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UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
ASSESSMENT OF POLICIES, SITUATION AND PROGRAMMES FOR CHILDREN ON THE STREETS IN MACEDONIA
(Study of the poorest of the poor) - Final version -
Author: professor Divna Lakinska, Ph.D
National Centre for Training in Social DevelopmentInstitute for Social Work and Social PolicyFaculty of Philosophy - Skopje________________________________________________________________________
Skopje, June 2005
CONTENTS Page.
Introduction 4
SECTION ONE POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES FOR PROTECTION OF CHILDREN ON THE STREETS 8
1. ANALYSIS OF THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK IN IN TERMS OF PROTECTION AND WELFARE OF SOCIALLY VULNERABLE CHILDREN, PRIMARILY CHILDREN ON THE STREETS 8
1.1. Law on Children’s Welfare 9
1.2. Law on Social Welfare 10
1.3. Law on Family 11
1.4. Law on Elementary Education 13
1.5. Law on Health Care 15
1.6. Law on Juvenile Justice 16
2. THE ROLE AND CAPACITIES OF THE GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS IN MACEDONIA FOR PROTECTION OF CHILDREN ON THE STREETS 182.1. The role of the governmental sector (services and institutions) in protection of children on the streets 182.2. The role and capacities of non-governmental sector in protection of children on the streets 21
3. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 23
3.1. Conceptual framework and basic features 23
3.2. Legal framework for protection of children on the streets 25
3.3. The role and capacity of governmental and non-governmental sector in protection of children on the streets 30
3.3.1. Governmental sector in the care for children on the streets 30
3.3.2. Non-governmental sector in the care for children on the streets 32
SECTION TWO
2
TYPICAL AND DOMINANT SITUATION AND PROBLEMS OF THE CHILDREN ON THE STREETS (RESEARCH) 35
1. METHODOLOGAL STRUCTURE 35
1.1. Problem to be addressed 351.2. Subject of research 351.3. Target group 371.4. Analysis of data from field research 371.4.1. Basic statistical data on the vulnerability of children on the streets 37
1.4.1.1. Characteristics related to the home of residence and mapping 47
1.4.1.2. Characteristics of the street life of the „children on the street” 63
1.4.1.3. Dreams and visions of the children on the streets 91
1.4.2. Analysis of the insights of professionals from the Centres for Social Work and non-governmental organisations into the situation and possibilities for improvement of the quality of social welfare of children on the streets 100
1.4.2.1. Models of work with children on the streets 102A) Existing models of work with children on the streets 102B) Desired models of work with children on the streets 1081.4.2.2. Forms of work with parents of children on the streets 109
1.4.3. General conclusions and recommendations from the field research 112
Appendices:
Appendix 1. Questionnaire for children on the streets 125
Appendix 2. Questionnaire for professionals from the Centres for Social Work and non-
governmental organisations 133
Appendix 3. References 137
Appendix 4. Maps of locations by place of living of children on the streets 138
3
Introduction
The transition process in the Republic of Macedonia in the past 10 to 15 years has
been mainly focused on evolution from planned to market economy, from one-party
system to pluralism as well as transformation from centralist organisation of the
government into local (municipal) government. All these changes have largely affected
the life and work of every member of society, with particular implication for adults who
are fit for work. With the privatization process of the social property, the bulk of
economic entities went into bankruptcy and their employees were either made redundant
or became workers of companies which went bankrupt. A small portion of this
impoverished population managed to find alternative sources of income by opening small
business or returning into the villages of their origin to produce agricultural and cattle
products to satisfy their basic family needs. The lack of organized education for
agricultural and cattle production coupled with the unattractive credit policies have
prevented them from entering into larger-scale businesses. Nonetheless, majority of the
population live in the cities (Skopje being the largest with 700,000 citizens). Socially
vulnerable families, for their part, live on social welfare, pensions from their parents and
from occasional and unregistered employment in the private sector, or, however, from
financial support from relatives living abroad.
The social-economic implications are equally affecting all layers of society
irrespective of the education or ethnic affiliation, although statistical data indicate that the
poorest are the ethnic Roma, followed by the ethnic Albanians, ethnic Macedonians and
other ethnic groups.
In their struggle for sheer survival and faced with almost no opportunities for
legal employment (although often for very small remuneration), the Roma and the rest of
the poor population are forced to seek and find their livelihoods on the streets, with
possibilities for attaining income in violation of the legal system.
There are several definitions for the phrase “children on the streets” which differ
from one state to the other depending on the basic features of poverty and the life and
activities of the children on the streets. Also, within the state, there are several categories
of children depending on ways of living and attaining their income.
4
In our country, professional services and experts have most frequently associated
the definition of children on the streets with the notion of “begging”, i.e. being on the
street for a certain number of hours, on public places, begging for money or food
products.
However, realistically speaking, this category of children is not the only one
which finds financial resources on the streets, but there are as well other groups of
children.
Therefore, in this study, we propose a broader definition of „children on the
streets” with the aim to gain real knowledge of this varied population group in the
Republic of Macedonia. The proposed definition is aimed primarily at finding solutions
and more adequate approaches in the treatment of children on the streets and their better
inclusion in society.
In proposing the definition for children on the streets, we have been led by
two basic criteria: 1) children on the streets spend most of their time outside of their
homes; and 2) children of school age are either not included in the educational
system or, if included, are not in regular attendance or exhibit poor results. Hence,
the phrase “children on the streets” will mean children from 0 to 18 years of age
who, either with their parents or alone, spend most of the time of the day on the
streets gaining resources by means of begging, provision of services to by-passers or
their vehicles, selling products they are oftentimes banned for sale, collecting paper,
old iron, food products and clothes from the waste containers. Children on the
streets fail to attend school or attend it irregularly without any success in the
studying. Some of the children on the street accompany their parents in seasonal
agricultural work and spend full seasons of the year outside of their place of living
and outside school.
The breadth of the definition is aimed to provide possibilities for identification of
forms for care for this category of children in all 84 municipalities in the Republic of
Macedonia, depending on the specifics of the category of children on the streets in each
municipality.
The proposed definition is primarily reflective of the scope of the category
„children on the streets” or „ children left on their own devices”, „the poorest of the
5
poor”, who, because of this situation, do not enjoy their human or children’s rights for
dignified living.
The common denominator of this category of children that was taken into account
in the definition of this group, is the fact that because of their being on the streets,
children fail to attend school or when they attend it, they do not fulfill their school tasks.
Also, it is presumed that the health condition of these children is jeopardized because
they spend more than 6 months out on the streets both in the winter and in summer
period, in extreme weather conditions, on the street “under the blue sky”, but also
because they tend to inhale poisonous gases from the passing vehicles.
The life on the streets decreases the possibility for family care and life in domestic
family environment.
This category of children is not unknown or not explored in the Republic of
Macedonia. However, realistically speaking, the fact that their number has not decreased,
but has continuously been raising has led to the conclusion that serious measures need to
be urgently taken and solutions sought for reduction and elimination of this negative
phenomenon and situation.
In this study, the approach is mainly to identify the basic obstacles which prevent
real and useful solutions for reduction of the number of children on the streets and
propose modern, adequate, acceptable and realistic directions and forms for social,
educational and health care of this category of children.
With the aim for this study to incorporate the basic parameters in seeking
solutions to this problem, the methodological approach will contain the following areas:
1) The starting point for this study is the research and analysis of the legal
framework in the Republic of Macedonia and the international documents which
guarantee the rights to dignified living of every child, which represents a real basis for
further steps in elimination of this phenomenon.
This step is followed by exploration of the role and capacity of the governmental
and non-governmental sector in terms of protection of children on the streets: a) with
analysis of the directions given in the documents relating to the Roma Decade (where
children on the streets are most represented category); b) possibilities and perspectives
for overcoming the vulnerability of this population; and c) forms, steps and documents
6
adopted and implemented by the Ministries, Centers for Social Work and non-
governmental organizations;
2) The second section of this study will analyse the results obtained with the
research of the typical and dominant situation relating to the children on the streets with
critical approach, conclusions, proposals and suggestions. This part will also include
mapping of locations by place of living and analysis of models and proposals for work
with children on the streets and their parents.
SECTION ONE
7
POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES FOR PROTECTION OF CHILDREN ON THE STREETS
1. ANALYSIS OF THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA IN TERMS OF PROTECTION AND WELFARE OF SOCIALLY VULNERABLE CHILDREN, PRIMARILY CHILDREN ON THE STREETS
In our country, the care for socially vulnerable children, as one of the most
challenged social groups, has had a long tradition. However, it should be noted that in the
recent years, under the influence of the recommendations and decisions of the General
Assembly of the United Nations and the European social legislation, efforts have been
invested for preparation of new laws and regulations dealing specifically with this
category of children.
The basic laws in the Republic of Macedonia that regulate the rights of children
and the obligations of the state institutions, as well as of the non-governmental sector, the
private sector and the family, are the following:
1) Law on Children’s Welfare
2) Law on Social Welfare
3) Law on Family
4) Law on Elementary Education
5) Law on Health Care
6) Law on Juvenile Justice (procedure for adoption ongoing).
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1.1. Law on Children’s Welfare
This Law was passed on 23 November 2000, with changes and amendments
adopted in 2003.
Although this Law provides for the system, organisation and manner of provision
of children’s welfare, it only sets the general basis of the rights for protection of all
children. It partially and superficially mentions also the rights of the socially challenged
children, in the most general sense of the word, by covering only four rights, as follows:
the right to children’s allowance for employed parents with low income, the right to
special allowance, the right to assistance in equipment for the first newborn of the mother
and the right to partial compensation of the costs related to care and upbringing, vacation
and recreation of children in public institutions and vacation resorts.
These rights do not include the right to free kindergarten services for children
from socially challenged families. However, Article 45 stipulates that the criteria for free
admission to kindergartens shall be determined by the Steering Committee of each
kindergarten. The proposal is that in the Law on Children’s Welfare more emphasis
should be placed on children from socially challenged families, as well as to encompass
larger number of children with the existing entitlements.
Article 2 of this Law sets forth that children’s welfare is an organized activity,
based on children’s rights, as well as the rights and duties of the parents and the state, for
family planning, securing conditions and standard of living suitable for the physical,
mental, emotional, moral and social development of children. The obligations of the state
are also mentioned in terms of creation of enabling conditions for human population
policies, provision of adequate financial assistance to parents, to the extent that state can
afford, raising, care and protection of children, as well as organization and ensuring of the
development of institutions and services for securing the welfare of children. Despite the
great significance of this Article for its reference to children from 0 to 15 years of age,
and, for some rights, up to completion of secondary school, it has to be pointed out that in
the past ten years these rights have only remained declarative. One of the reasons for that
is the lack of provisions to clarify the practical implementation of these rights in detail.
The proposal is for the legal experts in the institutions dealing with children’s welfare to
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more effectively and more responsibly get involved in preparation of these very
important legal acts. The expectation is that the rights of the children on the streets, along
with the other categories of socially vulnerable children, should receive an adequate,
pragmatic and professional treatment in this Law.
1.2. Law on Social Welfare
The ligislative regulation of social welfare in the Republic of Macedonia
represents the basis for the socio-legislative regulation and has a long-standing tradition,
as compared with the other former socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe.
The Law was adopted in 1997, and was further amended and changed in 2000,
2003 and 2004. With those amendments and alterations, the legislators attempted to keep
up with the contemporary trends related to children’s welfare. Nonetheless, this law has
certain shortcomings, in terms of a more serious approach towards coverage of the rights
to welfare of “children on the streets ", among other things, in relation to cooperation
with courts, public prosecutor and the police, which may be adressed through preparation
of procedural protocols.
Also, the legal norms for the forms of social assistance stipulate that the bearers
are most frequently the parents, i.e. the family as a whole. Pursuant to Article 2, the
Government determines the network of public institutions for social welfare, while
Article 36 stipulates that the system of social welfare includes the public and private
institutions for social welfare. These approaches seem to have expanded the room for
action.
Article 8a of the amendments and changes to this Law envisages the possibility
for conducting actions relating to the social welfare by legal entities and natural persons.
Article 89 proposes that objectives and tasks of the NGOs should also include provision
of social welfare services for persons, families and groups of citizens exposed to social
risk. This Article provides the starting point for fulfillment of the obligations and needs
for direct forms of care for the “children on the streets”, as a specific category of children
at risk. In that respect, the new provisions of the Law of Social Welfare correspond to the
contemporary trends.
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The Law on Social Welfare defines also the right to daily care of children on the
streets by means of receiving educational services, counseling work with children and
their families, cultural, entertainment and recreational activities.
This Law is substantially in compliance also with the role of social welfare in the
local self-government, including the groups at risk, first and foremost, the “children on
the streets”. The assumption is that risk groups at the local level will be for some time to
come protected and financed by the state budget as well as through NGO projects. Article
4 of the Law on Social Welfare, within its provisions relating to basic social risks, sets
forth that the social welfare represents an organized activity by the state. In that context,
this Law speaks of social challenges of the children on the streets within “the risks of
non-adaptation to the social environment and risks from unemployment and professional
non-adaptation.” The rights of the children on the streets are regulated with other acts as
well.
As regards the local self-government, adapted to the situation in each
municipality, it is absolutely necessary that municipalities be strengthened with staff and
other forms (governmental and non-governmental), which will work on creation of
further policies for work with „children on the streets” and direct procedures and forms of
alleviation and elimination of this negative social phenomenon. Of course, this type of
work should be reflective of the specific situation in each municipality.
1.3. Law on Family
This Law was adopted in 1992, while the changes and alternations of the Law
were passed in 2004. The Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia, as the highest legal
act, envisages societal protection of children and motherhood, whereby the Law on
Family represents further elaboration of the rights of children guaranteed by the
Constitution.
This Law regulates the relations in the family and refers to protection of the
interests of minors (Article 3). In that regard, parents are obliged to secure optimal
conditions for healthy growth and development of their children within the family and the
society (Article 5).
11
As regards the legal obligations of parents, Article 8 is important for the “children
on the street” because the last section stipulates that (under conditions provided for by the
Law), parental rights can be denied or limited. However, this Article does not specify
any options for assisting the process of empowerment of the family so that it can provide
care for the children. Rather, a number of articles (4, 5, 11 and almost the entire fifth
section - Tutelage) are dedicated to the role and responsibility of the state, the
professional services, the Centers for Social Work and other institutions entrusted with
welfare of children with no parents or parental care. Also, sections IV and V broadly
explicate the procedures in disputes after divorce, relating to tutoring, caring, bringing up
or financially supporting the children.
This Law is deficient in provisions that would aim to strengthen the family and
the family relations from every point of view, but primarily from the social and economic
aspects. This refers to the possibilities for semi-daily stay of the children in institutions,
as well as acceptance and support to the families by pre-school institutions by means of
provision of full meals, textbooks, technical devices and other benefits.
Article 14 of the Law on Family is also new (which supplements it with Article
90, by addition of paragraph 2). This Article defines the offenses representing abuse and
serious neglect of parental duties, but does not specifically refer to abuse of children on
the streets. However, the seven types of abuse “neglect” and other forms of violence
against children should include abuse of children on the streets by parents.
With the decentralization of competencies in the area of child protection, many of
the provisions contained in the Law objectively cannot be implemented at municipal
level. The reason for this is that in more than 50% of the municipalities, there are no
social institutions, although the Centre for Social Work, as social institution, is competent
for the territory of one or several municipalities, thus providing coverage for the whole
territory of R. Macedonia. The factual problem is the lack of appropriate work
organisation and sufficient number of professional workers who would be able to address
the needs in specific regions and in the domain of protection of children on the streets.
Therefore, we propose involvment of the existing municipal educational and health
institutions in activities for protection and empowerment of families, including also care
for responsible parenthood. Furthermore, municipalities should be supported in their
12
preparation of the local legislation in terms of ensuring that the regulations will be
mindful of the pragmatic, social and health aspects, (in line with the possibilities of the
municipalities), for care about the family and ensuring responsible parenthood.
1.4. Law on Elementary Education
This Law was published in 2002. This Law, with the basic provisions contained in
Article 3, stipulates that the elementary education is mandatory for children aged between
7 and 14 years. In practice, schools try to enrol all children from the community,
primarily in terms of commencement of the schooling process, i.e. enrolment in the first
grade of elementary school. These efforts are not only required by the legal regulations,
but also in times of continued drop in the birth rate, teachers attempt to enrol as many
children as possible in order to secure their jobs. However, problems tend to arise
subsequent to the formal enrolment of pupils in the first grade of elementary school.
Children on the streets, mostly of Roma ethnic origin, cannot speak the
Macedonian language when they start school because they use the Roma language at
home. Therefore, they need assistance to be able to learn the Macedonian language.
Neither the legal regulations nor the schooling practice envisage programmes for
preschool education of the Roma children. Within these programmes, the Macedonian
language could be instructed along with other types of preparations to facilitate the
inclusion of Roma children in the school activities.
The Law on Elementary Education fails to mention the need and the duty of the
elementary schools to keep prior records of the number and vulnerability of pupils, or
programmes for support in terms of textbooks and other devices, and even clothes which
could be collected on humanitarian-voluntary basis by pupils from higher grades. It is
helpful that this activity is somewhat covered by non-governmental organizations that
have been increasingly cooperating with the schools, including the pupils and teaching
staff members alike. However, it should be noted that their activities are not sustainable,
but are dependant on the specific projects that are implemented.
13
Additionally, professionals in schools need to be legally bound to cooperate with
the families, i.e. visit the homes of their pupils. In absence of social workers in the
educational system, this activity has been extremely neglected.
Article 25 stipulates that pupils in schools need to stay at least four hours a day,
which implies that they then need to study at home and write their homework for at least
another 3 to 4 hours. This represents serious effort not only for the pupils, but also for
their parents.
In absence of an obligation for communication with the parents of the children,
and also in view of the absence of penal provisions to sanction the lack of cooperation,
the contacts with the parents are rare and formal. This bears implications on the attitude
of the parents (especially of the vulnerable groups) in terms of their lack of interest in the
studies and school attendance of their children.
Article 48 lays down the requirement that parents should enrol their children in
school and they are also responsible for their children’s regular school attendance.
However, the disrespect of this Article oftentimes remains without any penal actions by
the school or the legislative bodies. The Law also does not sufficiently regulate the
relationship between the school and the parents. The new Law on Local Self-Government
provides for broader options for cooperation and cohesion between the parents, pupils
and the school in the area of education, not only in terms of provision of municipal
services, but also in terms of adoption of stimulating and pragmatic by-laws.
As regards the Law on Elementary Education, it is important to mention the
Article 52 according to which only pupils from villages further than 2 km away from
schools, have the right to lodging and food in dormitories or foster families. There is no
specific mention, however, of possibilities for accommodation in dormitories of pupils
coming from poor families.
Article 69 deals with types of professionals in the school, but fails to mention the
role of the social workers. The failure to recognise the role of the social workers
significantly hinders the professional social work with pupils, and has an impact on the
provision of social welfare for their families and the role of the social welfare institutions.
This jeopardises the rights of children, particularly children from socially vulnerable
groups, including children on the streets. Local self-governments should in the future
14
become more responsible towards this category of children, among other things, through
considering introduction of professional social work in the schools.
The Law on Elementary Education does not provide for direct cooperation with
the Daily Centres for Pupils, which in practice, is mostly taken care of by the non-
governmental sector. The Centres do work with teams of pedagogues, psychologists and
social workers. The Daily Centres, among other things, are supposed to assist the pupils
in studying and writing their homework. Also, non-governmental organisations, within
their project activities, have been assisting in establishment of direct cooperation between
the schools, daily centres and youth. We expect that, inter alia, this study will have an
impact on the professional bodies of the local self-administration to amend accordingly
the legal framework with provisions on the rights and obligations towards the children,
especially children on the territory of their specific municipalities.
1.5. Law on Health Care
The Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia, as the highest legal and political
act, guarantees the right to health care to every citizen (Constitution of the Republic of
Macedonia, Article 39).
The Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia sets forth that the state is obliged
to provide special care for mothers, children of juveniles and children without parents and
parental care.
The highest level of health care to children is guaranteed by the Convention of the
Rights of Children, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November
1989. The Republic of Macedonia ratified the Convention in 1993, thereby making it an
integral part of the domestic legal system.
