Hotel of hope

magazine Africa the Foundation children gives street children the chance to gain skills and find a job at the unconscious eye, Kiboko Lodge looks just like any other hotel in Tanzania.

But for thousands of street children, represents an output from a life of sleeping rough and drugs intake.

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the main story Street children are treated like pests that are unjust, as most of us are not to blame for the situation we are in. "

End quote Frances former street child Nestled between the peaks of Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro, the lodge was built, maintained and now consists of former street children. They were all trained by children Foundation, an organization of Tanzania that works with children on the road.

To find out how they got here, I start my journey from a ruinous location.

It is 7 pm on Friday. Are the main bus terminal of Arusha with a social worker children Foundation. The place is buzzing with people.

The sadness of a small troupe of children come buzz in vista: cart wheel, flipping back and doing handstands.

One of the group, Aristide, leads me to a veranda.

Ten little bodies covered in bags of rice, no more than 10 years, without mattresses and pillows, are taken up. There is a strong smell of glue.

The guys have hidden in their sleeves or in front of their coats plastic bottles. They make their faces and take deep breaths.

A little boy is sleeping in own, sheltered by a mound of wooden wheel about done with the word "Rambo" written in red paint. He is smiling.

Aristide "has saved for several months to buy the barrow," explains.

"Now he will work to adjust unloading vegetables in the auction. Only as long as it isn't stolen. "

Aristide has been scouring the streets almost every day by more than 10 years. Everywhere that we walk he is mobbed by children, holding onto his shirt.

You don't know the exact number of children and adolescents sleep on the road, but it is thought that operates on hundreds of thousands.

The ambitions of welding

We look forward to Makumira-a vocational training centre run by the Foundation children, just outside of Arusha.

Kiboko Lodge offers accommodation for tourists to Mount Kilimanjaro

The Centre offers mechanical repairing bicycles, welding, carpentry, furniture making, farming and gardening skills for young men astray.

If, after several years of primary education at the residential center of children, they make it through without running away or using drugs or sniff the glue is the premium, the final product that is the work the Kiboko Lodge.

Samuel and Emmanuel are both graduates from the first year at the Centre. Now I'm based at the lodge.

Their teacher, Mzee Sifuri, retired from the State system of work for children. He remembers it well.

"Guys were really exceptional. Very disciplined, orderly and alive. "

Emmanuel, head chef at the Kiboko Lodge, is a young star.

"Pride in knowing that I can speak well, that here, I'm doing an honest day's work in the kitchen for paying guests. Makes me feel so happy.

"I had to leave the street life, there was no way that I was giving my life to glue".

Samuel welded frames and metal beds to lodge Kiboko.

"I'm just starting my business, welding. I did all the frames in the window here at the lodge, and I'm good at it. "

The decision to build a lodge entirely composed of former street children were entirely practical.

Founder of the Foundation children, Noud Van Hout, realized there was a gap in the market for the budget, the quality accommodation for tourists-Kilimanjaro is only 45 minutes away.

In addition, he needed to find work for hundreds of young people trained and qualified organisation had created.

"Work gives young men what they want: independence, money, self respect and skills, plus a real sense of pride that they have a place in society, work in the leisure industry or to learn a trade," says Mr. Van Hout.

Coming out soon

All former street children are unanimous in their belief that the only way of life is the desire to leave the streets. In all cases they were given aid from organizations working with rough sleepers or street children.

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men work gives young people what they want: independence, money, self respect and skills, plus a real sense of pride "

end quote Noud Van Hout children Foundation" we had early, at the age of 16, "another young man, Frances, says:

"It is almost impossible to get off the streets after the age of about 18-get too accustomed to liberty, chaos, the emotion.

Nobody will use "Plus, as I'm sure you're a thief. Street children are treated as parasites, that are unjust, since we are not to blame for the situation that we are in the majority. "

William Raj, who has been working with street children in Tanzania for 11 years and heads of an organization called Mkombozi, considers the community and policy makers must change their perceptions about those living in the streets.

"Tanzania has need to provide business and technical opportunities and helping street children to live independently and to increase the income of the nation", he says.

Kate McAlpine, a consultant with the rights of the child, who has worked in this sector for over 15 years, agrees.

"We're in Tanzania to invest in them, because we realize it is important to respect the principles of social emancipation and development and to recognize that children, whoever they are, are the next generation of economic income."

Thembi Mutch is a freelance journalist based in Tanzania.

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