Government is currently implementing a strategy aimed at removing and re-integrating the children back to
their communities. Of recent out of 370 children from the streets of Kampala, over 200 have been successfully
re-integrated. The experience from this exercise has been documented and will be used to remove street
children from other urban areas of Uganda. Many of the street children who have been resettled have joined
primary schools through the UPE programme. Some of the children who have not been resettled are benefiting
from skills offered by NGOs focusing on carpentry, metal fabrication, tailoring, agriculture, radio and TV repairs
among others.
Towards the end of 2007, government together with UNICEF and other NGO actors identified children from
Karamoja living on the streets. Some were with parents or other adults from their families. Using participatory
approaches, they were counselled and they agreed to return to Karamoja where they were resettled. They
were provided with resettlement and livelihood support. This process helps the children and their families
understand the disadvantages of street life and begging as opposed to a settled life in a community where
children grow and develop.
However, despite all efforts, children living on the street remain a problem in many Ugandan urban centres.
This has been mainly caused by displacement due to conflicts and wars, orphaned due to HIV/AIDS and other
diseases plus a host of other push and pull factors.
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