Friends-International: The Street Children Network

Children We Work With

We work with vulnerable children and youth in Cambodia, Egypt, Honduras, Indonesia, Lao P.D.R., Mexico, Myanmar and Thailand.

To learn more about the children in these areas of the world, please click on the link below.

Cambodia
Egypt
Honduras
Indonesia
Lao P.D.R.
Myanmar
Mexico
Thailand


	Cambodia

	Definition and statistics of street children in Cambodia Street Living Children (little or no family contact): In Phnom Penh there are, on a daily basis, 1,500 street living children (Mith Samlanh / Friends survey June 2001); Street Working Children (who return to family on a regular basis): According to the figures accepted by UNICEF, there are between 10,000 and 20,000 Street Working Children; Street Families: The number of children is very seasonal, and varies between a few hundred to a few thousand. Key factors pushing children onto the streets Based on data and research carried out by the various partner organisations: Factors depend on age and gender: poverty is more prevalent among younger children and domestic violence more prevalent among older children. The factors depend on historical events, in the early 90’s, war was an important factor, but no longer at this time. The most important current factors are: poverty, domestic violence and family breakdown; HIV/AIDS within families is a new and increasing factor: in 2002 40% of new cases of street working children were due to HIV/AIDS in the family. Substance use: Is now a factor in children coming to the streets rather than just a symptom of street life. 73 % of street living children were regularly using substances in Phnom Penh in 2004. Main risks faced on the streets Physical abuse by street living parents and others Poor health, hygiene, and nutrition Sexual abuse – vulnerability to infections (often life threatening) Substance use Violence and gang related issues Trafficking into prostitution and domestic exploitation		Country Background Population: 12,775,324 Population under 14 years: 40.7% Under 5 mortality rate: 96 deaths/1,000 live births Primary school entrants reaching grade 5: 63 % HIV prevalence (% ages 15-49), 2003: 2.6 (1.5 - 4.4) Children orphaned by AIDS (0-14), 2001: 52,000. Population living below $1 a day (%), 1990-2002: 34.1 Population living below $2 a day (%), 1990-2002: 77.7 GDP per capita (US$), 2002: 321 Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh in 1975 and ordered the evacuation of all cities and towns; over 1 million displaced people died from execution or enforced hardships. A 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside and touched off 13 years of fighting. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy, as did the rapid diminishment of the Khmer Rouge in the mid-1990s. After decades of war and massive killings, the traditional family structure and support system for providing care and protection to children and youth, has been seriously compromised, creating a crucial "generation gap" between parents and children. This is particularly evident in the countryside, far away from the "modern" way of life of Phnom Penh. Increasing problem of substance (methamphetamines) use, traffic and production. Back to Top


	Egypt

	Definition and statistics of street children in Egypt Estimations of the population of street children vary enormously (from several thousands to 2 millions, depending on the definitions adopted) Street Living Children (little or no family contact): In Cairo there are between 50,000 and 150,000 street living children (based on local NGOs estimates); Street Working Children (who return to family on a regular basis): According to NGOs estimates, there are between 100,000 and 1,000,000 street working children in Cairo only (some of them coming on a daily basis from other Governorates outside Cairo). Several organization (public or private) also include Working Children (who are not street children but at high risk from becoming street children) in the statistic. Key factors pushing children onto the streets Based on research carried out by the various partner organizations and on friends-International observations: The most important current factors are: poverty, domestic violence and family breakdown; Fathers taking a second spouse seem to be an important factor of conflict within families Family size Sexual abuse by family members (especially for girls) School dropout and lack of education Unplanned rural-urban migration Peer pressure Sensation seeking, freedom on the streets Existence of other brothers or sisters on the street Main risks faced on the streets Physical abuse by peers and police Community disapproval and hostility Arrests and detention in Government institutions Poor health, hygiene, and nutrition Sexual abuse (by peers or children sex offenders) – leading to strong social stigmatization and to vulnerability to infections Stealing of savings/belongingsSubstance use		Country Background Population: 80,335,000 (estimate 2007) Population under 15 years: 31.8% Under 5 mortality rate: 35 deaths/1,000 live births Primary school entrants reaching grade 5: 95 % HIV prevalence (% ages 15-49), 2005: less than 0.1 Prevention among young people: who have comprehensive knowledge of HIV, 2000-2006*: 4% Population living below $1 a day (%), 1990-2002:34.1 Population living below $2 a day (%): 40-45% GDP per capita (US$), 2007: 5.400 Approximately 80-90% of the population adheres to Islam and most of the remainder to Christianity, primarily the Coptic Orthodox denomination Refugees (country of origin): 60,000 - 80,000 (Iraq), 70,255 (Palestinian Territories), 13,446 (Sudan) (2006) Transit point for cannabis, heroin, and opium moving to Europe, Israel, and North Africa; transit stop for Nigerian drug couriers.The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to meet the demands of Egypt's growing population through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure.Back to Top