The provision of health care for children is regulated by the Law on Social
Welfare (Official Gazette of the R. Macedonia 50/97, 16/2000, 17/2003 and 65/2004), the
Law on Health Insurance (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia 25/2000,
34/2000, 96/2000, 104/2000, 30/01, 48/01, 50/01, 11/02 and the Law on Health Care
(Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia 38/91, 73/92, 46/93, 55/95, 17/97, 21/98,
9/2000, 25/2000).
15
The legal regulations also contain provisions on basis of which health care is
provided to persons at risk, i.e. those who have social welfare needs, including children
on the streets.
According to the Law on Health Insurance, Article 7, paragraph 7 and paragraph
9, compulsory health care should be provided to the following categories of people:
persons temporarily unemployed, while they receive financial compensation and the
unemployed persons registered in the Bureau for Employment (unless they have other
basis for insurance) such as beneficiaries of permanent financial assistance as well as
foster families, as per the social welfare regulations.
School age children have the right to full health care, while particularly important
are the physicals, health monitoring by means of regular check-ups and treatment of
pathological conditions.
Note: Following the information from UNICEF that the World Health
Organisation- Skopje Office will prepare a study, i.e. detailed analysis of the health
situation of the children on the street, this study will only briefly address the health
problems of children on the streets to avoid duplication.
%
We deem it important that within this study we make a brief overview and
analysis of the proposal Law on Juvenile Justice, as an instrument which in certain
aspects affects this category of children (I received the material as a member of the
working team for preparation of the Law on Juvenile Justice).
1.6. Law on Juvenile Justice
This Law contains provisions that describe, among other things, the treatment of
children at risk. The group at risk also incorporates children on the streets, i.e. „those who
live in such a family situation that would impede or fully obstruct the educational
function of the family or the child is not involved in the educational system and submits
to begging.” According to Article 15, the Centre for Social Work or a judge for juveniles,
should decide whether measures of assistance should be taken, on the basis of charges
(Article 17) pressed by state organs or citizens, charges by the police or the school, as
16
well as by families, the child or minor juvenile, when he/she is a victim of domestic or
other type of violence.”
Although, on one hand, this Law covers a broader range of categories at risk, yet
the various categories are most commonly treated with identical procedures and
measures. Therefore, it is difficult to understand what is most adequate, i.e. to define the
relevant procedures that should realistically be taken for each specific category.
The professional social work, but also the educational work with children on the
street, have their specifics that are primarily characterised with long-standing monitoring
and building of positive personal traits of children and family relations. However,
application of specific forms of care and methods of work is also needed, as this Law
does not provide sufficient and adequate room for action.
Although children on the streets are not specifically mentioned by such reference,
but are rather referred to as “children who beg” (“children who beg” are only one portion
of the children on the streets), clearly shows that this Law fails to provide for adequate
treatment of the children on the streets.
We believe that in a separate section of the Law or in another germane legal
manner, more attention should be paid to monitoring and treatment of children on the
streets, particularly in terms of recognition of the role of non-governmental organisations
that deal with this category of children through their projects and programmes.
At the end of the brief analysis of the legal regulations in the Republic of
Macedonia, in terms of the basic provisions relating to protection of children on the
streets, it can be surmised that apart from the apparent existence of this category of
children (for definition of many categories, precise evidence and materials are needed),
the legal framework is not clearly defined and is not particularly enabling either.
Therefore, WE PROPOSE that all abovementioned laws be amended with relevant by-
laws in order for this category of children to receive an adequate social-protective and
legal treatment. In addition, we propose that local level regulations should also be
mindful of this issue, not only in terms of the role of the state institutions and the non-
governmental sector, but equally in terms of empowerment of families to address this
issue.
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Apart from the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia and the aforementioned
and analysed laws pertaining to the treatment of the category „children on the streets”,
these children need to be treated by other laws and regulations. Macedonia is a signatory
of a large number of international documents for protection of the rights of the children.
In this study, the references include also the documents adopted by relevant bodies of the
United Nations, the Council of Europe, OSCE, and the National Strategy for Roma
Decade etc.
All these regulations and documents, together with the study, are aimed to explore
what actions have been so far taken in regards to the “children on the streets”, what else
is needed and how it should be translated into practice in order for this category of
children -- which is obviously and argumentatively present in the Republic of Macedonia
-- to decrease in numbers and be fully removed from the streets. This will be instrumental
in ensuring decent childhood and acceptable quality of family life for these children and
will help to them grow up in dignified individuals.
2. THE ROLE AND CAPACITIES OF THE GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS IN MACEDONIA FOR PROTECTION OF CHILDREN ON THE STREETS
2.1. The role of the governmental sector (services and institutions) in protection of children on the streets
One can conclude with certainty that in the time of former Yugoslavia, this
phenomenon (children on the streets) was manifested in a significantly lesser degree.
Factors were different, but one of the most significant agents was the active role of the
police and the social services in accommodation of these children in social-educational
institutions. In other words, the accommodation procedure used to be rather simple and
efficient.
With the transition process, changes took place, which could not but affect the
socio-economic standard of living. A large number of industrial facilities went bankrupt
while the lowest layers of society remained jobless and with no sources of alternative
income. A significant portion of the ethnic Macedonian and ethnic Albanian population
found their livelihoods in their villages of origin. However, this was not an option for the
18
Roma population. A large number of children on the streets, often entire families,
resorted to a quest for basic survival on the street. Some started selling various products
of suspicious origin and products banned on the market; some started offering certain
minor services on the streets, but most of all, people started seeking solution to problems
by succumbing into begging. At the same time, people also started begging in towns
other than their place of living because of the embarrassment to be possibly recognised.
Upon the completed “job” and with the gained “earnings”, they would return to their
places of living.
Although a large number of children from this category come from families who
are beneficiaries of financial assistance, yet, this amount cannot suffice for their basic
needs.
In this period, the institutions of social and educational work (11 Oktomvri,
Ranka Milanovic, 25 May and others) have faced lesser and poorer economic conditions
for quality care. On the other hand, the fact that Macedonia ratified a number of
declarations dealing with the rights of children, most of all, the right of the child to live
with its family, provided little ground for the police to more actively be involved in
addressing this negative social phenomenon.
Also, it should be pointed out that in the past ten years, street mafia has emerged
and has been operating on the streets by taking the children accommodated in social
institutions and misusing them for their own needs. The reason behind such actions lies in
the fact that due to their age, children cannot be criminally charged.
The process of de-institutionalisation and the fragile forms of its supplements also
led to diminishment of the organised care for this category of children.
However, in the past few years, the relevant ministries, induced by the
international documents and the related commitments, started acting in a more engaged
manner. Primarily, special services have been formed for undertaking adequate actions
for care for the children from socially challenged families of Roma origin and other
ethnic entities. The Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Labour and
Social Policy established departments, which are also mandated to deal with this issue. In
June 2003, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, its Sector for Social Welfare,
established a Department for Social Welfare and Protection of Socially Excluded
19
Children. The Department’s terms of reference envisage activities in social welfare and
care for children on the streets and their parents, as a separate group. At the same time, a
Department for Social Welfare of Socially Excluded Persons was established in the Inter-
municipal Centre for Social Work in Skopje.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, within its policies to tackle the issue of
social exclusion, prepared a programme for social inclusion, which covers separate
groups, including children on the streets. One segment of the programme envisages
establishment of daily centres for children on the streets, as a non-institutional form of
care. In the “Programme for Social Inclusion” of the Ministry of Labour and Social
Policy and “The Programme for Social Welfare” of the Government of the Republic of
Macedonia, the right to daily and temporary care of “children on the streets” is defined in
the category of socially excluded persons.
In the Ministry of Education and Science, an Administration for Development and
Advancement of Education on the Languages of the Members of the Communities has
been established and has been dealing with related activities and programmes.
The aforementioned services (departments) are staffed with competent
professionals who are committed to advancement of the legal framework and other
written documents, but also in terms of organising seminars and other activities. They
have also been directly cooperating with the beneficiaries of educational and social
services. We believe that the work in this direction will lead to implementation of
successful approaches, given that they are still at the very outset of their professional
careers. The support and advancement of the relevant services in the local community
should also strongly emerge among the competences, as the local governments should
grow into driving engines of the social work and social welfare of the population, thereby
not neglecting the educational and health needs.
From 2005-2015, entire Europe will be observing the Decade of Roma. The
Macedonian Government is the main bearer of the activities of the Roma Decade in the
country. The coordinator of the national inter-ministerial working group is the Ministry of
Labour and Social Policy. The working groups also include representatives from the
relevant Roma NGOs. The working groups have been tasked with preparation and
monitoring of the implementation of the action plans (4) envisaged by the Strategy for
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Roma of the Republic of Macedonia. So far, four action plans have been prepared, as
follows: Action Plan for Employment; Action Plan for Health; Action Plan for Housing
and Action Plan for Education. The four Action Plans were officially promoted during
the launching of the Decade for Roma Inclusion on 8 April 2005 (Bibliographical data of
these documents are included in the references).
In December 2004, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, within the
organisational part of the activities of the Centres for Social Work, opened a Daily Centre
for children on the streets, aged 6 to 15 years (with a capacity to accommodate 20-30
children), as an organised unit of the Inter-municipal Centre for Social Work – Skopje.
The Inter-Municipal Centre for Social Work-Skopje registers and refers the children to
the Daily Centre with systemic linkages with the services at local level, in the area of
health, education, internal affairs, justice etc. In this institution, children spend one part of
the day; they feel safe and secure and receive a package of services. The services include
educational, psychosocial contents, health care, hygienic habits, sexual education,
motivation for studying and inclusion in the educational system. Parents of the children
are also encouraged to actively participate in the relevant programmes.
This model of care of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is initial one and
we hope that on the basis of the experiences of this Centre, other centres will be
established in Skopje and other towns of the country.
2.2. The role and capacity of the non-governmental sector in protection of children on the streets
In the area of social welfare, the non-governmental sector does not have a long
tradition and experience in the Republic of Macedonia. In the socialist period, the Red
Cross and the Union of Women acted as volunteer humanitarian organisations, with
programmes financed by the state and volunteer activities of the citizens. Also, a large
number of professional associations were active, such as the Association of Social
Workers, Association of Pedagogues, Association of Psychologists and the like. Their
activities were financed by the state and were meant for professionals, i.e. professional
problems and programmes.
21
With the independence of the Republic of Macedonia, the non-governmental
organisations assumed a more active role as a second pillar in the direct care and
protection of the population in general, and the children in particular.
The development of the non-governmental sector in the Republic of Macedonia
essentially underwent two phases: the first being the spontaneous encouragement of
citizens to establish NGOs with definition of their role, most frequently funded by
international donors; and the second phase being the building of networks of NGOs with
specific programmatic goals and related professional activities.
An important feature of the NGOs involved in social programmes is that they
oftentimes distinguish themselves by applying an ethnic lens or a lens of the vulnerable
group of children and adults (NGOs for children with special needs, NGOs for drug
addicts, NGOs for support for Roma children etc).
The largest number of non-governmental organisations was established owing to
external donor funding. However, donor funding often meant that donors would
determine not only the title of the project, but oftentimes the contents and the regions for
implementation of project activities. The donor-driven agenda resulted into mushrooming
of NGOs, which was also seen as an opportunity for employment for young people and
professionals. Notwithstanding, with attendance of numerous courses aimed at
strengthening the NGOs and ensuring sustainability of their activities, a qualitative
nucleus of the NGO sector was created with potential pragmatic and meaningful future.
As regards “the children on the streets”, there are no specialised NGOs dealing
with programmes and projects for improving the quality of life of this category of
children. Nonetheless, a number of the NGOs targeting the Roma population, frequently
also target the children on the streets. Non-governmental organisations should also
become involved in implementation of programmes for children on the streets.
Since 1997 to today, more than 25 Roma NGOs have been registered and active in
the Republic of Macedonia. These NGOs have been implementing programmes aimed to
support and improve the life of Roma children (Drom, Daja, Dendo Vas, Darhija, Nadez -
Karitas, Esma, Mesecina, Kham, Romani Bah, Romani Asvin, Svetla idnina (Bright
Future), Ednakvost za site (Equality for All) and others).
22
In the municipality of Suto Orizari, within the framework of the project for re-
integration of Roma, the NGO Karitas from Esen (1993), established a Children’s Youth
Daily Centre, and implemented programmes for leisure time of children and youth who
due to the tight space at their homes, were out on the streets for most of the time of the
days. Upon completion of this project, the Centre has continued working actively by
implementing programmes for children and youth financed by foundations, embassies
and other donors.
Following the example of the Children’s/ Youth Centre, a number of Roma NGOs
from the Municipality of Suto Orizari as well as from the territory of Skopje (Dendo
Vas), but also in the towns throughout Macedonia (Kumanovo, Stip and other)
established daily centres which from one year to the other, with the increase of the
professional experience, have been working in a competent manner and have built a
specific model of care for the children on the streets as well as the Roma children in
general.
Shared and common difficulties in the work of these NGOs are: 1) lack of
premises for coverage of the entire population of children in need and 2) financial
sustainability of NGOs which is reduced to endurance from one project to the other. This
has an unfavourable impact on advance planning of activities. In that regard, it is
important to mention the need for greater involvement of parents. In other words, there is
a lack of projects that would target parents from socially challenged environments,
including the parents of children on the streets.
The group of vulnerable children is not reduced to Roma children only, but
increasingly and evidently includes children from ethnic Albanian and Macedonian
background who are mostly dealing with selling of items on the streets or performing
minor street services.
3. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1. Conceptual framework and basic features
3.1.1. The scholarly and professional literature, as well as the documents of the
European and international organisations that are mandated with care for children, have
23
advanced a definition of the term “children on the streets” composed of basic
characteristics of this category of children, but also inclusive of the socio-economic
vulnerabilities, features and ways of survival on the street.
In the Republic of Macedonia, the use of the phrase “children on the streets” most
often implies children who beg (most frequently for money or food products), although in
reality, this category of children is not the only to be found on the streets. Therefore, in
this study, we propose a broader definition of “children on the streets” in order to
obtain realistic knowledge about this varied population group in the Republic of
Macedonia, which will be instrumental in seeking solutions for more adequate
approaches in the treatment of children on the streets and their broader inclusion in the
social life.
In proposing the definition for children on the streets, we have been led by two
basic criteria: 1) children on the streets spend most of their time outside of their homes;
and 2) children of school age are either not included in the educational system or, if
included, are not in regular attendance or exhibit poor results. Hence, the phrase “children
on the streets” will mean children from 0 to 18 years of age who, either with their parents
or alone, spend most of the time of the day on the streets gaining resources by means of
begging, provision of services to by-passers or their vehicles, selling products they are
oftentimes banned for sale, collecting paper, old iron, food products and clothes from the
waste containers. They struggle for minimum existential conditions, and are often
referred to as “the poorest of the poor children.” Children on the streets fail to attend
school or attend it irregularly without any success in the studying. Some of the children
on the street accompany their parents in seasonal agricultural work (for a daily fee of 100
MKD, or approximately 2$) and spend full seasons of the year outside of their place of
living; they sleep in improvised shelters and are out of school in that period of time
involved in agricultural activities: tobacco production, rice, fruits, gardening products and
the like.
Also, in our research, we met families who spend the winter months out of their
official places of living, in the most southern towns of the state, on the border with
Greece, in improvised shelters with nylon to warm up in the winter times. Children from
24
these settlements, in this time of the year, fail to go to school, but tend to beg on public
places in the surrounding towns.
3.1.2. Basic features of children on the street linked with the definition
1) They spend most of the time out and away from their parents’ homes;
2) They do not attend school, are periodically absent or attend with complete
irregularity;
3) They spend time on the streets, on public places; beg in other people’s houses
and apartments and at places where their parents perform seasonal works;
4) Goal- obtaining and gaining financial or material resources.
3.1.3. Types or categories of activities of the children on the streets
1) Begging for money, food, and clothes;
2) Reselling of items (serving as middlemen);
3) Performing minor services to by-passers or their vehicles;
4) Collection of food, paper, iron from waste containers and from the houses of
the citizens;
5) Accompanying and assisting the parents in their seasonal works.
One cannot make a sharp distinction among the categories of activities of
the children on the streets, as they are often involved in more than one of the
aforementioned categories. Their involvement depends on their judgment as to
how they can get access to resources or on the conditions that enable them to get
resources (weather, social, economic conditions, traditions/customs etc).
3.2. Legal framework for protection of children on the streets
3.2.1. Basic features
3.2.1.1.) Laws and regulations in the Republic of Macedonia are the point of
departure in terms of the welfare of the children on the streets and the process of
overcoming this social problem;
25
3.2.1.2.) Social welfare of families and children from socially challenged
population were part of the legal framework before and during the period of
transition, but, however, only with the adoption of the most recent legal
regulations, they became treated as a separate category of vulnerable children;
3.2.1.3.) The Republic of Macedonia has ratified and is a signatory of a number of
international documents related to the rights of children (UN, Council of Europe,
OSCE, World Bank);
3.2.1.4.) Apart from the Centres for Social Work and the social institutions, which
are in charge of alleviation of this problem, non-governmental organisations and
foundations also play an increasingly important role;
3.2.1.5.) Within the Government bodies, most of all, within the Ministry of
Labour and Social Policy and the Ministry of Education, services are being
established with special tasks relating to the Roma population, whose terms of
reference also include care for this category of children;
3.2.1.6.) The Roma Decade also envisages programmes for overcoming the
problem pertaining to the children on the streets (2005-2015).
3.2.1.7.) The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Health and the
Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Macedonia, started with
implementation (during 2005) of the national actions plans for housing,
employment, health and education.
3.2.2. Conclusions and recommendations directly linked with the existing legislation in the Republic of Macedonia
3.2.2.1. Law on Children’s Welfare
This Law guarantees the four fundamental rights related to children’s welfare: 1)
the right to children’s allowance, 2) the right to special allowance, 3) the right to
equipment for the first newborn child and 4) the right for children to utilise the
recreational resorts.
- The right of children to benefit from kindergarten care is conditioned with
financial compensation by the parents for that service. Whereas the formerly existing
legal framework stipulated the right to free kindergarten services for children to single
26
mothers and children to parents who are still students etc, this Law sets forth that the
criteria for free kindergarten services shall be determined by the specific Steering
Committee of each kindergarten. We therefore maintain that it will be difficult for the
kindergartens to cover children from poor families and single unemployed mothers.
- As regards the Law on Children’s Welfare, and the provisions relating to
kindergarten services, amendments should be proposed to allow for provision of
kindergarten services to the poorest children without any compensation. This refers
particularly to Roma children who would have the opportunity to learn the Macedonian
language in kindergarten (as they speak the Roma language at home) in a way of
preparation for elementary school.
- Concerning the welfare of pre-school children in local communities
(municipalities), the conclusion is that the Law does not provide enough space for action.
Therefore, it will remain an obligation of the municipal legal experts to deal with this
issue in the future.
3.2.2.2. Law on Social Welfare
- The Law on Social Welfare attempts to keep pace with the contemporary trends
relating to the socio-economic position of the population and be harmonized with the
European and world trends, requirements and rights. As a result, the Law has been
amended and changed nearly every year.
- It is important to put the accent on the fact that this Law opens opportunities for
legal involvement of the private and non-governmental sector and the relevant services
from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy in monitoring and improvement of this
type of activities.
- The non-governmental sector has had a tradition of more than ten years in
provision of care for children, and in that respect has acted independently from this
Ministry. We find that more direct and better-organized approach in the work and
cooperation with the NGOs should be taken, especially at the level of the new local self-
government units.
27
- We propose that amendments are introduced with the aim to provide for: a)
better and more specific cooperation between the public prosecution, the courts and the
social services; b) introduction of mobile teams to work with children on the streets and
c) strengthening of the supervision of the parental rights.
3.2.2.3. Law on Family
- This Law regulates the relations within the family in respect to protection of
children. In several articles, the Law defines the obligations of the parents towards their
children, but also the obligations of the state and the state institutions towards the
children. However, little attention is paid to strengthening of the family in terms of care
for their children (provision of educational and financial assistance, social assistance etc),
as well as to the provisions for professional social work for strengthening of the family.
