Network. This network promotes the exchange of information and educational experiences concerning the health and rights of socially apart youth. It is particularly concerned with sexual health and AIDS in developing countries.

Brazil Network
PO Box 1325
London SW9 0RA, UK
Contact: Tais Silva

Brazil Network supports all links between British and Brazilian non-governmental organisations. It works to ensure that phenomena such as street children, are viewed in the light of Third World debt, unfair international trading practices, poverty and social injustice.

CHILDHOPE Europe
40 Rosebery Ave, London
EC1R 4RN, UK
Tel: 071 833 0868
Fax: 071 833 2500
Director: Nicolas Fenton FCA

CHILDHOPE Europe is affiliated to CHILDHOPE offices in USA, Canada, Brazil, Guatemala and the Philippines, see page 59 Currently, it has programmes for street children in Albania, Brazil, Bulgaria, Guatemala, Philippines, Romania and South Africa.

Children of the Andes
Enterprise House, 59 Upper
Ground, London SE1 9PQ, UK
Tel: 071 928 1878
Fax: 071 928 1886
Director: Richard Taylor

Children of the Andes (COTA) exists to rescue, protect and rehabilitate the street children of Colombia. COTA's main operational partner in Colombia is Fundación Niños de los Andes (director: Jaime Jaramillo) which works in the cities of Bogotá, Cajicá, Subachoque, Manizales and Tauramena. COTA also supports the following organisations in Colombia: Patrulla Aérea Colombiana, Medellín; Dame la Mano, Medellín; Fundación Educadora Infantil Carla Cristina, Medellín, and Hogar Infantil el Dulce Hogar. COTA has support groups in Ireland, France, Germany and the USA.

The Child-to-Child Trust
Institute of Education,
20 Bedford Way, London
WC1H 0AL, UK
Tel: 071 612 6647
Fax: 071 612 6645
Contact: Clare Hanbury,
Programme Officer

The Child-to-Child Trust promotes an exciting approach to health education where children become active participants in the health care of themselves and others in their family and community. The Trusts acts as a resource base for those wanting to incorporate the Child-to-Child ideas into their own projects and programmes. It produces health education materials, most of which are copyright-free. It assists in training programmes and loosely coordinates a worldwide network of health and educational professionals active in promoting the Child-to-Child ideas. It is associated with the University of London's Institute of Education and Institute of Child Health. Since it began in 1979, Child-to-Child has become active in over 80 countries and its materials are translated into over 15 languages.

Child-to-Child materials have been used in many health education programmes with street children and some specialised materials have been produced for those working with children in difficult circumstances, see page 37.

Estrela Nova North East
19 Powell Street, Hartlepool,
Cleveland TS26 9BN, UK
Tel: 0429 265379
Contact: Julia McNaught

Estrela Nova North East is a charity established in 1989 in response to an appeal from Estrela Nova Community Movement in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to support their community bakery and youth project which aim to provide young people with alternative opportunities and prevent them turning to the streets. Estrela Nova North East aims to give practical support to community initiatives in Brazil which help street children and those living in shanty towns. It also aims to raise awareness and interest about the lives of these people, and the issues which affect them. Fundraising events, talks and workshops are held both locally and nationally.

Future Hope (UK)
6 Queensdale Place, London
W11 4SQ, UK
Tel: 071 371 1769
Fax: 071 620 0940
Contact: Elisabeth Woodthorpe

Future Hope (UK) is a branch of Future Hope (India) established in the UK for fundraising purposes to support street children in Calcutta, India. Future Hope has 107 children living in homes and with families in Calcutta who are receiving full time education, medical care, clothing.

International Child Development Programmes (ICDP)
PO Box 262, Watford, Herts
WD1 7GS, UK
Tel: 0923 230121
Fax: 0923 212005
Contact: Nicoletta Armstrong,
Coordinator

ICDP researches and develops simple programmes and provides training to professional and para-professionals working in the field. It aims to help the mental and emotional development of children by reactivating child-caring skills and the network surrounding the children which have been suppressed by stresses related to social uprooting, social migration, war and disaster. ICDP is active in Bangladesh, Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, India, Indonesia, Israel, Norway, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Uganda, UK, USA and Zimbabwe.

International Panned Parenthood Federation
Regent's College, Inner Circle, Regent's Park,
London NW1 4NS, UK
Tel: 071 486 0741
Fax: 071 487 7950
Contact: Rupert Walder, Information Officer

IPPF works through Associations in over 140 countries worldwide to promote and provide family planning services.

Jubilee Action
St. Johns, Cranleigh Road,
Wonersh, Guildford, Surrey,
GU5 0QX, UK
Tel: 0483 894787
Fax: 0483 894797
Contact: Aninha Capaldi or Kate Wyles

Jubilee Action is a charity working primarily with street children in Brazil, Guatemala, the Philippines and Thailand, with plans to launch new projects in India and Eastern Europe.

Jubilee Action carries out direct aid and awareness programmes, supporting projects that are designed to inspire achievement and dignity through training and education. Jubilee Action was developed from Jubilee Campaign, an international human rights group supported by over 150 MPs. Jubilee Campaign helped to bring together the All Party parliamentary Group for Street Children for which it now acts as secretariat.

