Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
A DISTURBING trend has emerged in Manicaland, where a recruitment agency is luring children from impoverished families in remote areas with promises of city jobs.
However, these children are instead being forced to assist physically challenged individuals in begging for alms on the streets of Mutare.
Historically, family members or relatives of physically challenged individuals would assist them in begging.
Often, these relatives, especially children, would be denied their basic right to education due to poverty.
In recent times, street children have taken on this role, hoping to receive a share of the proceeds after a day of begging.
The Manica Post can reveal that of late, city female vendors operating near Pick N Pay TM Supermarket and Meikles Park area in Mutare are now targeting children from poor families in remote areas of Manicaland.
These vendors promise the children jobs in the city, but instead force them to assist physically challenged beggars on the streets.
An investigation into the trend by this newspaper, spanning a fortnight, revealed that some of the children leave their rural homes without the knowledge of their parents, and end up assisting adult beggars on the streets before spending nights at Sakubva Bus Terminus.
Some children leave their rural homes with their parents’ knowledge, after being recruited by the city vendors who promise them decent jobs in the city.
This newspaper has also discovered that the recruiting agencies collect a portion of the daily proceeds from street begging and use the money to send a small grocery parcel back to the children’s rural homes.
Tinashe Makhuyana, a male street urchin in Mutare known to locals as Mabla, shared his concerns with this newspaper.
He revealed that he had encountered several peers who were brought to the city by female vendors.
“There are female vendors at Meikles Park who recruit children from rural areas and force them to assist physically challenged individuals in begging on the streets. I personally know two children who were brought to the city through this way, and we often sleep together at Sakubva Market, under the shade where vendors sell various items,” he said.
Joseph Mutungagore, another street child in Mutare, corroborated Makhuyana’s account, before introducing this reporter to his colleague, Phineus Matake, who comes from Masvingo.
Matake revealed that he was brought to Mutare by a local vendor who approached his aunt in November last year.
“I come from Zaka. I came here in December last year after Mai Munashe agreed with my aunt that she could get me something to do here in the city. For me it is better because we had nothing back home. My parents are both late, and I used to stay with my aunt, who also has a big family. So I find it worthwhile that I can get something to feed and clothe myself, while assisting those begging on the streets,” said Matake.
Efforts to track down the female city vendors said to be fronting the physically challenged persons were fruitless as those identified vehemently denied the allegations.
When contacted for comment, Simukai Child Protection Programme executive director, Mr Evans Magumise said young boys and girls are being hired for a fee or commission, which they receive at the end of the day in exchange for their guide services.
“Presently, a common trend is that adult beggars hire young boys and girls as guides to elicit sympathy from people on the streets. While it is acknowledged that some of these child guides are family members of the adult beggars, a concerning trend is emerging where unrelated children are hired to pose as family members and provide guide services.
“These young boys and girls are hired for a fee or commission, which they receive at the end of the day for their services. In some cases, this has become a means for these young boys and girls to earn money to buy food and other indulgences for these young boys and girls,” said Mr Magumise.
Over the years, Simukai Child Protection Programme has been involved in the rehabilitation of children living and working on the streets to complement the efforts of the Department of Social Development.
Through this work, Simukai Child Protection Programme has also worked with children involved in begging on the streets, one category of children working on the streets.
These children (between six and 12 years old) are not usually the beggars, but will be guides to assist visually or physically impaired adults begging for alms on the streets.
Mr Magumise said: “This trend has the potential of exposing the young children to the risk of exploitation and abuse, and Simukai Child Protection Programme, working together with the Department of Social Development and other partners are raising awareness among these young children on the dangers of engaging into such activities with adult beggars.
“Simukai continues to support interventions related to family tracing, reunification and reintegration of these children with their families. Simukai Child Protection Programme also supports children reintegrated with their families to re-enrol into the education system, offer livelihood support to their families to address poverty which is the biggest push factor to the phenomenon of children living and working on the streets.”