- The implementation of the new Law on Local Self-Government has been facing
difficulties due to the fact that more than 50% of the municipalities do not have
institutions for care of children, including children on the streets. Therefore, the
recommendation is for the existing educational and health institutions in the
municipalities to undertake legal competences for provision of adequate social protection
for this category of children and families (by way of working in professional teams).
3.2.2.4. Law on Elementary Education
- Although the Law on Elementary Education mandates all children from 7 to 14
years of age to regularly attend school, in practice, this right is not observed and measures
for correction are lacking. Children on the streets either do not attend school at all, or
attend it irregularly, which, in turn, poses an obstacle for their studying.
- For the Roma children, as the most vulnerable group of „children on the streets”,
there is no mandatory attendance in pre-school institutions, which would be beneficial in
their preparation for more successful studying and desiring to go to school.
- With the Law on Local Self-Government, the role of the municipal bodies in
undertaking various forms of better coverage of children on the streets, attendance in
28
school and success in studies increases. The legal framework needs to be amended to
provide for greater rights and obligations for elementary education for children at
municipal level (textbooks, clothing, daily care, meals, dormitories, bus tickets etc).
- The national and local legal framework should also be more enabling for the
non-governmental sector in terms of NGO support and assistance to “children on the
streets”, in their school and leisure activities alike.
- To encourage introduction of various forms for strengthening the cooperation
with the parents, primarily through their inclusion in programmes for professional social
work in the schools where a large number of children are socially vulnerable or are
already on the streets.
3.2.2.5. Law on Health Care
- The Law on Health Care guarantees the right to health care of children to 15, i.e.
18 years of age. In reality, health facilities (children’s and pupils’) are pressed with
administrative procedures and economic problems and are not so much responsive in
terms of provision of adequate health attention, treatment and care of the children of the
poorest layers of society whose parents are unemployed. Children on the streets, in case
of diseases, are not always adequately accepted by the closest health facility and
transported to their place of living.
3.2.2.6. Law on Juvenile Justice (under preparation)
- In addition to the other categories of children, this Law also recognises the
category of “children on the streets”. The Centers for Social Work are primarily
responsible for the procedures surrounding the care and treatment. This Law, however,
fails to differentiate clearly the role of the Centres and therefore needs to be amended to
better reflect this requirement.
- The procedure for detection, monitoring and treatment of this category of
children needs to be dealt with in a separate section of the Law.
29
- We propose that the regulations at local level also should foresee and put forward approaches for overcoming this issue.
3.3. The role and capacity of governmental and non-governmental sector in protection of children on the streets
3.3.1. Governmental sector in the care for children on the streets
- In the past few years, more specific actions were taken by the Government
sector in light of the Roma decade and the international documents relating to the
children’s rights. The efforts resulted also in adoption of a National Strategy for Roma
Population. The adoption of the Strategy, in turn, led to changes in the legal regulations,
especially in the Law on Social Welfare (2005) whereby certain provisions refer to social
welfare of children on the streets. This represents an encouragement for continuation of
the efforts for clearer legal framework for protection of this category of children,
(including forms of direct protection at local level).
- The "Programme for Social Inclusion” of the Ministry of Labour and Social
Policy and the “Programme for Social Welfare” of the Government of the Republic of
Macedonia also encompass courses of action for protection of the “children on the
streets.”
- The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Health and the
Ministry of Education established special departments (units, administrations), and
mandated them with protection and care for the children on the streets and their parents.
In 2005, within the Roma Decade, four Action Plans of the National Strategy for the
Roma in the Republic of Macedonia were prepared, as follows: Action Plan on Housing,
Action Plan on Health, Action Plan on Education and Action Plan on Employment.
(References to the Action Plans are presented in the literature review of this text). The
programmes have realistic goals, but they also necessitate serious and complex approach
in their implementation.
- In October 2001, the Institute for Social Activities of the Republic of Macedonia
submitted a report based on the empiric research in the Republic of Macedonia “Children
on the Streets - Street Children”, with concluding remarks and recommendations. The
materials of this publication contributed towards introduction of the issue of protection of
30
this category of children in the legal regulations, in the programmes of Centres for Social
Work and the services in the ministries. The direct treatment of these children was dealt
with also through the initiative for establishment of the Daily Centre for Children on the
Streets as an organized unit of the Inter-municipal Centre for Social Work in Skopje.
- With the adoption of the Law on Local Self-Government, a significant part of
the social activities is transferred in the competency of the municipalities. In 2005, to
support the process, the National Centre for Training in Social Development within the
Institute for Social Work and Social Policy, started with the preparations for delivery of
training to the municipalities on recognising the social problems at local level and
community outreach. The training was commissioned by the Community Development
Project – Project Office of the Ministry of Finance and World Bank, in cooperation with
the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.
- Within the Centres for Social Work, there are no special units mandated to deal
with the children on the streets, except for Skopje (there is one Centre in Skopje and there
are chances for establishment of two additional centres). However, it should be pointed
out that in almost all existing Centres for Social Work, the care for this category of
children is covered from various aspects (units for financial assistance, units for
tutorship, units for children and youth). In the Centres for Social Work in the Republic of
Macedonia, where the work is performed on the basis of the territorial principle, social
workers are tasked to directly work on protection of this category of children.
Significant numbers of children coming from families who are beneficiaries of
financial assistance either beg or earn money by performing street services because the
financial assistance that hey receive does not suffice for their basic existential needs.
Moreover, a significant number of children on the streets come from families who
are not beneficiaries of social assistance (although they live in poverty), due to their
inability to provide the required documentation (a certificate for citizenship and a birth
certificate in most of the cases).
- The Units (services) for Tutelage undertake visits to multi-children families of
children on the streets and offer professional social assistance to the children and parents
in order to help them organise their basic existential life. If the effort fails, children are
31
then accommodated either in the orphanage „11 October” or the SOS village
(Kinderdorf).
Those children on the streets who violate the laws (while also lacking parental
care), are referred to the institutions for children with behavioural problems "25 May"
and "Ranka Milanovic". Notwithstanding, oftentimes the children who are
accommodated in these institutions spend some time of the day on the streets begging, or
totally abandon the institution and return to their families. In addition, these children may
become victims of the mafia who abuse and traffic them.
- With the strengthening of the local communities, and within the new
competencies, the local self-government should more directly and more actively create
conditions and forms for more adequate social welfare by organising patronage social
services, mobile teams, counselling services etc.
- Within the process of de-institutionalisation in our country, and viewed from a
pragmatic point of view, more consideration should be given to the options for
accommodating the children in foster families with foster parents and professional teams
(social workers, pedagogues, psychologists, defectologists etc), i.e. to establish an agency
for professional foster families (1-2 children in families of professionals, who would
receive compensation for their involvement).
- It would also be positive if the professionals from the Centres for Social Work
developed programmes for direct social-pedagogical work with parents, and parents and
children (primarily with educational contents, but also with active monitoring and
inclusion in their daily lives).
3.3.2. Non-governmental sector in the care for children on the streets
- The non-governmental sector in the Republic of Macedonia, as the second pillar
in provision of social welfare, is in its infancy. This sector has been gradually developing
and improving the quality of its activities during the past 10-15 years. Nonetheless, the
new Law on Local Self-Government provides for even broader and more pragmatic
opportunities for the civil sector for their direct involvement with all categories of
vulnerable population, including the children on the streets.
32
- The care and protection of the children on the streets refers to children of all
ethnic backgrounds in the Republic of Macedonia. However, the experience shows that
Roma children are largely affected. To respond to this situation, most of the Roma NGOs
have been implementing projects and programmes, which also deal with the children on
the streets. Admittedly, the number of NGOs involved in activities with the Roma
population is quite large, and it frequently happens that several such organisations would
be active in one and the same Roma settlement, working independently one from the
other. However, the networking of NGOs is indeed taking place, with the expectation that
they will join efforts to address this issue (this process should be supported and
strengthened).
- Furthermore, the educational and professional level of the personnel
implementing the projects and programmes in the non-governmental sector with Roma or
primarily Roma target groups was initially at lower level. However, the professionalism
in this sector has been improving in time and has been demonstrating an ever better
quality of work. These trends should also be supported and advanced.
- The next important aspect of the work of the NGO sector is the issue of their
financial sustainability once the funds provided by foundations and donors cease.
Projects and programmes with limited duration are implemented to then only make a
break of several months or years. The work continues once additional donor funds are
mobilised, which oftentimes has an impact on the contents of the programmes and
activities. In this context, this fragile, but very important form of social protection cannot
set more secure and strategic perspectives of the work.
- With the amendments to the Law on Social Welfare, more possibilities for work
of the successful NGOs are opened, which would also enable continuity of the work. The
proposal is for the institutions of the local self-government to support the development of
this very important activity.
- With the process of establishment of professional chambers and licensing of the
professional qualifications, the basic presumption for better quality of work is being met.
- In the Republic of Macedonia, a large number of NGOs have been implementing
projects or programmes for the poorest categories, the Roma population, but not with
major emphasis on children on the streets. Thus, the recommendation is to support the
33
NGO sector with projects, programmes and professionals in order to empower them to
develop various forms of direct work with all categories of children on the streets.
- The recommendation is also to support the NGO sector in terms of acquiring and
owning adequate premises for work with these categories of children (well-constructed
houses, montage houses, or even tents to serve as daily shelters and centres), in the close
vicinity of the daily stay or to the place of living of the children on the streets.
34
SECTION TWOTYPICAL AND DOMINANT SITUATION AND PROBLEMS OF THE CHILDREN
ON THE STREETS (RESEARCH)
The second part of this study deals with a specifically designed research targeting
the children on the streets in the Republic of Macedonia. It consists of two parts: research
(questionnaire with an interview and observation) of the children on the streets and
research (questionnaire with interview) with professionals (from governmental and non-
governmental institutions and organisations) who work with these children.
1. METHODOLOGICAL STRUCTURE 1.1. Problem to be addressed
The social phenomenon of children on the streets is not typical only for the
contemporary trends in our society. This phenomenon did exist in the period of socialism
and even earlier. However, it appears that the phenomenon has become an ever more
present and expanded despite the large number of projects implemented by the non-
governmental sector to address this negative social occurrence.
Also, research has been undertaken to examine this phenomenon, not only from
the point of view of the children on the streets, but also in consideration of the life of the
most vulnerable groups of population.
Nonetheless, the conclusion remains that this phenomenon has not been
sufficiently explored as yet.
1.2. Subject of research
The study takes a broader approach in examining the problem of the children on
the streets and it builds on the research of the existence and treatment of this category of
children in the legal acts, as a basis for direct social welfare.
The research focuses on direct examination of the features and conditions of life
of the children on the streets, including mapping of locations (by a place of living). The
life on the streets is examined as their second home, together with analysis of their
dreams and visions.
35
Special part of the research is dedicated to analysis of the situation and the
chances for improvement of the social welfare of the children on the streets, on the basis
of direct information and statements given by the professionals from the Centres for
Social Work and the NGOs.
The knowledge gained contributed to defining of the existing models of work
with children on the streets and proposing desired models and forms of work with
children and parents.
Data was gathered by experienced researchers (18 researchers involved in direct
professional work with children on the street from the Centres for Social Work and the
non-governmental sector) from 14 towns from the Republic of Macedonia (on the
principle East, West, North, South) including Skopje with 8 municipalities: Kisela Voda,
Gazi Baba, Suto Orizari, G. Petrov, Karpos, Saraj, Cair and Centar), with an interview on
the places of daily stay, questionnaire and visit to their primary places of living. We
expect the data to be instrumental not only in the procedure for identification of all
children on the streets, but in identifying the new problems and advancing proposals and
solutions for alleviation or elimination of this challenge of the young generation.
Children on the streets as a target group are taken in a broader sense of the word,
i.e. those who spend most of the time of the day on the street, far from their homes, in
order to gain financial means for satisfying their basic existential needs. By applying this
criterion, the children on the streets were divided into three categories: children who beg,
children who perform services (primarily on vehicles) and children who sell items, which
are oftentimes banned on the market.
The data obtained are presented in 32 tables and graphic presentations, which
contribute for more illustrative explication and analysis of data.
Each Chapter is followed by analysis of data, elaboration of the problem and the
phenomenon, i.e. its major features (indicators) and contains proposals for possible
solutions.
36
1.3. Target group
The research covers 500 "children on the streets" from 14 towns of the R.
Macedonia, including eight municipalities in Skopje, where their presence on public
places and streets is evident. Children on the streets were surveyed in 4 towns of the north
region of the R. Macedonia (Kumanovo, Tetovo, Gostivar and Veles), four towns from
the south (Bitola, Prilep, Gevgelija and Strumica), one town in the West part (Struga)
and four towns in the Eastern part (Delcevo, Stip, Sv. Nikole and Kocani), depending on
the information on the size of the settlements with the poorest population and Roma
settlements.
The starting point for the selection of the target group was the information on the
number of children on the streets contained in the Report from the Empirical Research
"Children on the Street - Street Children in the R. Macedonia”, conducted in October
2001 by the Institute for Social Activities. According to this Report, the Centres for
Social Work in the towns of the R. Macedonia (28), reported that they “detected” 1,022
children before the commencement of the research. In this research, we opted for a
representative sample of 14 towns in the Republic of Macedonia, 500 children, which is
basically 100% of the total number of children on the streets in the selected towns, and
approximately 50% of the “detected” children in the R.Macedonia.
The research covers all children on the streets in the selected towns who during
the last two weeks of November and the beginning of December 2004 were met on the
streets while performing their activities.
1.4. Analysis of data from field research
1.4.1. Basic statistical data on the vulnerability of the children on the streets
The analysis of the basic statistical indicators of the children on the streets
includes the following indicators:
- Number of children on the streets by category and towns;
- Number of children on the streets by category, sex and age;
- Place of birth of the children, by categories;
37
- Number of children by ethnic background;
- Health condition of the children by sex, age and category.
The number of children on the streets by towns and categories of activities is
presented in Table No. 1. For better visibility, the Graphic presentation 1a) presents the
children from the municipalities in Skopje and the Graphic presentation 1b) shows the
children in other towns.
The value of 100% refers to every town separately, in order to examine the
situation in each town. Based on such analysis, solutions to the most topical problems are
proposed.
Table 1. Children on streets by towns and categories (in numbers and percentages)
TownsCategory of children Total:
Children who beg
Children in street services
Children in the black market
Skopje 88(49%) 22(12%) 70(39%) 180-K.Voda 10(55%) 3(17%) 5(28%) 18-Gorce Petrov 18(67%) 2(7%) 7(26%) 27-Saraj 3(16%) 4(21%) 12(63%) 19-Karposh 5(24%) 2(9%) 14(67%) 21-Sh.Orizari 22(67%) 3(9%) 8(24%) 33-Centar 19(63%) 4(13%) 7(23%) 30-Gazi Baba 9(45%) 3(15%) 8(40%) 20-Chair 2(17%) 1(8%) 9(75%) 12Kumanovo 10(33%) 10(33%) 10(34%) 30Tetovo 10(42%) 6(25%) 8(33%) 24Delchevo 7(48%) 4(26%) 4(26%) 15Shtip 21(58%) 5(14%) 10(28%) 36Gostivar 22(99%) 0% 1(1%) 23Bitola 15(50%) 8(27%) 7(23%) 30Prilep 20(50%) 10(25%) 10(25%) 40Gevgelija 17(53%) 7(22%) 8(25%) 32Sv.Nikole 4(25%) 4(25%) 8(50%) 16Strumica 15(50%) 10(33%) 5(17%) 30Veles 8(33%) 10(42%) 6(25%) 24Kochani 3(33%) 3(33%) 3(34%) 9Struga 4(36%) 3(28%) 4(36%) 11Total: 244 102 154 500
38
Graphic presentation 1a) Number of children on the streets – Skopje
Largest number of children on the streets was interviewed on the territory of
Skopje. Of them, 49% are children who beg. Given that significant portions of the
children who perform services (washing the windshields of the cars, for example), at the
same time also beg, the percentage in this category is presumably higher. In Skopje, a
large number of children 39% sell items on the streets (cigarettes, minor items). These
products are not taxed or are banned on the market. As regards other towns, Skopje is the
city hosting most of the children on the streets who beg or perform minor services. There
are also many of them who sell on the grey (black) market, which implies that they are
dependent on organised groups of re-sellers (middlemen).
As regards Skopje, the largest numbers of children who beg come from the
municipalities of Suto Orizari, Centar (Topaana) and Gjorce Petrov. In these
municipalities, the largest Roma settlements are located, where most of the population is
poor.
39
10
3
5
18
2
7
34
12
5
2
14
22
3
8
19
4
7
9
3
8
21
9
0
5
10
15
20
25
Number of
children
K.Voda G.Petrov Saraj Karposh Sh.Orizari Centar G.Baba Chair
Municipality
Number of children in the steets- Skopje -
Children who beg Children in thestreet services
Children in the blackmarket
Graphic presentation 1b) Number of children on the streets in the Republic of Macedonia
In other towns as well the category of begging and performing services is most
present, primarily in the towns of Gostivar, Stip, Prilep. Some of the children on the
streets from Gostivar, according to the data obtained, do not live in the same town, but
come to Gostivar only on the market days, hoping to financially benefit from the Muslim
custom of giving money called "sadaka". They do not stay overnight in the town, but
usually would return to their towns later in the afternoon. To them, the towns of Kicevo
and Debar are more remote destinations and thus they would rarely head in that direction.
As regards the sex and age, data from the entire population of children on the
streets, by categories, are presented in Table No. 2 and Graphic presentations 2a) and 2b).
88
22
70
101010 1068 7
44
21
510
22
01
15
87
20
1010
17
7 8 4 48151058106 3 3 3 4 3 4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Number of
children
Skopje
Kumanovo
Tetovo
Delchevo
ShipGostivar Bitol
aPrilep
Gevgelija
Sv.Nikole
Strumica Veles
Kochani
Struga
Towns
Nuber of children on thestreets
Children who beg Children in street servicesChildren in the black market
40
Table No. 2 Number of children on the streets by category of children, sex
and ageAge and sex Category of children on the streets Total:
Children who beg
Children in street services
Children in the black market
MALE
0-6 years 33(83%) 2(5%) 5(12%) 40
7-10 y. 40(60%) 8(13%) 18(27%) 66
11-14 y. 53(40%) 37(28%) 41(32%) 131
15-18 y. 19(18%) 25(24%) 60(58%) 104
FEMALE
0-6 years 21(80%) 2(8%) 3(12%) 26
7-10 y. 30(70%) 5(12%) 8(18%) 43
11-14 y. 40(62%) 13(20%) 12(18%) 65
15-18 y. 8(32%) 10(40%) 7(28%) 25
Total: 244(49%) 102(20%) 154(31%) 500
Graphic presentation 2a) Number of children on the streets by category of children, age- male (boys)
Data from the tables indicate that the largest number of children are male aged
between 11 and 18 years who gain material (financial) resources, but most of all those
aged between 11 and 14 beg or are involved in the grey (black) market 58%.
33
25
40
8
18
53
3741
19
25
60
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Number of children
0-6 y.
7-10 y.
11-14 y.
15-18 y.Age
Number of children on the street s - male
-
Children who beg Children in street services Children in theblack market
41
Graphic presentation 2b) Number of children on the streets by category of children, age-female (girls)
Older children sometimes start begging, but later on join the network of re-sellers.
Therefore, we maintain that the most vulnerable group of boys is the group of children
aged between 11 and 14, which inevitably requires undertaking of adequate measures for
this age group, not only in terms of the need for them to attend school, but also to be
involved in organised activities in their leisure time. As for the girls, also the most
vulnerable age group is the one ranging from 11 to 14 years, although the number of girls
is significantly lower, primarily in relation to the re-selling business on the grey market.
The place of birth of the children is often also the place of living, as the
„poorest of the poor” are usually beneficiaries of social assistance and as such are
reluctant to move (because of the requirement to submit related documents and the fact
that they would know better the institutions which they should address). Another reason
behind this is that it is difficult for them to move and accept the life in any new
environment. Hence, it is easier for them to move on a daily basis or only on market days
in towns out of their place of birth and living, where they would expect better mobility.
