Street children learn on their own terms

THEY are small, dirty and everybody tries to ignore their outstretched hands as they beg for money.They are an ever-increasing problem on the streets of towns and cities in Namibia.

They are the street children. The Big Issue magazine has now started a school for the children to teach them basic numeracy and literacy.They also receive art classes and counselling, a hot meal and have the opportunity to take a shower and wash their clothes.”We used to give them new clothing but the next day they returned in their old rags.The older children and adults on the street take their clothing away and sell it,” says art teacher Jonathan Joba.The Big Issue does not force the children to attend classes; they do so out of their own will and only attend on days they feel like it.”These children are used to earning money, you cannot expect them to sit in a classroom with other children.They are adults living in an adult world and there is no money to be made sitting in a classroom,” says Big Issue director Jo Rogge.On sunny days most children are on the streets making money.The children are used to doing their own thing and many have been criminalised by life on the street.They are not used to discipline or authority figures in their lives.They themselves need to have a complete mind change before they are ready to adapt to a life as schoolchildren in uniforms.The classes started three weeks ago and the number of children attending is steadily climbing as word spreads on the street.All the children are registered in order so start a comprehensive databank on street children, as statistics on street children are very scarce.They receive counselling, as many if not all come from broken and abusive homes.Some of the children attended school before being forced to live on the street and have very basic literacy skills.Brendon Josef (10) and Sidney Corman (10) both ran away from their homes in Okahandja and are now living under the bridges of Windhoek.”We came to Windhoek as there is more money to be made here,” they say.Ester Nangombe, who is studying to become a teacher through the South African distance-learning university Unisa, teaches the children.She has about 20 children registered but only some attend daily.”They are very enthusiastic and want to learn, but on their own terms.If they don’t feel like it, they chat or just don’t turn up.”Mostly though, the classes are well attended.In the art classes the children draw their feelings and some of the paintings are violent and very vivid images of their lives before the streets, as well as the dangers they now face daily.The Big Issue magazine has now started a school for the children to teach them basic numeracy and literacy.They also receive art classes and counselling, a hot meal and have the opportunity to take a shower and wash their clothes.”We used to give them new clothing but the next day they returned in their old rags.The older children and adults on the street take their clothing away and sell it,” says art teacher Jonathan Joba.The Big Issue does not force the children to attend classes; they do so out of their own will and only attend on days they feel like it.”These children are used to earning money, you cannot expect them to sit in a classroom with other children.They are adults living in an adult world and there is no money to be made sitting in a classroom,” says Big Issue director Jo Rogge.On sunny days most children are on the streets making money.The children are used to doing their own thing and many have been criminalised by life on the street.They are not used to discipline or authority figures in their lives.They themselves need to have a complete mind change before they are ready to adapt to a life as schoolchildren in uniforms.The classes started three weeks ago and the number of children attending is steadily climbing as word spreads on the street.All the children are registered in order so start a comprehensive databank on street children, as statistics on street children are very scarce.They receive counselling, as many if not all come from broken and abusive homes.Some of the children attended school before being forced to live on the street and have very basic literacy skills.Brendon Josef (10) and Sidney Corman (10) both ran away from their homes in Okahandja and are now living under the bridges of Windhoek.”We came to Windhoek as there is more money to be made here,” they say.Ester Nangombe, who is studying to become a teacher through the South African distance-learning university Unisa, teaches the children.She has about 20 children registered but only some attend daily.”They are very enthusiastic and want to learn, but on their own terms.If they don’t feel like it, they chat or just don’t turn up.”Mostly though, the classes are well attended.In the art classes the children draw their feelings and some of the paintings are violent and very vivid images of their lives before the streets, as well as the dangers they now face daily.