	Honduras

	Definition and statistics of street children in Honduras In Honduras the World Bank estimates that 8 to 12% of all children below the age of 18 are working or living in the streets (equates to 200,000 to 300,000 children). The large majority are street working children and children working in markets. There are between 500 and 750 street living children in the central area of Tegucigalpa. The increase in the number of street children over the last decade has been massive, with an eight-fold increase in Honduran capitol Tegucigalpa alone. Key factors pushing children onto the streets Domestic violence / Family breakup Sexual abuse Economic migration from (poor) rural areas to Tegucigalpa, Mexico and USA Substance use Natural disaster (the street children population in Central America has grown dramatically since hurricane Mitch in late-1998) Economic crisis Main risks faced on the streets Physical violence, arrests and murders by police. Prostitution Substance use (industrial cleaner (PVC), or glue, marijuana, and cocaine/crack) Poor health, hygiene, and nutrition Vulnerability to infections (often life threatening) Kidnapping, trafficking		Country Background Population: 7.7 million 40.7% under 15 years Under 5 mortality rate: 26 / 1000 45% of the population lives in urban areas Literacy rate: 76.1% % of primary school entrants reaching grade 5 (2000-2006): 70 HIV prevalence (15-49 years): 1.8% (2003 est.) Population living below $1 a day, 1995-2005: 12% GDI per capita (in US$): 1200 (2006) Honduras is the second poorest country in Central America and one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, with an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income and massive unemployment. After two and a half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting leftist guerrillas. In 1997, Carlos Flores Facussé of the Liberal Party was elected president. He began to reform the economy and modernize the government. In recent years, Honduras has faced high unemployment, inflation, and economic overdependence on coffee and bananas. In Oct. 1998, Hurricane Mitch killed some 13,000 Hondurans, left 2 million homeless, and caused more than $5 billion in damage. In 2002, Ricardo Maduro became president, promising to lessen crime and corruption, but his hard-line efforts (named Mano Dura), growing increasingly more repressive, did not improve these problems. In 2006, a new president, Manuel Zelaya, also vowed to fight corruption and gang violence, but he promised to do so with a more humane approach. A free-trade agreement (CAFTA) with the U.S went into effect in April 2006. Honduras today has one of the highest murder rates - similar to Colombia's, despite it is facing an ongoing civil war. Honduras counts for about 60 per cent of all HIV/AIDS-positive cases in Central America, the quick spread of HIV- infected people is a constantly increasing threat to the development of the country. Back to Top


	Indonesia

	Definition and statistics of street children in Indonesia According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, in 2005 there were 46,800 street children across 21 provinces in Indonesia. Substantial numbers of street children were identified in Jakarta and the provinces of East Java, West Java, North Sumatra, and South Sulawesi. Surabaya, in East Java, was home to approximately 8,000 street children, many reportedly susceptible to sexual abuse and violence (Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 2005). Aceh, in Northern Sumatra, was the scenario of a secessionist conflict for over three decades, a conflict that was left aside by the December 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Aceh was the worst hit area by the Tsunami, adding to an already challenging environment for children. Many children were left orphans by the conflict and many by the Tsunami too. Although the number of street children in the province is relatively small, the social and economic conditions created by long years of armed conflict and the aftermath of natural disasters, have left a large population of children at risk of becoming street children in Aceh. Friends-International conducted a one day snapshot survey in November 2006 and identified 173 street children and youth. We can therefore estimate there are at least 300 marginalized children and youth living or working on the streets of Banda Aceh over a 1 year period. Main risks faced by vulnerable children on the streets in Aceh Physical abuse Drugs use Poor health and hygiene Sexual abuse and vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections. Peer pressure to engage in dangerous or illegal activities. Armed conflict		Country Background Country Information: Indonesia's population is 222.7 million (2005 est). Children/Youth in Indonesia: 33 per cent of the population is under the age of 18. Street Children in Aceh, Indonesia: 300 street living children and youth. Back to Top


	Lao P.D.R.

