Ally, Street Child Carer, Zimbabwe
About Ally
My name is Allabiah Kunje and I joined Streets Ahead in Harare in 2003. I know that working with the children, lending an ear to a child in need, makes a difference and that is my motivation. I am there for that child, not judging them but respecting them and doing what I can for their best interest.
I have not always been a youth worker. My working background started in Information Technology and Administration. I became drawn to working with children, especially babies and their mothers. I am now a qualified Youth Development worker. Street work involves going onto the street, bonding with children and building a relationship with them and I find I can relate to children and youth easily.
Her work
My daily work involves first coming to the Drop-in Centre, talking to the children and finding the general atmosphere in the street. I do one-to-one counselling with the girls and young mothers, assess the health of the babies - if their breathing is normal, how they have spent the night. After 10am, I go on to the streets of Harare. I usually plan and have a specific objective for a visit. It might be follow up on client cases, looking for new children, or basic counselling on the street. The counselling varies between individual and group counselling, whilst focusing and complementing positive behaviour and attitude amongst themselves or towards the public. This routine usually ends at 2:30pm and I make my way back to the office for report writing and debriefing. Tuesdays and Fridays are different as I spend the day at the Drop in Centre with the girls and young mothers. We make candles and do sewing. Individual counselling goes on the whole day, whilst supervision of activities is taking place. Listening to the girls tell their stories is a major part of the daily activities.
As a street worker, I have been able to adapt quickly and efficiently to my working environment. The street children are unique and have different challenges every day, so work is never boring and one is always learning new things each and every day.
