Launched in October 2006, the campaign hopes to reunite hundreds of street children with their estranged families or place them in structures offering a minimum of protection and care. Over the next 18 months, the Partnership aims to pilot the project in Kolda, Tamba and Matam, the three main cities from which the majority of street children originate to bring some 500 children back home or place those who cannot go home in appropriate structures, and to establish a dozen centres for children.

The campaign is working with two main daaras or Islamic schools, namely Daara de Malika and Empire des Empire des enfants, as well as other structures dealing with street children in Senegal. The project has also identified a number of youth coalitions including the Network of Agencies for Children and Youth in Difficulty (COSAED) and Coalition Nationale des Associations et ONG en Faveur de l'Enfance au Sénégal (CONAFE) that were already working nationwide on the matter. The organisations help with the implementation of activities related to bringing the children back to their homes or offering them temporary rehabilitation.

Many street children are victims of child traffickers posing as marabous (religious leaders who teach the Koran) who will often kidnap the children from villages and take them to Dakar where they are forced to beg for handouts in the streets. Under threat of beatings, the children must give the money to their masters. The campaign therefore also involved leaders of Senegal’s religious communities and those who attended the Partnership launch denounced this practice, lamenting that the country’s noble tradition of teaching young boys the Koran has been so distorted and exploited.

In order to raise awareness and gain support the Partnership has launched a communication campaign. The campaign is targeted at government officials, businesses and civil society (including as faith communities and NGOs) and aims to raise awareness around the issue of street children and their needs and gain political, social and financial support for the cause.

To do this, organisers plan to work more closely with domestic and foreign media by making information about the campaign available to them more often. They also aim to strengthen relations with media working in rural areas.

The project also aims to involve affected children in raising public awareness and are working with children to produce songs, poems, and artwork for public service announcements.

Other communication activities that are planned include using artists (musicians, fashions and football stars) to promote the cause, organising round tables, conferences, workshops, publishing survey results and producing audio and visual communications.

Children.

Despite an impressive body of research on street children prepared with the supported of NGOs, UN agencies, and the World Bank, past efforts have been unable to put an end to the issue of street children in Senegal. The Government has enacted laws to protect families and children but they are not enforced. Meanwhile, the general public has come to accept the sight of boys as young as 4 years old begging on city streets. Many unwittingly encourage the situation by giving the children money, food or other small gifts. However, the practice of begging is in itself dangerous as many children disrupt traffic and become involved in accidents.

Concerned by the situation, World Bank ‘s Country Director Madani M. Tall, in coordination with government officials, the donor community, civil society, and other advocates for children set up a steering committee one year ago and tasked it with studying the issue of street children and proposing a response.