	Definition and statistics of vulnerable children in Lao PDR Currently there are no available estimates of the population of street children in Vientiane or in Lao P.D.R. as a whole. In October 2004, the Peuan Mit/Friends-International team identified 209 children over a one-day survey period in Vientiane. The majority of children on the streets in Vientiane are street working children who have kept ties with their family and return home either regularly or irregularly. Many children are also living with their families on the streets. Key factors pushing children onto the streets (According to the survey carried out by Peaun Mit/Friend-International in October 2004) Migration from provinces in search of work and income needs. 22% said that someone in their family was addicted to drugs (amphetamines, opium) or alcohol. Generating income to attend school Domestic violence 10% of street children on the streets interviewed had a disability (75% of whom had mobility problems). Main risks faced on the streets Physical abuse by street living parents and others Poor health, hygiene, and nutrition Sexual abuse and vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections Substance use Violence and gang related issues Trafficking into prostitution and domestic exploitation		Country Background Population: 5,777,180 million (July 2002 est.) Population under 14 years: 42.5% Under 5 mortality rate: 90.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) Primary school entrants reaching grade 5: 59 % HIV prevalence (% ages 15-49), 2001: 0.05. Children orphaned by AIDS (0-14), 2001: less than 100. GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2001 est.) High ethnic diversity (47 officially recognized ethnic groups), internal migration In 1975, the One Party Communist Government took control of the existing One-Party government, ending a six-century-old monarchy. Initial closer ties to Vietnam and socialization were replaced with a gradual return to private enterprise, an easing of foreign investment laws, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997. Lao is the least developed Asian landlocked country, and maintains a primitive infrastructure. Subsistence agriculture accounts for half of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The country is the world's third-largest illicit opium producer, potential heroin producer; trans-shipment point for heroin and methamphetamine produced in Burma; illicit producer of cannabis; it is now facing a growing methamphetamine abuse problem. Back to Top


	Myanmar

	Definition and statistics of vulnerable children in Myanmar “Lan Pyaw Kalay” is the traditional term for “street children” in Myanmar, which literally means “children who are happy on the streets.” Little statistical data is available Different estimations are between 10,000 and 30,000 street (working and living) children. ILO estimates 10,000 street children are between 5 and 15 years. Approximativelly 8,000 children live in state custodial institutions in Myanmar (UNICEF). Key factors pushing children onto the streets Poverty Broken families Domestic violence Refugee Internal and external refugee movement Physical, sexual abuse Main risks faced on the streets Trafficking HIV/AIDS, STDs Poor health, hygiene, and nutrition Substance use Arrest by authorities and custody Forced labour Forced recruitment in to factional armies		Country Background Population: 51.14 million 32.3% under 15 years 25% live in urban areas 135 different ethnics group, 69% of the population are “Bamars” Under 5 mortality rate 116/1000 live births Decline in public spending on education over last 10 years to $2 per child per annum. Primary school entrants reaching grade 5: 65% The legal minimum age for work is 13 years HIV prevalence (% ages 15-49), 2003: No information Children orphaned by AIDS (0-14), 2001: 40,000 Population living below $1 a day (%), 1990-2002: No information The country has been led since the 60’s by a military junta supported by private armies of drug barons. Decades of self-imposed isolation, fabricated statistics and the absence of social research and journalistic inquiry make appreciation of real social conditions very difficult. The country is one the world's largest heroin and methamphetamines producers. There is evidence of rapid growth in mobile populations in border areas and significant internal and external migration, notably forced movements of populations for forced labor. Back to Top


	Mexico

	Definition and statistics of vulnerable children in Mexico According to authorities, In the central area of Mexico City there are 11,172 street children. 1,020 live in the street and 10,152 work there. According to NGO Casa Allianza, 30,000 children are living in the streets of Mexico City. The authorities estimate there are 140,000 children working on the streets in the country. They are also called pepenadores (the garbage people) or market children. A particularity of Mexico is that the street living population is now at the 2nd or 3rd generation. Key factors pushing children onto the streets Domestic violence Family breakup Sexual abuse Economic migration from (poor) rural areas to Mexico City Substance use Parents living on the streets Main risks faced on the streets Physical abuse Poor health, hygiene, and nutrition Sexual abuse (an estimated 90 per cent of street children in Mexico City have been victims of sexual abuse at some stage in their lives) Violence and abuses from the police Violence from Gangs Substance use (industrial cleaner (PVC), or glue, marihuana, and cocaine/crack) Kidnapping, trafficking		Country Background Population: 103.4 million (July 2002 est.) 24.7 million are children under 17. Under 5 mortality rate: 31/1,000 Primary school entrants reaching grade 5: 89% 75% of the population live in urban areas HIV prevalence (15-49 years): 0.3% Children orphaned by Aids (0-14 years): 27,000 Population living below $1 a day, 1990-2002: 8% GDI per capita (in US$): 5910 There has been migration of campesinos from the countryside to the cities since the major industrialization of Mexico began in the 1940s. The rural situation has become worse since. There is little or no welfare state and no unemployment benefit. Mexico is one of the 4 worst countries in Latin America for income distribution. In March 1994 Ernesto Zedillo, was elected with 50% of the vote. Within days of President Zedillo's taking office, Mexico's currency, the peso, suddenly collapsed, bringing on a rapid and deep economic recession. Among other things, it led to a huge increase in crime, intensified discontent with the PRI and caused large-scale Mexican immigration to the US. It's estimated that by 1997 more than 2.5 million Mexicans a year were entering the US illegally. Zedillo's policies pulled Mexico gradually out of recession. Despite a hiccup caused by international economic factors in 1998, by the end of his term in 2000, Mexicans' purchasing power was again approaching 1994 levels. Elected in 2000, President Fox has sought to emphasize Mexico's role as a world player, and has strongly supported the US since the events of 9/11; security has been tightened on the northern border. Meanwhile, rumors of government corruption are once again on the increase, the activities of the country's notorious drug cartels continue to make headlines and the soaring crime rate is tainting Mexico's much-vaunted holiday image. Official statistics are unreliable as it is officially claimed that unemployment is only 2%-3%. A more realistic employment estimate would be 40% unemployed or underemployed. Back to Top