Sometimes the selection of the town is based on their knowledge of the religious customs,
i.e. they move to town where they would expect people to be more generous. (Table and
Graphic presentation No. 3).
21
2 3
30
58
40
13 128 10
7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Number ofchildren
0-6 y.
7-10 y. 11-14 y.
15-18 y.Age
Number of children on the streets
- female -
Children who beg Children in street services Children in the black market
42
Table 3. Place of birth of children by towns and categories of children Towns Place of birth
Total:Children who beg Children in Street services Children in the black market
a) born in the town
b) in another town in
RM
v) in Kosovo
a) born in the town
b) in another town in
RM
v) in Koso
vo
a) born in the town
b) in another town in
RM
v) in Kosovo
Skopje 83 94% 2 2%
34%
1986%
29%
15%
6390%
23%
57%
180
Kumanovo 660%
440%
10100%
/ / 10100%
/ / 30
Tetovo 550%
220%
330%
660%
/ / 8100%
/ / 24
Delchevo 571%
229%
/ 375%
125%
/ 375%
125%
/ 15
Shtip 1886%
314%
/ 480%
120%
/ 990%
110%
/ 36
Gostivar 1777%
523%
/ / / / 1100%
/ / 23
Bitola 15100%
/ / 8100%
/ / 7100%
/ / 30
Prilep 1995%
15%
/ 10100%
/ / 10100%
/ / 40
Gevgelija / 17100%
/ / 7100%
/ / 8100%
/ 32
Sv. Nikole 375%
125%
/ 125%
375%
/ 225%
675%
/ 16
Strumica 15100%
/ / 990%
110%
/ 5100%
/ / 30
Veles 8100%
/ / 990%
10% / 583%
117%
/ 24
Kochani 3100%
/ / 3100%
/ / 100% / / 9
Struga 250%
250%
/ 133%
267%
/ 4100%
/ / 11
Total: 19982%
3916%
62%
8381%
1818%
11%
13085%
1912%
53%
500
Graphic presentation 3a) Place of birth of children by towns and categories of children
43
Graphic presentation 3b) Place of birth of children by towns and categories of children
Graphic presentation 3c) Place of birth of children by towns and categories of children
83
236410
523
52 0
18
3 0
17
50
15
00
19
1 0 0
17
03 1 0
15
0 0
8
003 0 0
2 20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Number of children
Skopje
Kumanovo
Tetovo
Delchevo Shtip
Gostivar Bitol
aPrilep
Gevgelija
Sv. Nikole
Strumica Veles
Kochani Strug
a
Place of birth
Children who beg
a) born in the cityb) in another city in RMv) in Kosovo
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Number of children
Skopje
Kumanovo Teto
voDelchevo Shtip
Gostivar Bitol
aPrilep
Gevgelija
Sv. Nikole
Strumica Veles Koch
ani Struga
Place of birth
Children in street services
born in the city in another city in RM in Kosovo
44
The reference to children on the streets (children who beg) in the professional
discussions thus far has meant predominantly children of Roma ethnic origin. However,
the pressing socio-economic situation and the impoverishment of the population have
induced children from almost all ethnic groups to seek basic means of existence on the
streets. The research has shown that the largest number of Roma children beg (54%),
while most of the ethnic Albanian children re-sell products banned on the market or not-
taxed. As for children who beg, Roma children are followed by ethnic Macedonian and
Turkish children, who are much less in number as compared to the Roma children (5.6%
and 4.8%). The number of Macedonian Muslim children is the lowest (1.2%).
Table No. 4. Number of children by ethnic affiliation and category of children (in numbers and percentages by ethnic affiliation)
Ethnic affiliation Category of childrenTotal:Children
who begChildren on
Street services
Children n the black market
Roma 214(54%) 81(21%) 99(25%) 394Albanian 1(2%) 6(12%) 41(86%) 48
Macedonian 13(47%) 7(25%) 8(28%) 28Turks 11(46%) 8(34%) 5(20%) 24
Macedonian Muslim 5(84%) 0% 1(16%) 6Total: 244(49%) 102(20%) 154(31%) 500
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Number ofchildren
Skopje
Kumanovo
Tetovo
Delchevo Shtip
Gostivar
Bitola
Prilep
Gevgelija
Sv. Nikole
Strumica Ve
les
Kochani
Struga
Place of birth
Children in the black market
born in the city in another city in RM in Kosovo
45
Graphic presentation No. 4 Number of children by ethnic affiliation and category of children
These data indicate that apart from the Roma, children from almost all ethnic
groups seek their livelihoods on the streets, which means that programmatic interventions
for removal of the children from the streets should be aimed for all children, irrespective
of their ethnic affiliation.
The health condition of the children on the streets has not been diagnosed on the
basis of a medical certificate, but on the basis of the knowledge and notes from the
surveyors (professionally dealing with this category of children). The most frequent
indicators for the health situation of the children on the streets are presented in Table No.
5. High percentage of children suffer from respiratory diseases equally including those
who beg and those who perform services. In addition, there is noticeable presence of
dermatological diseases. This suggests that there is a need for undertaking specialised
health programmes for control and care of the health condition of the children on the
streets in the daily centres for children.
(Note: UNICEF, which commissioned this study, informed us that a study of the
health condition of children on the streets is simultaneously being prepared by the World
Health organisation in R. Macedonia. Hence, we narrowed our focus in this regard).
214
8199
1 6
41
137 8 11 8 5 5
0 10
50
100
150
200
250
Number of children
Roma Albanian Macedonian Turks Macedonian muslim
Ethnic affiliation
Number of children per ethnic affiliation
Children who beg Children in street services
Children in the black market
46
This research only reinforces the needs for taking a more serious approach
towards examining the health condition of the children on the streets by the relevant
professional services.
Table 5. Health condition of the children by sex, age and category of
childrenCategory, sex and age Health condition Total
a)Skin diseases
b)Respiratory diseases
c)Other
BEGGING
M 0-6 y. 2(50%) 0% 2(50%) 47-10 0% 4(50%) 4(50%) 811-14 4(67%) 1(17%) 1(17%) 615-18 1(25%) 0% 3(75%) 4
F 0-6 y. 3(60%) 2(40%) 0%/ 57-10 1(14%) 4(57%) 2(29%) 711-14 0% 3(100%) 0% 3
15-18 1(100%) 0% 0% 1
SERVICES
M 0-6 y. 2(100%) 0% 0% 27-10 1(20%) 3(60%) 1(20%) 511-14 1(14%) 4(57%) 2(29%) 715-18 0% 2(100%) 0% 2
F 0-6 y. 0% 0% 0% /7-10 0% 1(100%) 0% 111-14 0% 1(100%) 0% 115-18 2(100%) 0% 0% 2
BLACK MARKETING
M 0-6 y. 0% 0% 0% /7-10 0% 0% 0% /11-14 1(25%) 1(25%) 2(50%) 415-18 2(20%) 6(60%) 2(20%) 10
F 0-6 y. 0% 0% 0% /7-10 0% 1(100%) 0% 111-14 0% 1(100%) 0% 1
15-18 0% 1(100%) 0% 1
Total: 21(28%) 35(47%) 19(25%) 75
1.4.1.1. Characteristics related to the home of residence and mapping
1.4.1.1.1. Analysis of the characteristics related to the home of residence of the
children on the streets
Analysis of the features of the place of living of the children on the streets with
mapping of the settlements contains the following indicators:
47
- Housing conditions of the children on the streets (by categories of children and
towns);
- Number of housing premises by categories of children and towns;
- Parental composition by categories of children;
- Number of family members by categories of children;
- Education of children on the streets by number and age;
- Attendance in school by children on the streets;
- Obstacles in regular attendance of school.
Table 6. Housing conditions in which the children live by categories and towns (by towns, by numbers and in percentages for all children)
TownsHousing conditions
Total:a) improvised houses b) dilapidated houses v) house/apartment Children who beg
Children in street services
Children in the black
market
Children who beg
Children in street services
Children in the black
market
Children who
beg
Children in street services
Children in the black
marketSkopje 23
(13%)7(4%) 0% 65(35,5
%)14(8%) 47(26%) 0% 1(0,5%) 23(13%) 180
Kumanovo 2(6%) 0% 0% 8(27%) 10(34%) 8(27%) 0% 0% 2(6%) 30Tetovo 9(38%) 1(4%) 0% 1(4%) 5(21%) 2(8%) 0% 0% 6(25%) 24Delchevo 0% 1(7%) 0% 6(40%) 3(20%) 2(13%) 1(7%) 0% 2(13%) 15Shtip 18(50%) 3(8%) 4(11%) 3(8%) 2(6%) 6(17%) 0% 0% 0% 36Gostivar 6(26%) 0% 0% 14(61%) 0% 0% 2(9%) (0%) 1(4%) 23Bitola 4(13%) 3(10%) 1(3%) 11(37%) 5(17%) 4(13%) 0% 0% 2(7%) 30Prilep 0% 5(12,5%) 0% 20(50%) 5(12,5%) 10(25%) 0% 0% 0% 40Gevgelija 10(31%) 4(12%) 8(25%) 7(22%) 3(10%) 0% 0% 0% 0% 32Sv.Nikole 0% 0% 0% 4(25%) 4(25%) 8(50%) 0% 0% 0% 16Strumica 5(17%) 0% 0% 10(33%) 10(33%) 5(17%) 0% 0% 0% 30Veles 0% 1(4%) 0% 8(34%) 7(29%) 6(25%) 0% 2(8%) 0% 24Kochani 0% 0% 0% 2(22%) 2(22%) 2(22%) 1(11%) 1(11%) 1(11%) 9Struga 3(27%) 0% 0% 1(10%) 3(27%) 2(18%) 0% 0% 2(18%) 11Total: 80(16%) 25(5%) 13(2%) 160(32
%)73(15%) 102(20%) 4(1%) 4(1%) 39(8%) 500
Graphic presentation 6a. Housing conditions in which the children live by categories and towns
48
Graphic presentation 6b. Housing conditions in which the children live by categories and towns
Graphic presentation 6c. Housing conditions in which the children live by categories and towns
23
65
028
0
9
10 061
18
30
6
14
2 4
11
0 0
20
0
107
0 040510
0 0
8
0 02 131 0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Towns
Housing conditions of children - Children who beg -
improvised houses dilapidated houseshouse /apartment
Num
ber
of
child
ren
Sko
pje
Kum
anov
o
Tet
ovo
D
elch
evo
Sht
ip
G
ostiv
ar
Bito
la
Pr
ilep
G
evge
lija
Sv.
Nik
ole
S
trum
ica
Ve
les
K
ocha
ni
Stru
ga
7
14
10
10
01
5
0
1
3
0
3
2
0 0 00
3
5
0
5 5
0
4
3
0 0
4
0 0
10
01
7
2
0
2
10
3
00
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Towns
Housing conditions of children- Children in street services
-
improvised house dilapided house house /apartment
Num
ber
of
child
ren
Sko
pje
Kum
anov
o
Te
tovo
D
elch
evo
Shtip
G
ostiv
ar
Bito
la
P
rilep
G
evge
lija
Sv.
Nik
ole
S
trum
ica
Vel
es
K
ocha
ni
Stru
ga
49
The housing conditions, i.e. the poor conditions for living in the homes (shelters)
have emerged as the most significant element behind the vulnerability of these children.
This conclusion is not based only on this research. Table No. 6 and Graphic presentations
6a and 6b show that only 10% of the total population of children on the streets live in
descent houses or apartments. In other words, apart from the financial vulnerability, the
poor housing conditions are the basic fact, which forces the children to spend most of the
day out on the streets. The poor quality of the housing is often accompanied by dirt and
mess in the yard and inside the homes. The poor hygienic conditions at home are also a
reason for the homes to be used only for spending the night.
Table No. 7. Number of housing premises by category of children and towns Towns
Number of housing premisesTotal:a) 1 room b) 2 rooms v) more than 2 rooms
0
47
23
0
8
202
6
02 2
46
0 0 01 1
42
0
10
0
8
0 0 0
8
0 0
5
0 0
6
0 021 0
2 2
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Towns
Housing conditions of children- Children in the black market -
improvised house dilapided house house/apartmant
Num
ber
of
child
ren
Sko
pje
Kum
anov
o
T
etov
o
D
elch
evo
Sh
tip
G
ostiv
ar
Bito
la
Pr
ilep
G
evge
lija
Sv.
Nik
ole
S
trum
ica
V
eles
K
ocha
ni
Stru
ga
50
Children who beg
Children in street services
Children in the black
market
Children who
beg
Children in street services
Children in the black
market
Children who
beg
Children in street services
Children in the black
market Skopje 49(%) 2(%) 6(%) 37(%) 15(%) 42(%) 2(%) 5(%) 22(%) 180
Kumanovo 9(%) 3(%) 0% 1(%) 7(%) 7(%) 0% 0% 3(%) 30Tetovo 10(%) 5(%) 0% 0% 1(%) 2(%) 0% 0% 6(%) 24
Delchevo 3(%) 4(%) 0% 49(%) 0% 3(%) 0% 0% 1(%) 15Shtip 11(%) 1(%) 2(%) 9(%) 4(%) 7(%) 1(%) 0% 1(%) 36
Gostivar 20(%) 0% 0% 1(%) 0% 1(%) 1(%) 0% 0% 23Bitola 12(%) 5(%) 3(%) 3(%) 2(%) 4(%) 0% 1(%) 0% 30Prilep 19(%) 6(%) 6(%) 1(%) 4(%) 4(%) 0% 0%/ 0% 40
Gevgelija 14(%) 4(%) 8(%) 3(%) 3(%) 0% 0% 0% 0% 32Sv.Nikole 3(%) 3(%) 6(%) 1(%) 1(%) 2(%) 0% 0% 0% 16Strumica 9() 2(%) 2(%) 6(%) 5(%) 2(%) 0% 3(%) 1(%) 30
Veles 3(%) 7(%) 4(%) 5(%) 1(%) 2(%) 0% 2(%) 0% 24Kochani 1(%) 1(%) 1(%) 2(%) 29(%) 2(%) 0% 0% 0% 9Struga 3(%) 3(%) 0% 1(%) 0% 4(%) 0% 0% 0% 11Total: 166(%) 46(%) 38(%) 74(%) 45(%) 82(%) 4(%) 11(%) 34(%) 500
The survey has shown that not only that the buildings are totally inadequate for
living, but also they are small and most frequently with one-room (250 children or 50%),
or two rooms (201 children or 40.2%). The research also covered children who were
brothers and sisters living in the same homes. Therefore, the number of nights does not
refer to a particular household. The children on the streets oftentimes sleep on sponges on
a sandy floor, covered with nylon.
Graphic presentation No. 7a) Number of housing premises by category of children and towns
Graphic presentation No. 7b) Number of housing premises by category of children and towns
49
37
2
9
1 0
10
003 4
0
119
1
20
1 1
12
30
19
1 0
14
30310
96
035
0 120
310
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Skopje
Kumanovo
Tetovo
Delchevo Shtip
Gostivar Bitol
aPrilep
Gevgelija
Sv.Nikole
Strumica Veles
KochaniStrug
a
Towns
Number of rooms- Children who beg -
1 room 2 rooms more than 2 rooms
Num
ber
of
child
ren
51
Graphic presentation No. 7c) Number of housing premises by category of children and towns
The research has corroborated the thesis that the stay of the children on the street
is most frequently on the initiative and encouragement of the parent(s).
Table No. 8. Parental structure and category of children (in numbers and percentages by categories)
2
15
5
3
7
0
5
10
4
0 01
4
0 0 00
5
21
6
4
0
4
3
0
3
10
2
5
3
7
121
2
0
3
0 00
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Towns
Number of rooms- Children in street services -
1 room 2 rooms more than 2 rooms
Num
ber
of
child
ren
Sko
pje
Kum
anov
o
Tet
ovo
D
elch
evo
S
htip
Gos
tivar
B
itola
Pr
ilep
Gev
gelij
a
Sv.
Nik
ole
S
trum
ica
V
eles
K
ocha
ni
Stru
ga
6
42
22
0
7
302
6
031 2
7
1 0 1 03 4
0
64
0
8
0 0
6
202 2 1
420 1
20 0
4
00
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Cities
Number of rooms- Children in the black market -
1 room 2 rooms more than 2 rooms
Num
ber
of
child
ren
Sko
pje
Kum
anov
o
T
etov
o
D
elch
evo
S
htip
Gos
tivar
B
itola
Pr
ilep
G
evge
lija
Sv.
Nik
ole
S
trum
ica
V
eles
K
ocha
ni
Stru
ga
52
Category Parental structure Total:
a) Two parents
b) Single parent
v) Guardian
g) Without parents
Children who beg
182(74%) 58(24%) 2(1%) 2(1%) 244
Children in street
services
85(83%) 17(17%) 0% 0% 102
Children in the black market
130(84%) 21(14%) 3(2%) 0% 154
TOTAL: 397(79%) 96(19,5%) 5(1%) 2(0,5%) 500
Graphic presentation No. 8. Parental structure and category of children
Table No. 8 shows that 79% of the children are with two parents, while 19.5% are
single parents. This situation points to the need to include in the programmes the parents
of the children on the streets, as well. We assume that children without parents are with
tutors, under institutional care, or live with their grandparents. However, a certain portion
of them drift and self-support them.
182
85
130
58
17 21
2 0 3 2 0 0
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Number of children
Two parents Single parent Guardian Without parents
Parental structure
Children who beg Children in street services Children in black market
53
As regards the number of family members, most of the surveyed children live in
large families comprised of 5-6 members (Table No. 9, Graphic No. 9)
Table No. 9. Number of family members by category of children
Category of
children
Number of family membersTotal:
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Begging 26
11%36
15%48
20%51
21%37
15%177%
104%
83%
31%
62%
10,5%
10,5%
0% 244
Street services
9(9%)
21(20%)
27(26%)
16(16%)
11(11%)
99%
66%
11%
0% 0% 0% 0% 2(2%)
102
Black market
1(10%)
27(18%)
35(23%)
2(16%)
14(9%)
16(10%)
7(4%)
2(1%)
3(2%)
9(6%)
1(1%)
0% 0% 154
Total: 50(10%)
84(17%)
110(22%)
92(19%)
62(12%)
42(8%)
255%) 11(2%)
6(1%
15(3%
)
2(0,4%
)
1(0,2%)
2(0,4%)
500
Graphic presentation No. 9. Number of family members by category of children
The number of children coming from smaller families with 3-4 children is also
significant (10% and 17%). This does not indicate, however, that the families are indeed
small, but rather young families, with young parents.
In larger families, the role of the father is important, who not only forces the
children to go on the streets, but also takes away from them the obtained resources.
26
9
15
36
21
27
48
27
35
51
16
25
37
1114
17
9
16
10
6 78
1 23
03
6
0
9
1 0 1 1 0 0 020
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Number of children
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
12
13
14
15
Number of family members
Children who beg Children in street services Children in the black market
54
Although there have been a number of projects undertaken for family planning and
contraception, especially in the regions populated with Roma population, this category is
not covered with educational and counselling services, perhaps also due to their extreme
illiteracy and the low level of intellectual capacity.
Education as a social need is a factor that should not be overlooked in the
research of the vulnerability of the children on the streets. Although, these children spend
their days out on the streets, on well-frequented places and meet people with higher
cultural level, it has no influence on them to change their way of life particularly in terms
of getting an interest in the school and studies. Their life is away from the environment in
which they mingle, but is under the influence of the low educational level of their parents.
This assumption was corroborated during the research with the data shown in
Table No. 10 and the Graphic presentation No. 10 that 70% of the mothers and 51% of
the father are illiterate. The same situation applies to their children, of whom 66%
brothers and 73% sisters are illiterate, while 17% of the mothers and 24% of the fathers
have completed only fourth grade, i.e. have incomplete elementary education.
