Zambia

Given the high occurrence of family breakdown and either single or double orphans in Zambia, it is no surprise that there are many children living on the street.  Poverty pushes children towards the street. Families may not be able to provide the money they need to send the children to school, so the children feel the need to go to the streets and try and earn the money they need.  Some children are asked by their families to beg during the day to help supplement the family income.

The use of drugs, in particular glue, is rife among the street children in Zambia.  It is easy to obtain in the markets and surrounding compounds, and is made out of a mix of petrol and jet fuel, which makes for a very potent mix.  When asked why they sniff glue, children point out that it suppresses their hunger and takes away the cold in the evenings.  It also takes them out of their own reality, a form of escapism from street life.