Let the Children Live!
PO Box 11, Walsingham,
NR22 6EH, UK
Chairman: The Reverend Peter Walters

Let the Children Live! aims to relieve children and young people anywhere in the world, but particularly in Colombia, who are in conditions of sickness, need, hardship and distress. It supports the work of five Colombian organisations, mostly run by the Roman Catholic Church. Between them, these provide care, accommodation and education for nearly 2000 children from the streets of the cities of Medellín and Cali.

Population Concern
231 Tottenham Court Road,
London W1P 9AE, UK
Tel: 071 637 9582
Fax: 071 436 2143
Contact: Fiona Barr, Information Officer

Population Concern works with local partners in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean to establish programmes which encompass family planning, maternal and child health care, education and improving the status of women. The organisation is the only one to have a fully developed information, education and advocacy programme to raise awareness about population issues in the UK.

SKCV Children's Trust
5, Trinity Road, Sale, Cheshire
M33 3FB, UK
Tel: 061 973 5042
Contact: Dr. Desmond Norton,
UK Representative

SKCV Children's Trust is a non-sectarian, non-profit registered and recognised charity working with orphaned, sick and homeless young children in the Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. Established programmes include: Sevaniketan Boys' Home; SKCV night shelter; income generation projects; child care centres; special non-formal school; vocational training village.

The Society of Friends of the Lotus Children
Hyver Hall, Barnet Gate,
Arkley, Herts, EN5 3JA, UK
Tel: 081 906 8840
Fax: 081 906 3944
Contact: Mrs Surina Narula and Miss Melanie Palmer

The Society's main objectives are to support projects in India which

- provide refuge, shelter and housing, wherever possible with families, for orphaned and other young people on and of the streets regardless of race, religion or caste;

- enable them to return voluntarily to education;

- provide opportunities for learning vocational, technical and manual skills so they become socially accepted citizens;

- give medical care to those who are sick or have deficiency diseases and, for those who are well, medical preventative care;

- provide refuge from the perils of child prostitution and drug abuse.

Street Kids
10 Laisteridge Lane, Great Horton, Bradford, West Yorkshire
BD7 1RD, UK
Tel: 0274 728530
Contact: Pranav Patel

Street Kids has several projects in India, all of which work at prevention of the causes behind street children: namely, by rural development children and their families will not have the need to migrate into cities. Specific projects include children's community village; tree planting, and renewable energy projects.

Street Kids international
56 The Esplanade, Suite 202,
Toronto, Canada M5E 1A7
Tel: 416 861 1816
Fax: 416 861 9386
UK Representative: Anabel Loyd
17 Larkhall Rise, London SW4 6JB, UK
Tel: 071 622 5367
Fax: 071 498 3268

SKI is a private, non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion of independence and self-respect among street children through community-based organisations around the world. It helps local organisations to set up small businesses that provide jobs and training for street youth. SKI courier bicycle delivery services operate cooperatively with street children in Khartoum, Sudan and Bangalore, India. The “Small Business Incubator” in the Dominican Republic gives kids the tools to work cooperatively in an active small business entreprise.

SKI conducts outreach activities including counselling, life skills training and sports in Lusaka, Zambia and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Working with Street-Wise in South Africa, SKI supports a clinic to meet the basic health needs of street children. SKI has also developed the Karate Kids Project, see page 52.

Womankind Worldwide
122 Whitechapel High Street,
London E1 7PT, UK
Tel: 071 247 6931/9431
Fax: 071 247 3436
Director: Dr, Kate Young

Womankind works with women and girls in Africa, Central America and Caribbean, South America and South Asia. It funds project as diverse as an emergency telephone service for women who suffer from domestic violence in Santiago to education and literacy classes for village women and children in South India. Its largest project working with street girls is the Passage Houses in Recife, Brazil, see page 34.

World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
World Bureau, Olave Centre,
12c Lyndhurst Road, London
NW3 5PQ, UK
Tel: 071 794 1181
Fax: 071 431 3764
Contact: Celia Griver

WAGGGS is an international non-governmental organisation comprised of organisations in 28 countries that provide services to over 8.5 million girls and young women. WAGGGS Member Organisations design their programmes to meet the needs of girls and young women in their countries. Their community programmes and projects are diverse. Among those offering programmes for street children are UK, USA, Gambia, Philippines, Brazil, Rwanda and Peru.

Other members:

Calcutta Rescue Fund, PO Box 52,
Brentford Middlesex TW8 8PS, UK
Department of Applied Psychology,
University of Cork, Cork, Republic of Ireland
Wimbledon & District YMCA,
200 The Broadway, Wimbledon
SW19 1RY, UK
YMCA Indian Student Hostel,
41 Fitzroy Square, London W1P
6AQ, UK

Observer members:

Amnesty International, British
Section 99-119 Rosebery Ave,
London EC1R 4RE, UK (Contact: David Maidment)
Anti-Slavery International, 180
Brixton Road, London SW9 6AT, UK
Defence for Children International-UK, The Old Store, Brinkley,
Cambridge CB8 0SE, UK (Contact: Brian Mime)
Save the Children, 17 Grove Lane,
London SE5 8RD, UK (Contact: Hugo Slim)
UNICEF, 55 Lincoln's Inn Fields,
London WC2A 3NB, UK (Contact: Caroline Leveaux)