Table No. 10. Education of the family members
Family members
Education of the family members
Total:a) illiterate b) IV
gradev) primary
schoolg) secondary
school
Mothers 310(70%) 73(17%) 53(12%) 6(1%) 442
Fathers 224(51%) 105(24%) 100(23%) 9(2%) 438
Brothers 378(66%) 120(21%) 57(10%) 15(3%) 570
Sisters 322(73%) 82(18%) 34(8%) 5(1%) 443
Graphic presentation No. 10. Education of family members
55
As regards the education of the children on the streets, of school age, (Table 11
and Graphic presentation No. 11a and 11b), the largest percentage of children 48%, are
without education, primarily mothers and girls aged between 15 and 18 (mothers of that
age 76% and girls of that age 72%), which indicates that they have missed the
opportunity for regular school attendance. Also, a significant percentage of children
(52%) are not school dropouts, which means that with more active cooperation with
them, there is a chance that half of the children on the streets could complete their regular
elementary education.
Table No. 11. Education of children on the streets by sex and age (in percentages by age)
Sex and age Education of children on the streets Total:a) without education
b) attends IV grade
v) attends IV- VIII grade.
g) attends secondary
school
M
7-10 10(15%) 56(85%) 0% 0% 6611-14 56(43%) 0% 75(57%) 0% 13115-18 79(76%) 0% 0% 25(24%) 104
F
7-10 13(30%) 30(70%) 0% 0% 4311-14 30(46%) 0% 35(54%) 0% 6515-18 18(72%) 0% 0% 7(28%) 25
Total: 206(48%) 86(20%) 110(25%) 32(7%) 434Graphic presentation No. 11a Education of children on the streets by sex and age
310
224
378
322
73
105120
82
53
100
5734
6 9 15 5
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Number of children
iliterate IVgrade primary school secondary school
Education of family members
MothersFathersBrothersSisters
56
Graphic presentation No. 11b Education of children on the streets by sex and age
The situation is more alarming in terms of the high school coverage of these
children. Frequently, the money that they posses do not stimulate them to attend school.
To the contrary, they seem satisfied and even motivated to avoid school.
However, Table No. 12 and the Graphic presentation No. 12 show that 27% of the
children on the streets, including most of those who are involved in re-selling of products,
10
56
79
56
0 0 0
75
0 0 0
25
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Number of children
without education attends 4 grade attends fro 4 till 8 grade attends secondary school
Education of children on the streets per sex and age- male -
07 1011 1415 18
13
30
18
30
0 0 0
35
0 0 0
7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Number of children
witout education attends 4 grade attends from 4 till 8 grade attends secondary school
Education of children on the streets per sex and age- female -
07 1011 1415 18
57
are in regular attendance of school. This leads to the presumption that the basic reasons
for earning money in this manner are the economic problems of the families of the pupils.
Table No. 12. Attendance in school by children on the streets in numbers and percentages
School attendance Total:a) Regular b) Attends
occasionally c) do not attend
118(27%) 110(26%) 206(47%) 434
Graphic presentation No. 12. Attendance in school
Data corroborates the fact presented in Table No. 13 and Graphic presentation No.
13 about the basic obstacles for attending school, whereby it is observable that 45% of
the children on the streets fail to attend school due to poverty in their families and the
lack of opportunities to satisfy their basic needs.
118110
206
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210
Number of children
Regular attends occasionally do not attend
School attendence
58
Table No. 13 Obstacles for regular attendance of school
Obstacles for regular school attendance Total:a)
Engaged by parents
b) Poverty
v) Not interested in
g) I find learning
difficult
d) I see no use in
learning
g) Absence due to seasonal work
e) Other
53(9,5%) 250(45%) 75(13%) 28(5%) 37(7%) 115(20%) 3(0,5%) 561
Graphic presentation No. 13 Obstacles for regular attendance of school
Also, children who are involved in seasonal agricultural works with their parents,
fail to attend school in those given periods (20%). However, some schools tolerate this
type of absence and pupils still manage to complete the given grade (Prilep, Kocani etc).
The surveyed children were given an opportunity to mention one or two most
serious obstacles for attending school, and oftentimes, apart from poverty, they would
mention other reasons as well.
Worth mentioning also is the fact that 13% of children are not interested in
studying because they either do not recognise any benefit in studying or observe it as a
difficult undertaking, i.e. cannot comprehend it and are hence not successful in school. Of
all surveyed children on the streets, 9.5% said that the major obstacle for them to attend
53
250
75
2837
115
3
0
50
100
150
200
250
Number of children
engaged by parents poverty not interested in
I find it learning dificult
I see no use in learning
absence due to seasonal work
other
Obstacles for regular school attendence
59
school was the fact that their parents made them be involved in activities that hinder their
studies or attendance in school.
The analysis of the basic statistical indicators for the features linked with the
housing and mapping were cross-tabulated with the information about the sex, age, towns
of operation, place of birth and ethnic affiliation. For the purposes of having a better
picture of the reasons for them to be on the streets, we also presented the data about the
living conditions, family composition, health condition and the educational features.
1.4.1.1.2. Mapping of locations by town of residence of the children on the streets
The largest percentage of the children on the streets in the Republic of Macedonia
lives with their families, i.e. their parents. The results from the research corroborated the
assumption that children live in inadequately constructed homes with only bare minimum
living conditions. Such adequate buildings (homes) comprise their settlements or
locations.
The settlements of the poor population are most frequently illegally built as they
can hardly pay for the construction materials and build their houses by themselves or with
the assistance of the close family members. They cannot afford to pay the taxes for legal
construction works.
The settlements of the poorest (mostly Roma) are located on the outskirts of the
towns, next to military barracks, butcher houses, rivers, and even dumpsites.
Some of the older settlements of the poorest -- that used to be out of the towns in
the time of their construction-- have gradually become part of the town itself because of
the process of increase of the number of population and the urban expansion. Sometimes
they are even located at the very centre of the towns. (Skopje – settlement Topaana,
Prilep – settlement Trisla, Tetovo next to the market, Kocani and the like).
Despite the life in settlements without adequate infrastructure, the poor population
seem to show preference over these types of settlements as they feel more secure in their
own environment. Therefore, their lifestyle should be accepted and the possibility for
dislocating these settlements need to be considered (possibly with constructing more
adequate houses) in order to enable them to have more adequate space for living and
60
more adequate infrastructure. Although the recommendation is to consider re-adaptation
of the military barracks that are no longer used, the information from the respondents
indicate that they had already been purchased by businessmen.
In this part of the study, we present (also graphically), the locations of the
settlements of 14 towns in which children on the streets reside. Each town has a global-
orientation map indicating the locations of the settlements. The most frequented nearby
streets are also indicated. The locations are marked in a form of a circle. Besides the
circles, there is a graphic presentation of the typical places and facilities, for easier
reference.
We expect the data from the mapping to be instrumental for the responsible
persons and institutions and in the process of advancing the urban life and environment of
the towns. We also hope that these data would have an impact on the implementation of
the activities related to the Roma Decade (2005-2015) and the Action Plan on Housing in
the Republic of Macedonia.
Locations in which children on the streets reside
Locality/Town Category of children Total: Children who beg
Children on Street services
Children in the black market
SKOPJEMunicipality K. Voda 10 3 5 18Sett. Drachevo / 3 5 8Sett. Pat Za Kitka 4 / / 4v. Batinci 6 / / 6Municipality YEARS Baba 9 3 8 20Sett. Inxikovo 3 1 3 7Sett. Stara Klanica 2 1 1 4Sett. Vardarishte 3 1 3 7Sett. Ilinden 1 / 1 2Municipality Sh. Orizari 22 3 8 33Municipality YEARS Petrov 18 2 7 27Sett. Dame Gruev (Novoselski pat)
18 2 7 27
Municipality Karposh 5 2 14 21Sett. Zlokukani 5 2 14 21Municipality Saraj 3 4 12 19
61
Sett. Svinjarnik 3 4 12 19Municipality Chair 2 1 9 12 Street Dizonska 2 1 9 12Municipality Centar 19 4 7 30 Street Serava 4 / 2 6Sett. Gazi Baba 1 1 2 4Sett. Topaana 14 3 3 21Total: 88 22 70 180KUMANOVOSett. Sredorek 3 5 3 11 Street Anga Rankovik 7 / 2 9 Street Bosanska / / 2 2v. Chekrezi / / 2 2v. Bejlovce / / 1 1 Street Guro Gakovik / 2 / 2 Street Bajram Shabani / 2 / 2 Street 27th Mart / 1 / 1Total: 10 10 10 30PRILEPSett. Trisla 20 9 10 39M.U. Vishne / 1 / 1Total: 20 10 10 40DELChEVOB Street Makedonija 1 / / 1v. Star Istevnik 1 / / 1Sett. Star Rasadnik 1 2 / 3v. Trabotivishte 1 / 1 2Cigansko Maalo 1 1 / 2v. Stamer 1 / / 1Pustevski Endek ( Street Bregalnichka)
/ 1 1 2
Maxir Maalo (Ilindenska)
/ / 1 1
From another town 1 / 1 2Total: 7 4 4 15TETOVOSett. MonoGender - Vero (29 noemvri, Mala stanica) 8 1 / 9v. Tearce 1 / / 1Sett. Centar (Teke) 1 1 / 2Sett. Drenovec / 2 / 2M.U. Vanvardarska - Teteks / 1 1 1 Street I.A. Smok / 1 / 1 Street J. Zlatanoski (M.U. Cetinska) / / 6 6
62
M.U. Marshal Tito / / 1 1Total: 10 6 8 24KOChANIRomsko Maalo 2 2 3 7Old Army Baraques 1 1 / 2Total: 3 3 3 9Sv. NIKOLE Street Trajan Ciklev 1 / 3 4 Street Goce Delchev 1 1 2 4 Street Kikevachka 1 3 2 6 Street Pogled / / 1 1 Street Vancho Angelov 1 / / 1Total: 4 4 8 16BITOLASett. Bair 15 8 7 30Total: 15 8 7 30SHTIP Street Radanski pat (Kosovska)
14 5 10 29
Street Sremska 4 / / 4 Street Engelsova 3 / / 3Total: 21 5 10 36VELESSett. Ramina 6 6 5 16Sett. Crna Dzamija / 1 1 2Sett. Shorka / 1 / 1Sett. Vlashka Crkva / 1 / 1Sett. Jurija / 1 / 1Sett. Prcorek 2 / / 2Total: 8 10 6 24STRUMICA Street Betovenova 11 4 4 19 Street Boshko Buha / / 1 1 Street 5thNoemvri 2 3 / 5 Street Slavcho Stojmenski / 1 / 1 Street Bratstvo / 1 / 1 Street Pirinska / 1 / 1Chiflik Maalo 2 / / 2Total: 15 10 5 30GOSTIVARv. Chajle / / 1 1 Street JNA 7 / / 7 Street Balindolska 1 / / 1Sett. Grudajce 3 / / 3Sett. Ciglana 2 / / 2
63
Street Boge Veljanoski 2 / / 2 Street B. Kidrik 1 / / 1 Street Petar Avramovski 1 / / 1 Street N. Parapunov 1 / / 1 Street Braka Ginoski 1 / / 1From another town 3 / / 3Total: 22 / 1 23GEVGELIJA Street Kliment Ohridski (v. Miravci)
11 7 7 25
From another town 6 / 1 7Total: 17 7 8 32STRUGA Street Globochica / / 4 4Sett. Enhalon 4 3 / 7Total: 4 3 4 11TOTAL: 244 102 154 500
The maps of towns with indicated locations with children on the streets are
presented in Appendix 4 of this study.
1.4.1.2. Characteristics of the street life of the “children on the streets”
The street is the second home of the category of children who are subject of this
study: it is their world, their daily environment for communication, existence and
entertainment. The children are on the streets in the winter days, exposed to cold and ice,
in summer days, exposed to heat and also permanently exposed to rain and wind. People
pass by with their vehicles, not even noticing that they fill their lives with joy and also
dissatisfaction and tears.
This part of the study refers to the basic characteristics of the life on the streets or
to public places of the children who are “poorest of the poor”, who are hoping that they
would earn for a minimum livelihood for them or their families.
The basic goal of this part of the study is to make an assessment of the street as
their central environment and measure how much time (how many hours per day) they
spend on the streets, what is attractive and what is repulsive about the streets, and also to
learn about their dreams and visions for better life.
64
We expect that these data will assist in the efforts for devising more direct forms
of support and assistance to this category of children with the aim to provide better
quality of life for them.
Through a number of tables and graphic presentations, the problem is examined in
7 sub-titles with analysis of each indicator in numbers and percentages, with the aim for
us to arrive at adequate conclusions and recommendations.
The study of the life of the children on the streets is presented through the
following parameters: locations, i.e. place of stay of the children; who accompanies the
children; time spent on the streets (in hours); average length of stay on the streets; time
spent on the streets compared to performing tasks at home; most difficult problems faced
by the children in terms of injuries and physical confrontations; their fears while being on
the streets, expelled from the streets and when sleeping on the streets; control over the
children and the leisure time of the children on the streets.
The research covered 13 types of locations where children hang out or move
while begging, performing different types of services on the streets or selling products
banned on the market or not-taxed.
The initial contacts with the children on the streets were made away from their
homes when we realised that they do not always stay on the same locations, but move
about depending on their presumption of the possibility to meet larger groups of people
or vehicles (due to the end of the seasonal works, we could not cover those locations).
Therefore, we decided to conduct the survey through registration of the children
according to their place of living.
The highest numbers of children (220) solicit on the markets, most frequently on
market days and in their place (town) of living. Some children beg on market days in
towns away from their homes where they expect to gain financial resources. A large
number of children who beg or sell items were found in the shops of the bazaar 12%,
10% of them in houses, 8% on crossroads with traffic lights and shopping malls 7.5%, at
bus stations (inter-city and city) 6%, in churches and mosques 10%, on cemeteries 5%
and other public places. Table No. 14 and the Graphic presentations No. 14 and 14a, b
and c, give a clear picture of the most frequent and most attractive places for the
children by towns. This enables us to get an understanding of the situation in the R.
65
Macedonia by each town separately, but also compare towns for us to understand which
are the typical features and commonalities between neighbouring towns. This could be
instrumental for the local self-government to initiate joint programmes and projects to
address the issues.
Table No. 14 Locations of most frequent movement of children by towns
Towns
Locations of most fequent movement of children
Total:A
Cross road
B Cross road with
traffic lights
V Market
G Old
Bazar
D Bus
station
GRailw
ay statio
n
ECafébar
Z Squa
re
Z Tourist
site
Y Mol
l
I Church
J Mosq
ue
KCemete
ry
LArou
nd other house
s
LJ Other
Skopje 21%
6129%
4320%
63%
52%
42%
42%
31%
0% 2210%
42%
42%
21%
3014%
2311%
213100%
Kumanovo 11%
11%
1317%
1216%
811%
0% 11%
1520%
0% 45%
0% 57%
0% 1014%
45%
74100%
Tetovo 13%
821%
1232%
13%
25%
13%
25%
13%
0% 25%
13%
38%
13%
13%
25%
38100%
Delchevo 25%
0% 37,5%
410%
0% 0% 25%
37,5%
12.5%
0% 25%
615%
410%
922,5%
410%
40100%
Shtip 32%
32%
3224%
2721%
54%
0% 11%
32%
11%
2720%
118%
86%
54%
54%
11%
132100%
Gostivar 0% 0% 56%
56%
67%
0% 1012%
78%
0% 45%
911%
1316%
22%
56%
1721%
83100%
Bitola 0% 22%
2019%
1918%
33%
0% 66%
55%
22%
77%
33%
11%
1514%
22%
1918%
104100%
Prilep 21%
0% 2417%
2215%
107%
11%
21%
75%
0% 64%
1813%
0% 1611%
2316%
139%
144100%
Gevgelija 0% 0% 615%
513%
718%
615%
0% 13%
0% 25%
0% 0% 0% 1026%
25%
39100%
Sv.Nikole 48%
0% 1531%
1531%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 612%
918%
49100%
Strumica 23%
813%
2134%
813%
813%
0% 23%
711%
0% 0% 58%
0% 0% 0% 0% 6100%
Veles 68%
0% 1823%
0% 1621%
11%
1013%
0% 0% 0% 1418%
0% 1216%
0% 0% 77100%
Kochani 0% 0% 529%
212%
16%
0% 0% 0% 0% 212%
318%
16%
0% 318%
0% 17100%
Struga 0% 0% 314%
29%
0% 0% 15%
523%
0% 627%
0% 0% 15%
418%
0% 22100%
Total: 232%
838%
22020%
12812%
716%
131%
414%
575%
40,5%
827,5%
706%
414%
585%
10810%
949%
1093100%
66
Graphic presentation 14a) Locations of most frequent movement of children by towns
Graphic presentation 14b) Locations of most frequent movement of children by towns
2
61
43
65 11
131281
812
1220340
3 3
32
27
50 0
556
0 2
2019
3 20
2422
10
00
657 4
0
1515
02
8
21
88 6
0
18
0
16
00521 0 0
3200
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Number of children
Skopje
Kumanovo
Tetovo
Delchevo Shtip
Gostivar Bitol
aPrilep
Gevgelija
Sv.Nikole
Strumica Veles
Kochani Strug
a
Towns
Locations of most frequent movement of children - a
-
Cross roadCross road with traffic lightsMarket
Old BazarBus station
443
22
01
15
4 121 2 0230 0 1
3
27
0
107
4 0
65 71 2
766
0 12 000 0 027
01
10
00 0002 0 15 6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Number of children
Skopje
Kumanovo
Tetovo
Delchevo Shtip
Gostivar Bitol
aPrilep
Gevgelija
Sv.Nikole
Strumica Veles
Kochani Strug
a
Towns
Locations of most frequent movement of children- b -
Rely way stationCafe barSquareTurist siteMoll
67
Graphic presentation 14c) Locations of most frequent movement of children by towns
Table No. 15 presents the data relating to the issues who accompanies the
children on the streets obtained from the interviews and statements given by the
children, but also from observing the factual situation by the surveyors. The highest
percentage of children (27%) is alone on the streets performing their activities, which
may also be due to their fear of competition. Also, a high percentage of children are
accompanied by friends (24%) or their brothers or sisters 21%, also including the mother
9%. The father of the child on the street joins the activities on the streets when it comes to
children younger than 10 years mostly for the reason to protect them if somebody would
want to take away the collected money. Mothers on the streets are frequently indirectly
controlled by their husbands who secretly follow or threaten them. Mothers are
commonly on the streets with younger children and take care of their food, water and
other needs.
442
30
23
050
10
4 1311226494
118551
913
25
17
31
15
2
1918
0
16
23
13
00 0
10
2 00069 5
0000
14
0
12
0031030
001400
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Number of children
Skopje
Kumanovo
Tetovo
Delchevo Shtip
Gostivar Bitol
aPrilep
Gevgelija
Sv.Nikole
Strumica
Veles Kochani
Struga
Towns
Locations of most frequent movement of children
- v -
ChurchMosqueCemeteryAround other housesOther
68
Table No. 15 Who accompanies the children on the streets by category of children, sex and age
Category, sex and age
Who accompanies the children on the streets Total:a)
aloneb) with
brothers/sisters
v) with friends
g) with their
mother
d) with their
father
g) with their mother and
father
e) with their family
z) with relatives
z) with friends
Begging
M 0-6 26%
721%
13%
1340%
13%
39%
13%
13%
412%
33100%
7-10 1332,5%
820%
512,5%
410%
25%
12,5%
512,5%
25%
0% 40100%
11-14 1732%
1019%
2038%
35%
12%
24%
0% 0% 0% 53100%
15-18 1158%
211%
526%
15%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 19100%
F 0-6 15%
314%
0% 733%
210%
210%
419%
0% 29%
21100%
7-10 413%
724%
620%
413%
13%
27%
27%
13%
310%
30100%
11-14 820%
1435%
820%
410%
12,5%
12,5%
25%
0% 25%
40100%
15-18 450%
112,5%
112,5%
0% 0% 0% 112,5%
0% 112,5%
8100%
S t r e e t s e r v i c e s
M 0-6 150%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 150%
0% 0% 2100%
7-10 225%
112,5%
450%
0% 0% 0% 0% 112,5%
/ 8100%
11-14 822%
411%
2259%
0% 0% 0% 0% 38%
/ 37100%
15-18 832%
416%
1144%
0% 0% 0% 0% 28%
/ 25100%
F 0-6 0% 150%
0% 0% 0% 0% 150%
0% / 2100%
7-10 240%
0% 0% 0% 120%
240%
0% 0% 0% 5100%
11-14 323%
323%
323%
18%
0% 0% 0% 215%
18%
13100%
15-18 440%
110%
220%
110%
0% 220%
0% 0% 0% 10100%
Bl ack marke t
M 0-6 120%
0% 120%
120%
120%
0% 120%
0% 0% 5100%
7-10 528%
844%
211%
0% 16%
0% 211%
0% 0% 18100%
11-14 1127%
1229%
1229%
0% 37%
13%
0% 0% 25%
41100%
15-18 2847%
1118,5%
1118,5%
12%
35%
23%
23%
23%
0% 60100%
F 0-6 0% 133%
133%
133%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 3100%
7-10 0% 562,5%
0% 0% 0% 0% 112,5%
112,5%
112,5%
8100%
11-14 433%
217%
326%
18%
0% 18%
18%
0% 0% 12100%
15-18 0% 344%
114%
114%
114%
0% 0% 114%
0% 7100%
Total: 13727%
10821%
11924%
439%
184%
194%
245%
163%
163%
500100%
Begging is most characteristic for children from elementary school age between
11 and 14 who are out on the streets alone or accompanied by their friends. Girls on that
69
age can often be seen on the streets begging, but are more likely to be together with their
brothers or sisters.
