The International Day for Street Children is marked on 12 April every year. Its purpose is to give a platform to vulnerable children living on the streets, so that their voices can be heard. It is an opportunity to recognise the humanity, dignity and defiance of these children, many of whom face unimaginable hardships.
Image: Adolescents in Dakar, Senegal, enjoy a game of football. Sport is an incredible tool to bring young people together and teach them important life skills.
On the International Day for Street Children, United Purpose is celebrating the young people we work with in Dakar, Senegal.
In partnership with local training centres, we have developed one of the first accessible training courses for vulnerable young people living in this city. Instead of begging, these adolescents now have the opportunity to learn a trade, and break the cycle of poverty.
Meet the young people
“When I get older I really want to work, and I love to learn. Because of this course, I'm now learning how to be an electrician - I've learned about currents and cabling. I feel like the possibilities for me are endless.” - Omar*
Ibrahima* is learning how to walk a tightrope during a circus skills class. We use circus skills as a way to focus on the children’s psychosocial development - through the classes, they learn important life skills like teamwork, leadership and decision making, as well as building their confidence and trust in others.
This photo was taken during a French class. Children who don't go to formal school don't learn how to speak French, so we bring the school to them. This enables them to continue their Koranic studies, as well as learning French literacy and numeracy.
Malick* has made this picture out of sand. The children do regular art classes and messy play as a way of improving their wellbeing. The classes enable the younger children to improve their fine motor skills, and cognitive, socio-emotional and multi-sensory skills. They are also a fun way to develop creativity.
*Names have been changed
Read more stories from our work in Senegal:
