Umthombo, South Africa

Umthombo’s work with children on the streets in Durban is so successful in reintegrating them with their families and supporting them to stay at home, that they are developing a range of preventative programmes, focusing on substance abuse and working with teenage mothers trapped in street life.

alternatives to street life

Umthombo Street Children is a pioneering South African organisation based in Durban, providing a fusion of sports and arts activities alongside psychosocial support, training and long-term aftercare; through these programmes they are able to accompany the children and young people as they begin to deal with the traumas they’ve experienced and start to find alternatives to a life on the streets.

Their longstanding advocacy work, which led to the creation of two major street child initiatives — Street Child World Cup and Surfers Not Street Children, has transformed the lives and treatment of many children on Durban’s streets.

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Umthombo operates a transitional centre for children to find the safety, support and hope they need. Staff build relationships with children through activities provided at the centre, help them to begin to address their traumas and work towards a life away from the streets.

Outreach teams meet children and young people on the streets; using sports and other engaging activities they begin to build rapport and encourage them to access further support from Umthombo.

Aftercare workers support children and young people who have returned home, keeping in touch with them and their families. Summer camps also provide an opportunity to check in with children at the point (summer holidays) when they may be most likely to go back to the streets because of a lack of recreational activities in townships.

In communities, Umthombo runs preventative programmes working with schools, churches and other community groups to identify children who may be at risk of going to the streets and supporting them at an early stage. They also collaborate with other expert agencies to focus on the issue of substance abuse for young people in communities and on the streets.

Umthombo’s work with girls, including those who are mothers on the streets, has developed significantly in recent years, developing in partnership with the girls themselves. Older girls on the streets are now even referring new girls who come to the streets to Umthombo.

The post-16 programme is designed for older young people who haven’t been able to return to school, but who wish to develop skills and capabilities for independent living. Social workers help them to process their experiences and also work with them on employability and life skills.

One of the greatest challenges of working with street girls & young women is that their notion of fear has been so compromised and watered-down by their own life experiences, it leads them to make destructive life choices.

Rebuilding and reconnecting their emotions that have long been suppressed and shattered becomes the core of our work so that they may move towards making choices that provide hope for their future, no matter how little or big this hope may be or might look like.” Umthombo, Durban South Africa

Umthombo also endeavours to change the way society perceives children on the streets — educating communities about the realities they face, developing and implementing strategies to address these issues, and continuing to have a significant impact on local, regional and national decision-making in these areas.

Street Justice resources

Take a look through our range of resources, including blog posts, downloads and products, to find out more about our Street Justice work.

Blog

“I feel alive again!” Karin Joseph reports from her recent visit to the Cheka Sana Foundation in Mwanza, Tanzania.

“Their approach is having profound effects, combining group work, support with business training and self-defence sessions. On our third day together, the female workshop participants accompanied Cheka Sana staff members, Nyangi and Revina, to the self-defence training.” Amos’ On Her Terms Lead Karin Joseph reports from her recent visit to the Cheka Sana Foundation in Mwanza, Tanzania.

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Stay at home, but how? Chris Rose and Karin Joseph write about how for some, it’s not that easy

“As much of a challenge as we may all be finding the lockdown — which now has more than a fifth of the world’s population living under varying degrees of ‘stay at home’ orders — for those living on the streets, the Coronavirus pandemic is no less terrifying, but the ability to self-isolate or #StayAtHome is not an option available to them. ‘Home’ is on the streets, in abandoned buildings, or temporary structures open to the elements.” Amos’ Director Chris Rose and On Her Terms Lead, Karin Joseph write.

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Awe-inspiring Amies Freedom Choir

“It was only after the performance that I found out something that made Amies even more extraordinary — each member of the choir was a modern slavery survivor who had been trafficked to the UK, to be forced into either prostitution or domestic servitude. To have the confidence to stand up and sing in front of a large crowd having been through such traumatic experiences is truly awe-inspiring.” Guardian journalist Jessie McDonald writes about a moving performance.

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Don’t Stop Now! Gowri’s story

“During these times, Karunalaya staff came to us, to hear about our situation. They told us not to be afraid, and I was encouraged by their advice. This comforted us very much.” As we launch our autumn Don’t Stop Now! Appeal, read about one young 14 year-old girl and her family in India who are receiving support from our partner Karunalaya. Amos’ On Her Terms Lead Karin Joseph writes.

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Don’t Stop Now! Sonia’s story

“The contact with the Young Entrepreneur’s programme has been an eye-opener — I was able to realise my potential of becoming an entrepreneur and financially independent.” As part of our autumn Don’t Stop Now! Appeal, read about one young woman from Burundi who is receiving training and support from our partner New Generation. Amos’ On Her Terms Lead Karin Joseph writes.

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My Voice, Our Equal Future: Girls’ Demands

On Thursday 8th October, girls from India and South Africa met online to share their demands with each other; it was a chaotic but fantastic time connecting up girls and young women thousands of miles apart but with many common experiences. They also heard demands drafted by girls in Burundi.

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It’s been a long week Karin Joseph

“Last Monday was International Women’s Day, a global day intended to celebrate women. Just 8 days ago. Since then, a number of things have happened. Meghan Markle shared openly about her mental health struggles and men in the media promptly accused her of lying for attention. A grim milestone was reached, passing a year since Breonna Taylor’s murder by police, in her own home, with as yet no justice served. The UK government are debating a new policing bill which would lead to 10-year sentences for defacing of statues, longer than the average sentence for rape.” Karin Joseph writes about a very difficult week for women in the UK.

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A Country On Fire Karin Joseph

“India is burning. Coronavirus is spreading throughout the country with renewed and devastating force, as new daily cases, at the time of writing, surpass 360,000, and the total death toll passes the grim milestone of 200,000. Funeral pyres are burning in car parks, on pavements and beside rivers, as crematoriums struggle to cope with the influx of the dead.” Karin Joseph writes about the current situation in India.

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Covid-19 in India Paul Sunder Singh

“Ambulances are queuing up for hours, with seriously ill Covid-19 patients waiting for beds to be admitted. While waiting they are supported with oxygen in the ambulance. Sometimes there is not enough oxygen available.” Paul Sunder Singh from Karunalaya in India writes about the current situation with Covid-19 in the country.

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