The largest percentages of the boys who perform services on the streets are either
accompanied by their friends or are alone. The girls are likely to be with their parents.
Re-selling on the streets is more typical for the boys, due to the fear that the
products may be forcefully taken away or stolen from them, which would imply that not
only they would not earn anything, but would fall in debt. Large portions of those who
sell are with ethnic Albanian background because Muslim norms ban purposeless
movement of girls on the streets. This manner of earning money is attractive for the boys
as this is the way for them to earn pocket money that cannot be otherwise obtained from
their parents. This activity occupies them heavily so that they spend as many as 9-10
hours daily on the street, fail to appear in school, or when they do manage to go to school,
they do not do their homework and avoid studying.
This category of children is recurrently misused by those who provide the items to
them, but also by their parents. Namely, because of the penal measures, the adults would
not they dare to be publicly seen involved in smuggling.
The time spent on the streets by the children is also an important indicator for
their vulnerability, primarily in health and social terms, but not less in educational terms.
Data on the time spent on the streets are presented in four tables Table 16, 17, 18 and 19.
In order to more clearly review the situation, each table is accompanied by a graphic
presentation.
Table No. 16 How many times a week the child is present on the location, by category of children
Category of children
Days of the week Total:1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Children who beg 94%
166%
5121%
4820%
9941
135%
83%
244100%
Children in street services
11%
77%
1717%
2625%
3635%
55%
1010%
102100%
Children in the black market
32%
117%
2617%
3120%
4428%
2013%
1912%
154100%
Total: 133%
347%
9419%
10521%
17936%
387%
377%
500100%
70
Graphic presentation No. 16 How many times a week the child is present on the location, by category of children
Children on the streets are almost every day out of their homes, except when they
have a duty at home or out of the home, or in times of holidays. Nonetheless, 36% of all
children on the streets spend five days a week out of their homes. Of the total number of
children who beg, 41% spend five days on the streets, 21% spend three days on the
streets and 20% spend four days on the streets. Of the category of children who beg, 80%
are out of their homes every second day.
The total number of children on the streets who spend five days a week out of
their homes also includes the highest percentage of children who perform services, i.e.
35% of them. Taking into account the fact that those who perform services also beg, then
a conclusion can be drawn that 86% of the total number of children who beg and perform
services are on the streets several hours a day. From the group of children who re-sell,
28% sell products five days a week, 13% sell 6 days a week and 12% seven days a week.
This means that 53% of children spend five and more days a week on the streets, i.e.
(59%) of the children who sell spend most of their time out of their homes. The reason
behind this, on one hand, is the motivation for a safer way of getting some income by
selling items, but not less important are the orders given by their “order-givers” who
provide the items for selling.
9
1 3
16
711
51
17
26
48
2631
99
36
44
13
5
20
8 10
19
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Number of children
1 2 3 4 5 6 7Days of the week
How many times a week the child is present on the location
Children who begChildren in street servicesChildren in the black market
71
The length of stay on the streets of children of all three categories is alarming
and is among the relevant indicators of their vulnerability and the poor living conditions.
Equally important for this study are the data referring to the average length (in
hours) of stay on the streets by categories, in cross-tabulation with the sex and age of the
children, presented in Table 17.
Largest percentages of children (23%) of all categories spend approximately 6
hours a day on the streets. The percentage of those spending 5 hours (16%), 8 hours
(14%) and 7 hours (13%) is also very high. 43% of them are on the highly frequented
streets. Children most often come to the streets at the beginning of the work days (when
people go to work) and stay until the hours when people return from work, when they go
to the market or shop, visit the religious facilities (churches and mosks) or in the morning
and afternoon after the working hours.
As regards the age, more hours on the streets are spend by boys who beg at the
age from 1 month to 6 years, 7-10 years and girls from 7 to 14 years of age. Table No. 17
shows the situation in detail which enables the readers to independently examine certain
indicators that would be useful for them.
72
Table 17. Average length of stay (in hours) of children on the streets during the day, by category, age and sexCategory, sex and age
Average length of stay on the streets Total:Below
4 hours
4 hours
5 hours
6 hours
7 hours 8 hours 9 hours 10 hours Over 10
hours
Chi
ldre
n w
ho b
eg
M 0-6 722%
13%
412%
1339%
515%
26%
0% 13%
0% 33100%
7-10 512,5%
410%
615%
820%
615%
512,5%
25%
25%
25%
40100%
11-14 815%
59%
917%
917%
611%
815%
36%
48%
12%
53100%
15-18 0% 316%
422%
15%
316%
526%
210%
0% 15%
19100%
F 0-6 628%
210%
314%
419%
26010%
314%
0% 15%
0% 21100%
7-10 27%
13%
414%
827%
517%
723%
13%
13%
13%
30100%
11-14 25%
718%
615%
1128%
512%
717%
12,5%
12,5%
0% 40100%
15-18 113%
0% 113%
336%
0% 225%
0% 0% 113%
8100%
Chi
ldre
n in
stre
et se
rvic
es
M 0-6 0% 0% 150%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 150%
2100%
7-10 112,5%
337,5%
112,5%
112,5%
0% 0% 112,5%
0% 112,5%
8100%
11-14 25%
820%
410%
820%
410%
513%
13%
513%
0% 37100%
15-18 28%
728%
624%
416%
28%
28%
0% 14%
14%
25100%
F 0-6 0% 150%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 150%
2100%
7-10 120%
0% 360%
0% 0% 120%
0% 0% 0% 5100%
11-14 430%
18%
18%
18%
215%
0% 18%
18%
215%
13100%
15-18 0% 110%
110%
330%
220%
220%
0% 0% 110%
10100%
Chi
ldre
n in
the
blac
k m
arke
t
M 0-6 120%
0% 240%
240%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5100%
7-10 211%
211%
211%
211%
634%
211%
211%
0% 0% 18
11-14 37%
410%
922%
1230%
410%
410%
12%
37%
12%
41100%
15-18 47%
1118%
711%
1322%
813%
915%
35%
12%
47%
60100%
F 0-6 134%
0% 0% 266%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 3100%
7-10 0% 0% 225%
450%
0% 225%
0% 0% 0% 8100%
11-14 217%
18%
217%
217%
541%
0% 0% 0% 0% 12100%
15-18 0% 0% 0% 457%
114%
229%
0% 0% 0% 7100%
Total: 5411%
6212%
7816%
11523%
6613%
6814%
183,5%
214%
183,5%
500100%
Concerning the time spent on the streets by months and years, i.e. the average
timeframe for stay on the streets, data by categories, sex and age of children are presented
in table No. 18
73
Table No. 18. Length of work/begging on the streets in months and years, by category, sex and age
Category, gender and age
Lenght of work/begging on the street Total:
a) 1-6 months b) 7 months-1 year
v) 1-2 years g) 2-4 years
d) over 4 years
Chi
ldre
n w
ho b
eg
M 0-6 15 (46%) 7(21%) 5(15%) 5(15%) 1(3%) 33(100%)7-10 2(5%) 11(27,5%) 12(30%) 9(22,5%) 6(15%) 40(100%)
11-14 0% 7(13%) 10(19%) 17(32%) 19(36%) 53(100%)15-18 1(5%) 1(5%) 2(10%) 9(48%) 6(32%) 19(100%)
Z 0-6 11(52%) 5(24%) 2(10%) 0% 3(14%) 21(100%)7-10 4(13%) 6(20%) 3(10%) 11(37%) 6(20%) 30(100%)
11-14 2(5%) 1(2,5%) 4(10%) 13(32,5%) 20(50%) 40(100%)15-18 0% 0% 0% 4(50%) 4(50%) 8(100%)
Chi
ldre
n in
stre
et
serv
ices
M 0-6 1(50%) 0% 1(50%) 0% 0% 2(100%)7-10 1(12,5%) 3(37,5%) 3(37,5%) 0% 1(12,5%) 8(100%)
11-14 0% 5(13%) 8(22%) 14(38%) 10(27%) 37(100%)15-18 1(4%) 1(4%) 5(20%) 13(52%) 5(20%) 25(100%)
Z 0-6 1(50%) 0% 1(50%) 0% 0% 2(100%)7-10 0% 3(60%) 1(20%) 1(20%) 0% 5(100%)
11-14 3(23%) 2(15,5%) 2(15,5%) 3(23%) 3(23%) 13(100%)15-18 1(10%) 0% 2(20%) 2(20%) 5(50%) 10(100%)
Chi
ldre
n in
the
blac
k m
arke
t
M 0-6 3(60%) 2(40%) 0% 0% 0% 5(100%)7-10 1(5%) 5(28%) 9(50%) 3(17%) 0% 18(100%)
11-14 2(5%) 7(17%) 15(36%) 11(27%) 6(15%) 41(100%)15-18 2(3%) 6(10%) 8(13%) 21(36%) 23(38%) 60(100%)
Z 0-6 1(33,5%) 2(66,5%) 0% 0% 0% 3(100%)7-10 1(12,5%) 3(37,5%) 3(37,5%) 1(12,5%) 0% 8(100%)
11-14 1(8%) 2(17%) 4(33,5%) 4(33,5%) 1(8%) 12(100%)15-18 0% 1(14%) 1(14%) 3(43%) 2(29%) 7(100%)
Total: 54(11%) 80(16%) 101(20%) 144(29%) 121(24%) 500(100%)
The largest percentages of children on the streets, i.e. 29% spend a period
between two and four years on the streets, while 24% are present on the streets for more
than four years. On one hand, this is an indication that this negative phenomenon has a
tradition and it commences and persists during their childhood. On the other hand, it also
shows that poverty in their families has been unrelenting for a longer period of time, and
they have internalised the habits of spending their days out of their houses. Of the
children who spend 2 to 4 years on the streets begging, 36% are at the age between 11
and 14, but also 50% of the girls at that age, which leads to the conclusion that this is the
most vulnerable age group. Therefore, urgent and adequate measures need to be taken for
re-socialisation of this group.
The situation is somewhat similar in regard to the perceptual relation of the
children who perform services or re-sell products.
74
Table No. 18 is rich with valuable data which would be useful to the professionals
who are involved in work with this category of children (social affairs, education, health
etc). Data could be instrumental in devising programmes with very precise
hypothesis for overcoming the challenges related to this category of children.
The study also examines the issues relating to what children do when they are
not out on the streets, in terms of how they spend their leisure time and what type of
additional errands they run at home.
Table No. 19 What do children do on the places of gathering, by category
Category of children
What do children do on the places of gathering Total :
We play
Play football
Talk Music/TV
Video games
Children games
Play cards
Poll Basketball Walk in the city
centre
Prome-nade
Children who beg
9751%
95%
2212%
74%
42%
53%
0% 10,5%
105%
178,5%
189%
190
Children in Street services
3031%
1010%
2728%
22%
0% 0% 55%
33%
77%
1212%
22%
98
Children in the black
market
3826%
2316%
3927%
75%
10,5%
21%
32%
43%
32%
2517%
10,5%
146
Total: 16538%
4210%
8820%
164%
51%
71%
82%
82%
205%
5412%
215%
434
Graphic presentation No. 19 What do children do on the places of gathering, by category
97
30
38
910
23 2227
39
727 4
0 1502 0
5 3 1 3 4
1073
1712
2518
2 10
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
What do children do on the places of gathering
Children who begCh. in street service
Ch. in the black m.
W
e pl
ay
Pla
y
fo
otba
ll
Tal
king
Mus
ic/T
V
V
ideo
ga
mes
Chi
ldre
n
gam
es
Play
car
ds
Poll
Bas
ketb
all
Wal
k in
the
city
cen
tre
Prom
enad
e
Num
ber
of c
hild
ren
75
Table No. 19 presents very helpful and important data about children’s activities
in the leisure time. Namely, the largest percentages of children who beg spend their
leisure time in, in their view, attractive places, playgrounds, sporting fields. The
assumption is that they spend a portion of the obtained money on those activities. In
addition, children from this category spend their time at home or at places where they
could watch TV. Apart from the streets, TV is the most common form from which they
seem to learn something outside of the educational system, i.e. they get education for life.
Table No. 20 Time spent out of the streets and type of additional work at home, by categories of children
Category of children
Time spent out of the streetsTotal:
Additional work at homeTotal:Takes a
walkWatches TV
With friends
Other Takes care of siblings
Cleans/washes
Cooks Other
Children who beg
6722%
7625%
9431%
6522%
302100%
4748%
2828%
55%
1919%
99100%
Children in street services
3830%
2117%
5342%
1311%
125100%
3049%
1830%
58%
813%
61100%
Children in the black
market
3721%
6034%
6637%
158%
178100%
3256%
1018%
23%
1323%
57100%
Total: 14223%
15726%
21335%
9316%
605100%
10950%
5626%
126%
4018%
217100%
All categories of children on the streets, once they come back home (and most of
they do have a home), have the obligation to help at home, alone or together with their
parents. Their tasks at home are mostly linked to helping around the heating of the home,
preparation of food, cleaning and other errands.
76
Graphic presentation No 20a. Time spent out of the streets and utilisation of the leisure time, by categories of children
Graphic presentation No. 20b Time spent out of the streets and type of additional work at home, by categories of children
The children who re-sell products are linked to their parents’ homes and tend to
help out with the errands. These data support the thesis that beside the time spent on the
streets, most of the children on the streets are bound to their families. It has
importance in their life, as they need to struggle against poverty and look for a way to
67
38 37
76
21
60
94
53
66 65
13 15
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Number of children
takes a walk watches TV with his friends other
Time spent out of the streets
Childeren who begChildren in the street servicesChildren in the blackmarket
47
3032
28
18
10
5 5
2
19
8
13
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Number of children
takes care of his brother/sisters cleans/washes cooks other
Type of additional work at home
Children who begChildren in the street servicesChildren in the black market
77
survive. This fact indicates that it is not productive to work with children in daily centres
or similar institutions without simultaneously involving their families. The feeling of
affiliation, apart from the difficult economic survival, preserves the cohesiveness of the
family and the joy of being together, even in times of misery.
As regards the financial benefit from begging or work on the streets, the study
is looking into three indicators which are deemed relevant for the children, as follows:
average money they get or earn; how much of those money is spent by them, or who
eventually takes and uses the money of the children on the streets. Data for these
indicators are presented in Tables and Graphic presentations 21, 22 and 23.
Table No. 21 Amount of earned money on the streets, by category of children
CategoryAmount of earned money on the streets
Total:YES
Abellow 100
den.
B110-200
den.
V210-500 den.
GOver 500
den.
Children who beg
113(46%) 103(42%) 28(12%) 0% 244
Children in street services
47(46%) 38(37%) 15(15%) 2(2%) 102
Children in the black market
44(29%) 67(44%) 39(24%) 4(3%) 154
Total: 204(41%) 208(42%) 82(16%) 6(1%) 500
From the responses of the children given during the interviews conducted by the
surveyors (persons who were professionally trained in communication and protection),
information was obtained that the highest percentage of children receive or earn up to 100
denars a day (41%), or 200 denars a day (42%). If this amount is multiplied by 4-5 times
a week, i.e. 16-20 times a month, (this is the highest average of days a week for the
children on the streets), the final amount reaches a tune of 1,600-2,000 denars (41% of
the children) or 3,200-4,000 denars a month (42% of the children). This is an
78
insignificant amount. As regards the earnings by category, the highest amount is gained
by children who sell items on the streets, of whom half collect nearly 3,200-4,000 denars
a month, while 24% of them as much as 4,000-6,000 denars. We assume that the amount
of the gained financial resources varies, but oftentimes it is even higher than stated.
Nonetheless, the manner of spending the money and the question who spends the money
should not be overlooked.
Graphic presentation No. 21 Amount of earned money on the streets, by category of children
The manner of gaining financial resources motivates the children (who do not
receive money from their parents) to be on the streets constantly, although the amount
that they manage to get is minimal and sufficient only for satisfying of one-week basic
needs. However, as mentioned earlier, the habit and the need for the children to be in
possession of money, frequently turns out to be the main stimulus for them to actually be
on the streets.
In the following indicator, data about how money is spent is given. With this
question, we managed to obtain information about the real motivation and justification
for the children to gain or earn money on the streets.
103
28
0
38
15
2
67
39
4
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Number of children
bellow 100 den.
110-200 den.
210-500 den.
The amoun of earned money on the street, by category of children
Children who begChildren in stret srevicesChildren in the black market
79
Table No. 22 How children most frequently spend the gained or earned money, by category of children
Category of children
How children most frequently spend earned moneya) food b) clothes v) games g) other
Children who beg
230(85%) 23(8%) 8(3%) 9(4%)
Children in street services
94(72%) 22(17%) 11(8%) 4(3%)
Children in the black market
135(74%) 38(21%) 7(4%) 3(1%)
TOTAL: 459(79%) 83(14%) 26(4%) 16(3%)
Graphic presentation No. 22 How children most frequently spend the gained or earned money, by category of children
The information about how children spend their money is divided in four
categories: food, clothes, games and other. The “hand-over” of the money to the parents
falls under the “other” category. Children who beg get the smallest amount of money and
therefore the highest percentage of them (85%) spends their money on food products for
them and their families. They use that money to buy food during the day, which they eat,
but when they go home (late in the afternoon) they also buy food for dinner, together with
230
94
135
23 22
38
8 11 7 94 3
0
50
100
150
200
250
Number of children
food cloths games other
How children most frequently spend earned money
Children who begChildren in the street servicesChildren in the black market
80
their families. According to the children, that is the only proper meal they have during the
day.
Children who earn money from services and involvement in the grey (black)
market, apart from spending their money on food products, they also pay considerable
amount of the earnings on clothing (of the category of services 17%, i.e. selling 21%).
It is important to stress that children spend their money on games and
entertainment as well. Of them, 3% of those who beg and 8% of those who perform
services spend their money on games. It shows that children wish to play, but also hope
that their brothers and sisters will buy food for them instead. That is the reason why they
spend their money on games. The assumption is that the category of children that sell
products on the grey market is not only controlled by the parents or employers, but the
nature of the work makes them more responsible towards the money. This category of
children spends 74% of the earned money on food.
From the Table No. 23 and the Graphic presentation No. 23 one can more
specifically learn who owns the earned money, which also helps us find out who is
indirectly behind the children on the streets, i.e. whether the children themselves are
initiators or their parents and “order- giver”. This Table and the Graphic presentation
clearly corroborate the assumption that parents to all three categories of children are the
basic stimulus and organisers of their stay in the streets and the frequented places in the
towns.
