Be proactive in dealing with street children, govt urged

Decisive Minds, a local community based organization has noted with concern the resurfacing of street kids on most streets of Lusaka despite efforts made by government to remove them and give them starter packs to start businesses of their own.

Executive Director Kennedy Mutale is of the view that the reactive rather than the proactive approach taken towards the issue of street kids has contributed to their return to the streets every time they are taken off the streets.

Mr Mutale notes that government has not taken time to understand the challenges these children are going through where they are coming from for them to prefer being on the streets.

He says the mind needs to be treated before skills are built and starter packs given to children taken off the streets so that they can learn to appreciate the efforts being made by government.

Mr Mutale states that there is need for these street kids to have a change of mind and only then will the efforts by government yield fruits as what is currently being treated are symptoms.