SKIA (Street Kids In Action) Grant Proposal, Zimbabwe (1993-1995)

SKIA (Street Kids In Action)

PURPOSE

To setup a systematic database on street children and young adults in Zimbabwe to form a network with other relevant agencies to provide pertinent details and requirements for educational and vocational programs to ultimately mainstream this sector of the population.

THE PROBLEM

There is an estimated 10,000 street children and young adults in Zimbabwe:

 Most are concentrated in the urban areas of Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare.

 Government Ministries attempt to address this sector of the population through Public Services, Labor and Social Welfare, but there is no identification program in place to target specific needs … it’s random.

 Other NGOs provide shelter, food and clothing to some, but it’s scattered with no real end result.

 Assumptions are made as to the reasons for these children and young adults being on the streets.

 The Zimbabwean Civil War (orphaned)

 The Mozambican Civil War (orphaned)

 Home economics

 School fees

 Parental abuse

 Disabled parents

 Etc.

and these assumptions lead to misinformation and poor targeting of specific needs.

 The existence of these children and young adults and their plight are visibly manifested in all urban areas, and their suffering and untold misery are a result of this non-specific targeting (lack of identification, need and counseling).

 They are exposed to social dangers, which may have a negative, lasting effect on their lives, and they lack monitoring and protection.

 There is a lack of coordination and no common base which relevant agencies operate, resulting in duplication of efforts.

It’s clear that these estimated 10,000 street children and young adults in Zimbabwe have no direction and viable future due to the lack of a program that will identify, counsel and target their specific needs.

THE SOLUTION

To setup a systematic database on these street children and young adults to identify, counsel and target their specific needs by:

 Visiting the places where they are found.

 Interviewing them to collect pertinent information, and deal with any immediate problems they may have.

 Housing twenty at a time … on a rotation basis … at the SKIA facility to provide not only shelter, food and clothing, but also gain insight into their reasons for being on the streets and habits they may have developed.

 Identifying suitable educational and vocational programs.

 Working closely with Government Ministries and other relevant agencies to share the database information for a more cohesive approach to mainstreaming.

The database information will include: name, age, sex, family history, educational background, work history, family status, cause for being on the streets, length of time spent on the streets and where and availability of shelter, food and clothing. This information will be updated periodically, and reported to the Government Ministries and relevant agencies.

COST

Cost for a program is always bottom-line for a funding source, but the following annual budget is felt to be nominal when compared to the severity of the street children and young adults problem that presents itself to the Zimbabwean community:

 Coordinator $4,000.00

 Field Staff X3 9,000.00

 Data Processor 2,000.00

 Travel and Expenses (field work and daily allowance) 9,000.00

 Equipment (computerX2, printer, photocopier, deskX4, 15,000.00

chairX4, filing cabinetX2)

 Operations (supplies, postage, telephone, utilities) 13,000.00

 Housing (bedX20, blanketX20, sheetX20, clothingX20, 12,000.00

food

 Administrative/Accounting 10,500.00

 Contingencies 3,500.00

TOTAL $78,000.00

CONCLUSION

As the economic situation in Zimbabwe tends to move more and more towards a recession; and as the family unit tends to weaken and dissolve; it’s anticipated that the number of street children and young adults will increase. This increase added to the existing numbers of destitute youth makes it paramount that a systematic approach to this problem be implemented to offer a solution, so this sector of the population will have a viable opportunity.

Tom R. Chambers, United States Peace Corps Volunteer, Zimbabwe (Founder, SKIA [Street Kids In Action])

SKIA Board of Directors

Tom R. Chambers as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer initiated this grass-roots organization, SKIA (Street Kids In Action) to reach out and help street children in Zimbabwe. He advised the following grant proposal put together by one of the organization's staff members.