Table No. 23 Ownership of the earned money, by category of children
Category of children
Ownership of the earned moneyTotal:
a)Parents
b)Chief of the gang
v)Spends money
alone Children who
beg201(82%) 5(2%) 38(16%) 244
Children in street services
76(75%) 7(7%) 19(18%) 102
Children in the black market
117(76%) 10(6%) 27(18%) 154
Total: 394(79%) 22(4%) 84(17%) 500
81
Graphic presentation No. 23 Ownership of the earned money, by category of children
The data obtained undoubtedly confirm that 82% of the children who beg, 75% of
the children who perform services and 76% of those who re-sell are encouraged to do so
by their parents or separately by their father or mother. Only 6% of those who sell on the
grey market said that the work was conducted in organised groups led by a person who
gave the orders. It is mostly a question of a person who buys the products for a very
cheap price (without taxes and registration), which are then sold by the children for
double or triple the original price. The money gained from the sold products are then
handed over to the person who gives the orders, and he decides who much he would pay
them for their work. For that reason, we believe that it is important to stress in this
study that the persons who issue the orders should be discovered and apprehended,
not only to be disciplined, but also to be systematically involved in the programmes
for re-socialisation together with the parents of the children who perform those
activities.
The presence on the streets is not pleasant for the children, although they
gradually get used to accepting this way of life with a sad smile on their faces.
201
76
117
5 7 10
38
1927
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210
Number of cildren
Parents Chief of the gang Spends money alone
Ownership of the earned money
Children who begChildren in the street servicesChildren in the black market
82
Frequently, it can be observed that children try to make jokes among themselves, they
sing and play. This confirms that they are, after all, only children whose childhood has
been taken away by the streets. They do not easily come to terms and give in to this way
of life, which again confirms the understanding that they have the right to a descent
childhood.
Problems, nevertheless, exist: children’s bodies get gradually exhausted, their
health aggravates, they alienate themselves from the healthy environment they are
supposed to belong. Five indicators compose the structure of the most difficult problems
faced by the children on the streets on daily basis: 1) unfavourable daily climate
conditions; 2) gasses from the cars; 3) lack of adequate clothing and shoes; 4) threat from
human factors; and 5) fights (physical confrontations) with other children.
Table No. 24 Most difficult problems faced by the children on the streets, by categories of children
Category of children
Most difficult problems faced by the children on the streets Total:a) Bad
weather conditions
b)Danger from
the traffic
v) Danger from other
people
g) Inappropriate
clothes and shoes
d)Other
Children who beg
16441%
4311%
4812%
14235%
31%
400
Children in street
services
6440%
106%
2516%
5635%
43%
159
Children in the black market
9949%
136%
2311%
5929%
95%
203
Total: 32743%
669%
9613%
25733%
162%
762100%
The unfavourable weather conditions play the major role with highest percentage
of 41%, 40% and 49% by category of children, as they are dominant during 7-8 months
of the year. These include the rainy, wet and cold winter months, contrasted by sun and
heat in the summer. Given that the children are directly exposed to such weather
conditions (without any protection, under open sky), it is evident that the weather leads to
83
drastic aggravation of their health while the medial care is frequently unavailable for
them. The use of medicines seems to be out of the question as well. Children on the
streets are also exposed to threats of gasses from the vehicles as they are in the vicinity
of the vehicles almost during the entire day. It is generally known that a significant
portion of the car pool in the Republic of Macedonia is older than 20 years, which means
that people drive old cars, which release poisonous gases. The children inhale the gasses
and get diseases that later on become chronic diseases. In this manner, their health is
constantly jeopardised. This is the worst enemy of the children and the strongest
argument for their prompt removal from the streets.
Graphic presentation No. 24 Worst problems faced by the children on the streets, by category of children
Among the indicators of threat are the statements that children do not posses
adequate clothing and shoes. Some of them wear old and worn clothing in order to cause
feelings of compassion and sympathy and a desire of the people to help them.
The human factor as a threat for the children is also present and significant (12%,
16% and 11% of the three categories). The human factors appear in two variants: threat in
a form of human being (policemen, social workers etc) who ban their being on the streets;
and threat by parents, order-givers and intimidators who force them to earn money or
steal whatever they have already.
164
64
99
43
10 13
48
25 23
142
56 59
3 49
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180Number of children
bad weather conditions danger from traffic
danger from another people
inappropriate clothes, shoes
other
Worst problems faced by the children on the streets
Children who begChildren in thestreet servicesChildren in the black market
84
Table No. 25 itemises the indicators that hinder their stay or drives them out
from those places, most frequently by means of force, threat or collection in vans and
transfer to the places of living. It is not excluded that measures of repression can be also
applied.
Table No. 25 Chasing the children away from the streets, by category of children
Category of
children
Chasing the children away from the streetsNO TotalYES
Frequency Who chases them mostOften Occasi-
onalyRarely CSW Police NGO Compe-
titorsInspection
Children who beg
127%
8144%
8949%
219%
12050%
10,5
94%
8937%
6113%
483
Children in street services
1727%
3352%
1421%
1011%
4447%
0% 2021%
2022%
3819%
196
Children in the black
market
1113%
4048%
3239%
22%
5957%
0% 1312%
3029%
7228%
259
Total: 4012%
15447%
13541%
337,5%
22350%
10,5
4210%
13932%
17118%
938
Graphic presentation No. 25a) Chasing the children away from the streets, by category of children (frequency)
1217
11
81
33
40
89
14
32
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Number of children
Often Occasionaly Rarely
Chasing away from the street- frequency-
Children who begChildren in the street servicesChildren in the black market
85
The largest percentage of children on the streets, primarily those who re-sell stuff,
(57%) are chased by the police. There are examples when they were apprehended and
taken into police stations. Children are very scared of that and sometimes by running
away from the police, may end up being hit by a car.
Graphic presentation No. 25b) Chasing the children away from the streets, by category of children
Graphic presentation No. 25c) Chasing the children away from the streets, by category of children
21
10
2
120
44
59
1 0 0
9
2013
89
20
30
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Number of children
CSW Police NGO Competitors Inspection
Chasing the children away - Who chases them most -
Children who begChildren in the street servicesChildren in the black market
61
38
72
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Number of children
NO
Chasing the children away- NO-
Children who begChildren in the street servicesChildren in the black market
86
The employees in the Centres for Social Workers (social workers etc), are also
present on the streets to prevent children from staying there. However, their control is
considerably decreased, although their professional task is to deal with the issue of the
children’s being on the streets. This category of children, i.e. families of children,
includes most frequently beneficiaries of social assistance. Parents have the duty to
register in the Centres for Social Work where they openly state that the basic reason for
their children to be on the streets is the small amount of social assistance they get which
does not suffice for the bare livelihood. Another reason, of course, appears to be their
inability to get employed for minimum wage that would somewhat complement the
amount of the social welfare. The efforts of some of the Centres for Social Work to
organise education for the social welfare beneficiaries on topics relating to adequate
spending of the money yielded little results. Namely, it turned out that the Centres for
Social Work could not help them organise a descent life with such a small amount of
money.
Many non-governmental organisations have been implementing projects targeting
the poorest population, but the duration of those projects is usually short (6 months to 1
year). The projects are oftentimes ethnic-based and have been mostly targeting certain
facilities in the settlements. The surveyed children said that they were rarely covered by
the activities of the NGOs, although they were familiar with the venues and forms of
activities.
87
Table No. 26 Control over the actions of the children on the streets, by category of children
Category of children
Control over the actions of the children on the streets
Total NO Total:YES (who)
To-tal:
YES (Why)Parent Older
childChief of the gang
Other To take the
money
To ask us how we are doing
To send us to a
new location
To bring
us food, water
Other
Children who beg
9784%
119%
54%
33%
116100%
4539%
2219%
2118%
22%
2622%
116100%48%(yes)
12852%
244100%
Children in street
services
2566%
411%
718%
25%
38100%
2360%
513%
13%
38%
616%
38100%37%(yes)
6463%
102100%
Children in the black market
7073%
78%
1010%
99%
96100%
1920%
5052%
66%
99%
1213%
96100%
62
5838%
154100%
Total: 19277%
229%
229%
145%
250100%
8735%
7731%
2811%
146%
4417%
250100%50%(yes)
25050%
500100%
Graphic presentation No. 26a) Control over the actions of the children on the streets, by category of children
97
25
70
11
47 5 7
10
3 2
9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Number of children
Parent Older child Chief of the gang
Others
Control over the actions of the children on the streets
Children who begChildren in the street servicesChildren in the black market
88
Graphic presentation no. 26b) Control over the actions of the children on the streets, by category of children
Another threat for the children on the streets are the fights (physical
confrontations) (Table and Graphic presentation No. 27) among children. The
confrontation seem to be a result of the daily contacts among children, but also a
consequence of the existence of rivalry groups who chase them away from the places
they occupy on the streets. The risk is very high, not only from potential injuries, but also
from the very place of the conflict (frequented streets or public facilities), which may
worsen the situation. Notwistanding, the highest percentage of children (56%, 58% and
58% by category) said that such clashes were rare occurrence. In terms of protection of
these children, this can be an obstacle in our efforts for re-socialisation, as the existing
mutual hatred may become a serious barrier for progress.
Table No. 27 Fights among children (in the course of one-month stay on the streets), by category of children
Category of children
Fights among children on the streetFrequency of fights Total:
a) very often b) occasionaly v) rarely Children who
beg8(7%) 64(56%) 42(37%) 114
Children in street services
8(17%) 28(58%) 12(25%) 48
45
23
19
22
5
50
21
1
6
2 3
9
26
6
12
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Number of children
To take us the money
To ask us how weare doing
To send us to new location
To bring us food, water
Other
Control over the actions of the children on the streets
Children who begChildren in the street servicesChildren in the black market
89
Children in the black market
6(9%) 38(58%) 22(33%) 66
Total: 22(10%) 130(57%) 76(33%) 228
Graphical presentation No. 27 Fights among children (in the course of one-month stay on the streets), by category of children
We expect that the findings of this study will motivate the professionals to get
involved in the forms and processes for re-socialisation and to have advance knowledge
to be able to competently address this negative phenomenon of the children on the streets
in their programmes.
Among the problems with which the children on the streets are faced, are the
injuries (Table No. 28 and Review No.1), which they receive simply by being or hanging
out on streets or public places.
8 86
64
28
3842
12
22
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Number of children
very often occasionaly rarely
Fights among children on the streets
Children who begChildren in the street servicesChildren in the black market
90
Table No. 28 Injuries obtained on the streets, by age and sex of the children
Sex and age
Injuries obtained on the streets
Total :a) Moderate injures b) Heavy injuries
No. of injuries Type of injuries No. of injuries Type of injuries1 2 More Moderate 1 2 More Heavy
M
0-6 1 / / 1-injured head and backbone from a fall
/ / / / 1
7-10 7 1 1 7-bruses from a fall1-injured in fight1-injured in car crash
2 / / 1-broken legs1- car crash
11
11-14 13 4 1 6-injured in fights4- injuries-blue eyes3-injured in the traffic1-injured arm1-cuts
6 / 1 3-broken arm2-broken leg1-car crash
25
15-18 8 2 1 6-injured in fight4-car crash1-twisted
3 / / 2-broken leg1-broken ribs
14
Z
0-6 1 / / 1-injured arm 1 / / 1-broken arm 27-10 2 / / 2-injured arm / / / / 2
11-14 5 / / 2-injured arm1-injured nose1-injured leg1-injured in fight
1 / / 1-broken arm 6
15-18 1 / / 1-injured in fight 1 / / 1-raped 2
Total: 38 7 3 48 14 / 1 15 63
Review 1. Information on injured children on the streets
a) Moderate injuries b) Heavy injuries v) MurderedNo. of injured
children Type of injuries No. of injured
children Type of injuriesNo. of injured
children Type of injuries1 2 More 1 2 More 1 2 More
18 6 8
15-car crash/accident6-injured in fight4-injuries from a fall3-injured eye2-injured leg2-cuts
11 7 1
9-broken arm4-broken leg3-car crash/accident2-broken ribs1-injured in fight
3 / /
1-ran over by a car1-murder with knife1-murder with gun
However, in comparison with the number of surveyed children on the streets and
the threats from the traffic and other risks to which children are exposed on daily basis,
the number of children who received major injuries is relatively small, i.e. only 15 of the
surveyed received major injuries, while 48 had minor injuries. Injuries are not only
inflicted by physical assaults. One child, in fact, reported to have been a victim of rape
91
which indeed shows how alarming the problem is and points out to the necessity for
undertaking more efficient measures to remove the children from the streets.
Table No. 29 Spending the night on the streets, by category of children
Category of
children
Spending the night on the streets NO Total:YES
a) Often b) RarelyNumber Places Number Places
Children who beg
8
3- in the place where they beg
5-park/moll 32
14-wherever they will get by
204 244
4-park4- garage4-building entrance2-outhouse1-barn1-under a tree 1-moll1-bus station
Children in street services
7
4-park/moll
2-outhouse
1-railway station
9
4-park
86 1022-wherever they get by1-abandoned house1-railway station1-market
Children in the black
market
21-hen house
1-building entrance
11
3-bus station
141 1542-railway station2-abandoned house2-moll2-park
Total: 17 52 431 500
Other problems related to children spending the night on the streets, on the places
where they spent the day or very close to those places, out of need or because of having
no other choice. Children were able to point to 10 places where they would oftentimes (or
rarely) spend the night (Table No. 29). This is another evidence for their destroyed
childhood.
1.4.1.3. Dreams and visions of the children on the streets
92
Children on the streets are not fond of the life on the streets, but rather they accept
it because it is more attractive and more interesting than what they homes have to offer –
which means no basic conditions for family life.
Surrounded by the noise and dynamics of the city life, their dreams and visions
seem reduced only to wishes, without any strength and knowledge how to make them
come true. The visions for better life are frequently mixed with the cruel realities, in
which every step represents an obstacle and becomes a vicious circle with no way out.
Nonetheless, we need to offer them a hand of hope and security that the steps that need to
be taken will lead them to a better future.
In the research, the visions of the children on the streets were mainly focused on
three areas: longing for warm and pleasant home (with basic conditions for decent life);
desire for satisfaction of their basic needs; and wish to have a proper childhood.
Under the influence of the TV programmes, the understanding of the life they see
from the “street” perspective and the intellectual and social capacity to identify the
problems and seek solutions, they are oftentimes torn apart between their wishes and the
real possibilities. That is the way how their days pass, they become older and life throws
them into ever more challenges and responsibilities.
93
Table No. 30 Dreams and visions for near future, by category of children
Dreams and visions for near future
Category of children Total: Children who beg
Children in street
services
Children in the black
marketTo be rich 50(47%) 26(24%) 31(29%) 107(100%)To find employment 40(42%) 23(24%) 32(34%) 95(100%)To have nice food 37(65%) 10(17,5%) 10(17,5%) 57(100%)To have beautiful house 18(44%) 15(36,5%) 8(19,5%) 41(100%)To be educated 16(40%) 15(37,5%) 9(22,5%) 40(100%)To have nice clothes 18(60%) 7(23%) 5(17%) 30(100%)To go abroad 4(16%) 12(48%) 9(36%) 25(100)To become a musician 12(52%) 6(26%) 5(22%) 23(100%)To be happily married and have my own family
13(65%) 5(25%) 2(10%) 20(100%)
To have decent living conditions 8(54%) 5(33%) 2(13%) 15(100%)To become a football player 6(40%) 2(13%) 7(47%) 15(100%)To become a hair-dresser 8(62%) 2(15%) 3(23%) 13(100%)To become a salesman 6(46%) 2(15%) 5(39%) 13(100%)To have my own store 1(8%) 4(33%) 7(59%) 12(100%)To become a dress maker 7(70%) 2(20%) 1(10%) 10(100%)To work in the City Communal Service 5(50%) 1(10%) 4(40%) 10(100%)To become a singer 3(33%) 3(33%) 3(33%) 9(100%)Not to beg anymore 9(100%) 0% 0% 9(100%)To learn to read and write 3(37,5%) 2(25%) 3(37,5%) 8(100%)To become a mechanic 5(71%) 2(29%) 0% 7(100%)To finish eight grade 6(86%) 1(14%) 0% 7(100%)To become a diver 3(50%) 1(16,5%) 2(3,5%) 6(100%)To become a good person 3(50%) 2(33,5%) 1(16,5%) 6(100%)To be healthy and sound 2(40%) 1(20%) 2(40%) 5(100%)Not to be so poor 3(40%) 1(40%) 1(20%) 5(100%)To work with computers 2(20%) 2(60%) 1(20%) 5(100%)To become a doctor 1(20%) 3(60%) 1(20%) 5(100%)To travel around the world as a tourist 2(40%) 0% 3(60%) 5(100%)To become a barber 1(25%) 1(25%) 2(50%) 4(100%)To become a policeman 3(75%) 0% 1(20%) 4(100%)To get married with rich man/woman 1(25%) 2(50%) 1(25%) 4(100%)To go in army 2(50%) 1(25%) 1(25%) 4(100%)To have my own car 0% 1(33,5%) 2(66,5%) 3(100%)To become an auto-mechanic 1(33%) 1(33%) 1(33%) 3(100%)To train sport 2(66,5%) 1(33,5%) 0% 3(100%)To become a businessman 0% 1(33,5%) 2(66,5%) 3(100%)To become a baker 1(50%) 0% 1(50%) 2(100%)To become a taxi driver 1(%50) 1(50%) 0% 2(100%)To become a teacher 2(100%) 0% 0% 2(100%)To become an artist 1(50%) 0% 1(50%) 2(100%)To be taken care of 2(100%) 0% 0% 2(100%)My father not to drink 0% 1(50%) 1(50%) 2(100%)To finish faculty 0% 0% 2(100%) 2(100%)To enrol in secondary school 0 1(50%) 1(50%) 2(100%)To become a trader 0% 0% 2(100%) 2(100%)To have my own stand 0% 0% 2(100%) 2(100%)
94
The visions are directed towards solutions, commonly seen as follows: making
plans for getting married by emigration in the Western European countries, America or
Australia, looking for a job in the car-wash services, unskilled jobs in the private sector,
delivery and unloading of goods on the market or the large shopping malls, washing and
maintenance of graves and other activities for a small, but regular income.
The education for this category of children is of little interest as the way to getting
a diploma implies for them years of regular studies, which they cannot understand and
perform.
A growing number of children on the streets try to seek their better future by
joining religious sects, which are increasingly present in the areas where they live. The
religious organisations frequently engage in programmes to attract the poorest, and hence
a potential threat for misuse of the children arises.
Graphic presentation No. 30a) Dreams and visions for near future, by category of children
The dreams and the vision of the children on the streets shown on Table No. 30
and Graphic presentations 30a), 30b) and 30c) refer more to the wish of the children to
have the same standard of living as they people they meet on the streets, from whom they
beg money or for whom they perform their services. Thus, frequently the wishes and
50
26
31
40
23
32
37
1010
18
15
8
1615
9
18
7 5 4
129
12
6 5
13
52
852
6
2
7
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Number of children
Dreams and visions for near future
Children who begChildren in strert servicesChildren in the black market
To b
e ric
h
To fi
nd
empl
oym
ent
To h
ave
nice
fo
od
To h
ave
beau
tiful
ho
use
To b
e ed
ucat
ed
To h
ave
nice
cl
othe
s
To g
o ab
road
To b
ecom
e a
mus
icia
n
To b
e ha
ppily
m
arrie
d an
d
have
my
own
fam
ily
To h
ave
dice
nt li
ving
co
nditi
ons
To b
ecom
e a
foot
ball
play
er
95
visions for them are to be rich, to have a nice house, clothes, to earn well and have
enough to eat. These wishes are reflective of their idea about the quality of life of the
people they meet every day. However, they are not aware of the way how to reach those
goals.
