The Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) on Monday summoned five ministers over the increasing number of street children.
This summons came after SPLM-IO lawmaker Anok Buol Deng said the ministers of gender, child, and social welfare, education, health, humanitarian affairs, and interior must give the house a clear and sustainable strategy to resolve the recurring issue of street children.
“In light of the above, I am moving an urgent and important motion for deliberation and passing by the august house for strengthening social support and rehabilitation. I urge the government to allocate adequate resources to establish and maintain a comprehensive support system that prioritizes the welfare of street children,” he said. “These include accessible shelters, counseling services, medical care, and educational opportunities tailored to their needs. I urge the government to promote access to quality education to break the cycle of street children.”
“The government should collaborate with relevant stakeholders to ensure street children have the opportunity to receive formal education and acquire skills that enable them to participate in the workforce,” Buol added.
For his part, John Agany Deng, the spokesman of the assembly, said the members of parliament have tasked the government to mitigate the increasing number of street children.
“We have rested it upon ourselves that the street children who are the future of South Sudan and the nation must be taken care of,” he said. “It is one of the most important agendas that we discussed today and the ministers concerned must be summoned and come to the house as to answer these important issues.”
In Juba, up to 3,000 children live on the streets and the number keeps increasing according to the Mind and Soul Institute, a local charity that works with street children.
The factors driving child homelessness include family break-ups, abuse, polygamy practices, and neglect.