	Thailand

	Definition and statistics of vulnerable children in Thailand According to official estimates, there are 15,000 street children in Thailand. More than 5,000 are in Bangkok. According to Government figures there were 1,062 child beggars in Bangkok in 1999. Of these children 80 were Thai and 982 were foreign. There are no precise estimations on numbers of street living, street working or street families children. However the proportion of migrant children suggests the proportion of children living without their family might be more important. Than in other countries. Contrary to other countries, the ratio of female to male children is almost equal. Key factors pushing children onto the streets Migration of youth from other countries (Cambodia, Myanmar, Lao P.D.R, Vietnam, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India) Migration of families (from Thai provinces or other countries) Trafficking for prostitution or begging Economic crisis. Main risks faced on the streets Poor health, hygiene, and nutrition Prostitution, Sexual Exploitation Sexual abuse and also vulnerability to infections (often life threatening) Substance use Forced Child Labor.		Country Background Population: 62.2 (2002) 25% of population under 15 years Under-5 mortality rate: 28/1000 live births Primary school entrants reaching grade 5: 97 % HIV prevalence (% ages 15-49), 2003: 1.8 Children orphaned by AIDS (0-14), 2001: 289,000 Population living below $1 a day (%), 1990-2002: <2 Population living below $2 a day (%), 1990-2002: 32.5 GDP per capita (US$): 2,060 (2002) After the WWII, Thailand was dominated by the military and experienced more than twenty coups and countercoups interspersed with short-lived experiments with democracy. Democratic elections in 1979 were followed by a long period of stability and prosperity as power shifted from the military to the business elite. In 1997 the Thai baht pretty much collapsed, dragging the economy (and many other southeast Asian economies) down to near bankruptcy. Following this the International Monetary Fund stepped in with a bailout package of austerity measures, which - although it slowed Thailand's growth dramatically and hit the poor hardest - seemed to have turned things around by early 1998. By the turn of the new century, Thailand's economy had stopped going into free fall, but rebuilding had only just begun. Child labor, trafficking and sexual exploitation are still very concerning issues the country. Back to Top

Reference Material

The Asian Research Center fot Migration (Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand)

ILO -IPEC, Christina Wille, Trafficking in Children into the Worst Forms of Child Labour: A Rapid Assessment, ILO - Geneva, November 2001 US Dept. of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 1998, 26 February 1999

ILO, Yearbook of Labour Statistics, 2001

ILO-IPEC, Chantana Banpasirichot et al, The Situation of Child Labour in Thailand citing the Labour Force Survey Round 3, August national statistics office 1993, June 1998

ILO-IPEC, Children in Prostitution, Pornography and Illicit Activities, September 1999

CATW Fact Book citing "Trafficking of children on the rise", Bangkok Post, 22 July 1998, citing IPSR

ECPAT, Report Cites Burma's Child Rights Abuses, ECPAT Bulletin, Vol. 4/1, 1996-97

ILO-IPEC, Action Against Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children, June 2001

June Kane, Sold for Sex, 1998, citing CPCR

CATW Fact Book citing "Expert says Thailand turns into hub of child trafficking", Bangkok Post, 22 September 1998

US Dept. of Labor, Sweat and Toil of Children: Agricultural Imports & Forced and Bonded Child Labor, 1995