Challenges of Working with Street Children


Once children of the streets, now they
are cared for at Agape Children's Centre.

• Since they live in corrupt gangs for security and survival, they face society as gangs. It is very difficult to isolate one member, since group pressure is so strong that they are soon threatened, forced, and blackmailed to return to their old habits.
  
  
• They soon become dependent, both physically and mentally, on their readily available addictions, enabling them to forget for a while their pitiful existence. This is a huge problem, and expert help is needed to treat their physical and psychological dependence and addiction. There are many disappointments for the worker, as relapses are very common.
  
  
• Integration into society is difficult, as the public has preconceived ideas about the ragpicker and neither accepts nor encourages the vision to transform him.
  
  
• Life's struggles and hardships have made the ragpicker suspicious and wary of kindness and offers of help. He is unruly and disrespectful, always suspicious and on his guard. This discourages the volunteers, who become disillusioned and lose interest in working with them.
  
  
• The ragpicker has never learned the rules and discipline that are demanded by employers, so government employment schemes are not tolerated, and all efforts fail.
  
  
• The ragpicker cannot understand unconditional love, and needs to receive food or other incentives, for him to cooperate. However with love, time, and patience, he will respond, and the rewards to the volunteer will be tremendous.
  
  
• The retail scrap dealers feel threatened that their business will be ruined if the ragpickers cease dealing with them, so they constantly threaten the children and spread false rumors about us and our ministry.
  
  
• Requirements for those who work with ragpickers and street children:
  
  
  • Have a vision and love for slum dwellers
    
  • Be adaptable to their living conditions
    
  • Be able to empathize with them.
    
    
• Why take up the challenge:
  
  
  • To demonstrate that in God's eyes all are equal
    
  • To transform the ragpicker through education and love
  • To share the gospel of Jesus Christ
    
  • To minister to an unjustly victimized people
    
  • To provide education to equip them for the future
    
  • To provide health education and give medical care.