Reducing Gender Based Violence to Address Increased cases of street children in Lango

1. Lira, Uganda: To tackle the rising issue of street children in the Lango subregion,  Lango Cultural and Tourism Promoters Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society has rolled out community policies aimed at addressing gender-based violence. 

Various stakeholders believe that gender-based violence is a significant factor pushing kids onto the streets in Uganda. 

In a recent speech, Mr. Odongo Samuel, the chairperson of the cooperative based in Lira City, shared that they are raising awareness about gender-based violence to help decrease the number of street children and improve their overall wellbeing. 

He pointed out that when families are peaceful, the number of street children tends to drop, reminiscing about a time when cultural values were strong and the streets were free of homeless kids. 

The team is employing cultural methods like dancing, singing, and drama to tackle gender-based violence in an effort to keep children off the streets. 

Odongo, who once lived as a street child himself, rejected the notion that street kids are inherently criminals or thieves, claiming that some wealthy individuals exploit them for their own gain. 

Currently, stakeholders in Lango are collaborating to create strategies to address the growing number of street children, who have been unfairly blamed for increasing insecurity.