Status of Children in Tanzania - 2012 - Tanzania Education Network ...

Call for Action
Figure 5: TOTAL CHILDREN AFFECTED BY HIV/AIDS
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
Total orphaned
children
2007
2008
2009
2010
2012
SOURCE: Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey (THMIS (2012)
3.2.6 Children surviving under Street children status
Tanzania has many children in and on the street. Documentary evidence revealed that out of 282
household facilities harbouring children in Tanzania 20% focus solely on street children while the
remaining 80% target all kinds of vulnerable children, e.g. orphans, abused, disabled, abandoned,
neglected etc. Reasons for children to be on the street include marital conflict in the family,
HIV/AIDS, lack of parental guide, torture, mistreatment and lack of support. Through interview at
Mkombozi, Moshi, children revealed that they go to the street as a last resort to serve their lives.
Street children homes in Tanzania started in 1985, as drop-in centre that provide basic needs to
homeless children. The first one to be established include; Kuleana Mwanza, the name denotes
caring for each other, Dogodogo centre Dar es Salaam referring to young child, Mkombozi Moshi,
the name denotes liberate to child, Amani Moshi the name means peace, and Bona bana at
Bukoba the name denotes that all are children.
Findings from Mkombozi Moshi, Kuleana Mwanza, Bona Bana Kagera, Dogodogo Dar es Salaam
and the Department of Social Welfare, Dar es Salaam suggested that the number of street children
is annually increasing because of intense society problems and suffering at household level. In 1985
there was only 75 street children, in 2012 there is more than 5,000 street children in Tanzania.
Majority of these resides at Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Mbeya, Iringa, Tanga, Morogoro, Moshi,
Arusha, Tabora, and Dodoma. Experience from Mkombozi, Amani, and Kuleana indicated that
street children are subjected to torture, mistreatment by police roundups, lack of shelter, lack
treatment when they fall sick, mistreated by society, and condermed as unruled children. Their
upbringing is contrary to what CRC advocate. Children in this category survive and grow without
parental care and is a challenge which its solution has not yet been sought of. For example when
they graduate as adult from street where will they be acomodated. In deed it is a time bomb.
3.2.7 Children surviving under Child labour status
Tanzania situation indicates that as per 2012 data, one out of five children from 5 – 17 years of age
are engaged in child labour. Statistically 20% of all children in Tanzania are engaged in child
labour. Child labour occurs both in rural 24.8% and urban settings 7.6%. In rural areas children are
employed in households occupations subsistence agriculture, household chores, domestic work or
commercial agriculture like Iringa and Urambo tobacco plantation. As noted in worst form of child
labour study by ILO (2012), and UNICEF (2012). Worst form of child labour exist in formal sector
and children can be found engaged in commercial sex, street vending, begging, drug trafficking,
mining, fishing, working in garages, open spaces exposed to dust conditions during dry season and
dampness during rain seasons. Categories of these children are employed as baby seaters,
domesticate animals, working as child prostitute and sometimes doing petty business. Some of
these children are coming from Iramba –Singida, Kondoa, Dodoma, or Makete, Iringa and when
brought to urban area they are kept under brothels where they practice sex in exchange with
money payable to the owner who kept them under brothels.
13 / 55 Tanzania-CRSA-REPORT-2012
A loving home for every child