Tanzania: Half of juveniles grow up in single parent households

Written by MASEMBE TAMBWE.

MORE than 50 per cent of children locked up in juvenile confinements are raised in single parent households, evidence shows.

The caretaker of Upanga Children’s Remand Centre, Ms Margaret Minja told the ‘Sunday News’ that hardships and life constraints experienced in single parent households causes many children to find themselves behind bars.

“Between 270 and 300 children pass through this centre annually and half of the number end up being convicted after committing offences as their mothers could not keep an open eye on the children due to the fact that they are too busy making ends meet,” Minja explained.

Ms Minja said on many occasions, children from Mwanza, Mbeya, Arusha and Moshi search for their fathers in Dar es Salaam and end up stranded at Ubungo Bus Terminal and fall prey to destitution. She said that the centre is staffed with clinical officers for medical care for the children, social workers for counselling, caretakers who teach them different chores like cleaning and guards to ensure their safety.

“As professionals we strive at helping the children trace their parents with the help of other centres and try and reunite them. However, university students who often come here for internships do a better job as the task is part of their internship requirements so they follow it through to the end,” she said.

Ms Minja voiced that at least a quarter of the total annual intake of children at the centre end up rejoining their parents. “There was a time when we used to receive requests from at least three to four parents a month for their children to stay at the centre for a couple of weeks because their children are so stubborn and unruly but now we hardly get any requests,” she observed.

Ms Minja said that it is alarming to see parents ready to pay money simply because they are either too busy or always travelling and prefer to have their children at the centre for other people to do their job for them. “UNICEF estimates that 100 million children are growing up on streets around the world.

However, the exact number of street children is impossible to quantify, but the figure almost certainly runs into tens of millions across the world. It is likely that the numbers are increasing,” she added.

According to the Consortium for Street Children annual report for 2009, the survey confirmed that the key factors that lead children to the streets include family breakdown as a result of violence, lack of love/ care and positive guidance, alcoholism, conflict and economic issues like hunger, supporting the family, school fees and accommodation.

“One of the most striking responses is that reunification with family is the second lowest priority for the children surveyed. Equally striking is the fact that the majority of children surveyed are 15 years old and above,” the report read in part. The report stated that there were an estimated 437,500 street children in Tanzania. Many face daily abuse on the streets from the police, sex tourists and even from each other.

Source: Daily News (31/03/2013): http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/16008-half-of-juveniles-grow-up-in-single-parent-households