While the world celebrates the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression every June 4th, street children in Burundi continue to suffer different forms of aggression after the government’s measure to remove them from streets.
Ferdinand Simbaruhije: “Street children are obliged to hide and this affects them psychologically”
Ferdinand Simbaruhije, Secretary General of the national federation of associations defending children’s rights- FENADEB says the measure recently taken by Burundi government was a good initiative although it makes most of those children suffer even more. “Most of the children who were brought back into their families ended up returning to the streets”.
Simbaruhije says not only do street children experience physical abuse but they also lead a difficult life as they are obliged to hide to avoid being caught. “As they are supposed to be in their families, they are obliged to hide and this affects them psychologically. They go through trauma”.
He also says street children in Burundi are victims of social discrimination. He says they are seen as outcasts and are misunderstood by the people around them and this can make them develop a rebellious spirit.
Simbaruhije calls on the government, associations defending children’s rights and the population to make sure those children are understood and protected as they are supposed to live in their families.
“Removing children from the streets requires meeting their basic needs so as to prevent them from experiencing street life again,” he says appealing to all the parties involved in defending children’s rights to find a lasting solution to this problem
The purpose of this International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression is to acknowledge the pain suffered by children who are victims of physical, mental and emotional abuse throughout the world.
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