Graphic presentation No. 30b) Dreams and visions for near future, by category of children
Graphic presentation No. 30c) Dreams and visions for near future, by category of children
8
23
6
25
147 7
21
5
14 3 33
9
00323
5
20
6
1031 2
3 21 21 2311 221 131 2
03112
3010
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Number of children
Dreams and visions for near future
Children who begChildren in street servicesChildren in the black market
a ha
ir-dr
esse
r
a sa
lesm
an
my
own
stor
e
a
dre
ss m
aker
C
omm
unal
se
rvic
e
a si
nger
Not
to b
eg
anym
ore
read
and
writ
e
a
mec
hani
c
fin
ish
8 gr
ade
a
dive
r
a
good
per
son
To b
e he
alth
y a
nd so
und
N
ot
to b
e so
poo
r
co
mpu
ter
a d
octo
r
trave
l rou
nd th
e w
orld
as
a to
uris
t
a ba
rber
a
polic
eman
96
To the question how they can make their wishes for better life come true, they suggested professions for which they can realistically be trained, such as, for example: hairdresser, shop assistant, tailors, cleaners, drivers, chimney cleaners, mechanics, barbers, policemen, laundry services etc. (Table and Graphic presentation No. 31)
Table No. 31 Attractive professions for children, by category of children
Attractive professions for children Category of children Total: Children who
beg Children in
street servicesChildren in the black market
Musician 17(50%) 10(29%) 7(21%) 34(100%)Hair-dresser 20(59%) 8(24%) 6(17%) 34(100%)Football player 10(37%) 5(19%) 12(44%) 27(100%)Mechanic 11(42%) 10(38%) 5(20%) 26(100%)Salesman 8(33%) 3(13%) 13(54%) 24(100%)Dress maker 12(52%) 7(31%) 4(17%) 23(100%)Driver 10(45%) 7(32%) 5(23%) 22(100%)Auto-mechanic 7(32%) 5(23%) 10(45%) 22(100%)Trader 4(19%) 6(29%) 11(52%) 21(100%)Coop wood for heating 7(47%) 5(33%) 3(20%) 15!00%)Chimney-sweeper 5(50%) 5(50%) 0% 10(100%)Cleaner 8(89%) 1(11%) 0% 9(100%)Singer 3(37,5%) 2(25%) 3(37,5%) 8(100%)Barber 1(14%) 3(43%) 3(43%) 7(100%)Policeman 5(72%) 1(14%) 1(14%) 7(100%)Worker in City Comunal Service 3(44%) 1(14%) 3(42%) 7(100%)Collector of old iron 7(100%) 0% 0% 7(100%)Metal worker 4(66%) 1(17%) 1(17%) 6(100%)Computer nerd 3(50%) 2(33%) 1(17%) 6(100%)
1 2 121 1 01
2 1 11 2 1 0 0 12 101 1 10
20 0
10 1200 0 11 0 0
2 01 1002
002 2
00200
2000
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Number of children
Dreams and visions for near future
Children who begChildren in the street servicesChildren in the black masrket
To m
arre
d w
ith ri
ch
man
/wom
an
To g
o in
arm
y
To h
ave
my
ow
n ca
r
a a
vtom
echa
nc
To tr
ain
spor
t
a bu
sine
ssm
en
a b
aker
a ta
xi d
river
a te
ache
r
an a
rtist
T
o be
take
n c
are
of
My
fath
er
not t
o dr
ink
To fi
nish
Fa
culty
To e
nrol
in
Seco
ndar
y sc
hool
a tra
der
To h
ave
my
ow
n st
and
a
coac
hman
To b
e po
pula
r
To c
ontin
ye
begg
ing
97
Doctor 1(17%) 3(50%) 2(33%) 6(100%)Smith 3(75%) 1(25%) 0% 4(100%)Electrician 2(50%) 0% 2(50%) 4(100%)Coachman 2(67%) 0% 1(33%) 3(100%)Teacher 3(100%) 0% 0% 3(100%)Tailor 1(33%) 1(33%) 1(33%) 3(100%)Joiner 0% 1(33%) 2(67%) 3(100%)Builder 1(33%) 1(33%) 1(33%) 3(100%)Baker 1(50%) 0% 1(50%) 2(100%)Taxi driver 1(50%) 1(50%) 0% 2(100%)Artist 1(50%) 0% 1(50%) 2(100%)Nurse 1(50%) 0% 1(50%) 2(100%)Shoemaker 2(100%) 0% 0% 2(100%)Bycicle repairer 1(50%) 1(50%) 0% 2(100%)Beg maker 2(100%) 0% 0% 2(100%)Auto-polisher 2(100%) 0% 0% 2(100%)Auto-tin man 0% 1(50%) 1(50%) 2(100%)
All these professions are familiar to them as they meet people in their daily lives
who are involved in those activities. Nonetheless, the accomplishment of the wishes is far
from their realistic possibilities. Left on their own devices, they are not able to follow the
road of education, which would potentially lead to obtaining a diploma and get
employment.
Graphic No. 31a) Attractive professions for children, by category of children
17
10
7
20
86
10
5
121110
5
8
3
1312
7
4
10
75
7
5
10
46
11
7
5
3
55
0
8
10
3231
3 35
11
3
1
3
7
0002468101214161820
Number of children
Musician
Hair-dresser
Football player
Mechanik
Salesman
Dress maker Drive
r
Automechanik
Trider
Coop wood for heating
Chimny-sweep
Cleaner Singe
rBarber
Policeman
Worker in Comunal service
Collector of old iron
Attractive professions for children
Children who begChildren in street servicesChildren in the black market
98
This data should push the teachers in the schools, the volunteers in the
nongovernmental organizations, in the institutions where they move in, on big
drawings and paintings to be presented people which do the crafts and the
professions and underneath the pictures also in a picturesque way, and with big
letters to explain the manner how to obtain the education and the degree. The social
workers in conversations with the children in the streets, since they learn their desire for
working, should take them to the concrete stores, shops, or institutions to meet the
people and to create a space for them to come there and to be included partly in the
job. Also, they can be included in suitable educations in the working universities, in
cooperation with the centers for social work and in the proximate structure of social
protection.
Graphic presentation No. 31b) Attractive professions for children, by category of children
The Table and Graphic presentation No. 32 present the crucial obstacles for the
children on the streets in terms of their inability to make their dreams come true. The
main explanation for that is the lack of education and the poor economic situation, i.e. the
lack of financial resources for them to pay to learn and acquire new skills. It is important,
4
11
321 1
323
10
2
0
22
01
3
0011101
21111
0111
0101
1012
00110
2
00
2
00 0112
00101
6
23
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Number of children
Metal worker
Computer nerd Doct
orSmith
Electrician
Coachman Teach
erTejlor
Joiner
Builder
Bakera
Taxi driver
Artist Nurse
Shoemaker
Bicikle repeirer
Begmaker
Auto-polisher
Auto tinman
Other
Attractive professions for children
Children who begChildren in street servicesChildren in the black market
99
nonetheless, that there seem to be interest, wish and even knowledge (as to what they can
do), in order for them to be saved from total vulnerability.
Table No. 32 Obstacles for children to perform the crafts/professions they are interested in, by category of children
Category of children
Obstacles for children to perform the crafts/professions they are interested in Total
a) I am not educated
b) I don't have
money to work that
v) I don't have money
for education
g) Forbi-
den
d) I am not employed
g)I am still
young
e)I am still studying
z)I don't have
an opportunity
Children who beg
95(53%) 30(17%) 28(16%) 6(3%) 4(2%) 12(7%) 1(0,5%) 2(1,5%) 178100%
Children in street services
49(53%) 31(33%) 7(7%) 1(1%) 1(1%) 2(2%) 2(2%) 1(1%) 94100%
Childrenin the black
market
34(32%) 37(35%) 18(17%) 1(1%) 3(3%) 5(5%) 5(5%) 2(2%) 105100%
Total: 178(48%) 98(26%) 53(14%) 8(2%) 8(2%) 19(5%) 8(2%) 5(1%) 377100%
Graphic presentation No. 32 Obstacles for children to perform the crafts/professions they are interested in, by category of children
The Centres for Social Work should cooperate with the relevant institutions
in order to assist the children on the streets and offer them a second chance to get
elementary education in order for them to be able to perform some of the
95
49
34 303137
28
7
18
61 1
41 3
12
25
1 25 2 1 2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Number of children
I am not educated
I don't have money to work that
I don't have money for education
Forbiden
I am not employed
I am young
I am still studing
I don't have an opportunity
Obstacles for children to perform crafts/professions they are interested in
Children who begChildren in street servicesChildren in the black market
100
aforementioned activities. Those institutions include the following: workers’
universities (nearly each town in the R. Macedonia has such an institution), the schools,
religious elementary school (Makarenko), municipal educational centres,
neighbourhood communities etc. We have also learnt that the mosques organise
vocational training courses, which also cover children on the streets from ethnic Albanian
background.
It is recommendable that the Centres for Social Work along with the relevant
municipal institutions to get actively involved in establishing relations between the
children on the streets (including their families) and the relevant institutions where they
can get information about the required education for a specific job.
Although this process is seemingly easy and simple, it requires persistence and
will on the part of the professionals in terms of adequate and realistic inclusion of the
children on the streets in the educational and professional life, aimed to fulfil the wishes
of the children and alleviate and eventually fully eliminate this negative social
phenomenon and social disgrace.
1.4.2. Assessment of the insights of professionals from the Centers for Social Work and non-governmental organizations into the situation and possibilities for improvement of the quality of social welfare of children on the streets
The study includes a qualitative analysis of the data obtained through interviews
and polling of professionals working at the Centers for social work in 14 cities in the
Republic of Macedonia, as well as employees of relevant NGO projects.
The people involved in this analysis have many years of experience working with
vulnerable populations, including children on streets. They took part in the polling of the
children on the streets, and made significant contributions to the effort to overcome this
harmful phenomenon.
At the beginning of the interview, the professionals agreed that the children on
streets are the poorest of the poor. Most of their families are beneficiaries of regular
financial assistance, and in some instances also of one-time cash assistance. The amounts
of these benefits are paltry, below even the basic subsistence minimum. Opportunities for
extra work for the parents are minimal (other than seasonal farm work: pruning of vines
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an picking grapes, planting and picking tobacco, picking fruit, planting rice, removing
weeds from rice fields etc.), for minimal wages.
Thus, for many of them, the street is the only realistic solution for acquiring the
money for basic subsistence. Occasionally, the daily amount collected is higher than
usual, and this frequently results in inappropriate and erratic spending.
The professionals also stated that this category of children is not, for the most
part, attracted to the idea of spending the day in the parental homes due to the
substandard quality of the dwellings, having only few (1-2) rooms, lack of basic hygiene
and sanitary conditions, but also the lack of effort on the part of the parents and the older
children to make the home environment more comfortable. Often the parents are the ones
least interested in improving the home, which is frequently caused by their mental
structure (mental illness or retardation), lack of education or illiteracy, alcohol addiction
or more severe illnesses or disabilities.
Realistically, the parents of these children are usually difficult for direct
cooperation, in terms of their obligations in the home and care for the children. They limit
their efforts to only the most elementary care for their children age 5 and younger, as
these children could not survive on their own; nevertheless, there is parental love in these
relations, which has the effect of making the children feel confident and resilient in the
struggle for basic survival. There are some efforts to place some of the children on
streets, especially children of single mothers, in institutions, but some of them voluntarily
return to their families (the mother, grandparents etc.) after a period of stay in the home
for children without parental care.
Roma families, which is the ethnic origin of most of the children on streets, have
difficulties adapting to new housing (even when they are offered apartments) if that
housing is outside their community (e.g. they sell the apartments and go back to the
makeshift dwellings in the communities where they have lived).
From conversations with the professionals in the Centers for social work and the
non-government sector (having a working tradition of more than 10 years), there is an
impression that the problem of children on streets and their families is not neglected, nor
that there is lack of research (project in the Institute for Social Affairs and UNICEF-
funded nongovernmental organizations, projects of the Open Society Institute, UNDP and
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others). Nevertheless, despite these activities, the professionals polled concluded that the
children on the streets and their families are growing into a separate segment of
vulnerable population with particular characteristics and attributes.
The interviewees also indicated a need for more involvement of professionals
from the state and nongovernmental sector in the drafting of the laws for welfare
protection (including amendments and regulations), the Law on Child Protection and the
Family Law. Although they have access to the debates about the laws, their participation
is a superficial, non-transparent formality.
As most of the children-on-streets population is comprised of ethnic Roma
children, in recent years there have been established a large number of Roma
nongovernmental organizations with programs and projects focused on improving the
quality of education, organizing the free time and quality of life of the Roma children.
As for the ethnic Albanian, Turkish and Macedonian population, the number of
nongovernmental organizations working on programs for poor children, including this
category of children, is comparatively lower. We assume that the reason for this is that
Roma organizations have a better chance to attract projects.
The nongovernmental organizations involve mainly young people, who actively
work in programs and appropriate projects; e.g. Day Center for Children and Youth
organized by the nongovernmental organizations has been in operation since 1997
(Center for Children and Youth in Suto Orizari) and 2000 (Dendo Vas in the Novoselski
Pat community etc). Those nongovernmental organizations where the implementers and
leaders of the activities have secondary or higher education demonstrate visible results,
but there are NGOs where the employees lack educational qualifications, which impedes
their work. The NGO Roma Verzitas (branch of the Open Society Institute) and other
foundations in the Republic of Macedonia would do well to implement a policy of
educational mobility and monitor the educational capacities of the Roma
nongovernmental sector, primarily the people working with children and youth.
We propose that state and NGO institutions should implement continued
education programs for professional work with children on streets, build a cooperation
network and collaborate more closely on the actual activities.
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1.4.2.1. Models of work with children on the streets
A. Existing models of work with children on the streets
Knowledge of models of social and educational work with children on streets is
quite significant, as the model represents the entire structure of agents acting in a given
area, with a defined population. In the search for solutions for overcoming of the social
endangerment of children on streets, we may differentiate among multiple models with
specific characteristics.
- In this vein, if our criterion is the sector which organizes the activities, we have
a model of care for children on streets organized by the state and model of care
organized by the nongovernmental sector.
- With respect to the basic ways of acquisition of money by the children on
streets there are 3 models of children on streets: model of children who beg, children who
offer services, and children who resell products on the gray market (evading payment of
taxes), banned products or discarded commodity materials (usually paper, cardboard and
scrap metal).
- With respect to the organization of the presence on the street we may
differentiate between: model of individual presence, model of family presence and model
of presence in peer groups.
All three proposed models should be studied by professionals in order to obtain
insights into the functioning of the members in the model, propose cooperation with
professionals and find opportunities and forms for reducing or eliminating this negative
phenomenon.
- The model of care for children on streets by the state has the longest
tradition. This model was prevalent in the period of the former Yugoslavia. The main
characteristic of the model was cooperation with the police and placing the children on
streets into institutions like “11 Oktomvri”, “25 maj” and "Ranka Milanovik”. Ailing
parents, primarily those with mental illnesses, tuberculosis etc., were removed from the
families and placed in mental and other hospitals, and the children were placed in the “11
Oktomvri” home or in foster families. Most of the population was employed, and in
addition to wages and salaries, they also received health and pension insurance, as well as
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access to credit at favorable terms for construction of modest housing units. With the fall
of socialism and the disintegration of Yugoslavia, in 1991 the situation took a sharp turn
towards increasing poverty, with an attendant rise in the number of beneficiaries of
welfare assistance.
At the end of 2004, under the influence of trends of helping the poorest, the
Ministry of labor and Social Policy opened a Day Center for children on streets as part of
the inter-municipal Center for Social Work in Skopje. This institution, which was some
time in the planning, is a model for social-protective work with the children on streets.
The main goal of the Day Center for children on streets is social inclusion,
abandonment of the streets and inclusion of the children on streets into the mainstream of
society, in cooperation with their families.
Specific goals and objectives of the Center are:
- provision of conditions for satisfaction of the basic needs of the children;
- mitigation of the consequences of the hazardous way of life;
- motivation for involvement in schoolwork;
- help in studying for school students;
- structuring and organizing the day;
- development of cognitive and creative potential;
- strengthening the resilience, self-confidence and awareness of children’s rights;
- health awareness and care for one’s own health;
- developing hygiene habits;
- helping children build a positive self-image, attitude towards others, the school
and life in general.
The target group are children in the 6-15 age group, and the capacity is 20-30
children per day, grouped by age and interests/affinities.
The activities and interventions of the Center are as follows:
- Organizing meals for the children;
- Provision of clothing and footwear for the children;
- Provision of conditions for personal hygiene;
- Registration in the birth registry and acquisition of birth certificate;
- Provision of health insurance for the uninsured;
105
- Monitoring of the health conditions, vaccination (in cooperation with health
institutes);
- Programs for motivating children and parents to get involved in the education
process;
- Enrollment of children for regular attendance in primary school;
- Monitoring and assistance in studying and school lessons;
- Organizing free activities;
- Organizing visits to cultural and entertainment events;
- Organizing recreational activities;
- Computer skills training;
- Education about the rights of children;
- Visits to the children’s homes with psycho-social support to the parents;
- Education of volunteers for psycho-social intervention;
- Organizing donation drives for the needs of the children.
- Model of care for children on streets by the nongovernmental sector is
usually implemented through project funding (UNICEF, MCIC, Open Society Institute,
Embassies in the Republic of Macedonia).
The attractiveness of funding of projects for poor children, where Roma children
are most numerous, increased the number of Roma NGOs. The lack of professional
experience in organizing the residents and the knowledge that NVO employees make
significant financial gains reduced the cohesion among activists and led to fragmentation
and an increase in the number of NGOs serving the Roma population. Nonetheless, in
recent years there have been closures of the unproductive NGOs and networking among
the dominant ones. The nongovernmental sector has the ambition and enthusiasm for
direct program work with the poorest segments, especially children. It is characteristic for
this model that the NGO sector usually works on previously approved donor programs.
Although they do not have specific programs for children on streets, the Centers for
Children and Youth welcome poor children with: programs for support and assistance
with schoolwork, organized activities for use of the free time and parallel education
(computer courses and English language courses), arts-and-culture, sports and recreation.
106
The main drawback of this model is the poor quality or the temporary use of the premises
where the Centers for Children and Youth operate.
Also, often times the education level of the implementers of projects and
programs is below the suitable level. It should be emphasized that they attend many
seminars and demonstrate interest in acquiring more knowledge, but still the educational
capacity of regular secondary and higher education is a significant indicator of the quality
of the work.
These Centers should find room for implementation of direct educational and
social work with school staff and parents. It would be desirable to implement individual
approaches in working with families or house visits, with campaigns to improve the
quality of housing
With regard to the model related to activities of the children on streets we
have: model of children who beg, model of children who perform services in the street
and model of children who sell products on the streets.
There are some common characteristics among the children from all three
models: they spend many hours on the streets, they are poor and in most cases do not
attend school. Each model has its specifics. Knowledge of the structure of these models
helps professionals and volunteers in the process of making first contact, communication
and seeking solutions for the overcoming of their problems.
The model of children who beg has the following characteristics: as the "poorest
of the poor" they live day-to-day (i.e. spend the money as they get it), they are satisfied
with income sufficient for basic subsistence, usually for themselves but also for their
families. The street is their source of income, home and an opportunity to spend their free
time. There is a hierarchy of relations among the children, whereby younger children are
dependent and exploited by older children.
This category of children are at the pre-school or elementary school age, they beg
with their parents, under duress and control of the parents, with frequent parental abuse
(they are left alone for hours on the streets, sitting or sleeping on cardboard sheets). Also,
they are usually poorly dressed and unkempt (made to look poor). It seems that this way
of life has been chosen by the parent. The families have accepted it and are resistant to its
problems. Hence, the technical work is quite demanding. It takes organized and persistent
107
work motivated by appropriate solutions to improve the quality of life, primarily with the
mothers, but also with the fathers. In this area there has been no social or educational
work done with the fathers, concerning their role, activities and prospects in the care for
their offspring (some NGOs have programs for work with the mothers).
The model of children who perform services on the street is very close to the
previous model, with certain specific characteristics. These are usually boys aged 14-18
who clean the windshields of cars stopped at traffic lights, and ask for money for this
service, or wash parked cars in parking lots using buckets of water etc. This model also
includes children who wash shop windows help in loading/unloading cargo, shine shoes
in the street, help find parking for vehicles, wash headstones at cemeteries. These
children are in the street unaccompanied by parents – usually in peer groups. They do not
attend schools and they spend their earnings for their own needs. This model requires
expert social work with youths, involvement in adult education or work that may grow
into a future occupation (barber, chimney cleaner, car mechanic, utility worker etc),
which they objectively see as a future prospect, as they are aware that there is no future in
street activities. Many of these children are abused by the criminal structures in the city
and used in the commission of crimes, because children at this age are not punished by
jail but by reform measures. Some of these children are referred (upon conviction of a
felony) to the Center for Social Work at the “25 maj” or “Ranka Milanovik” institutions
in. The capacity and regime of stay in these institutions is time-limited and the children
do not see any prospects that the stay in these institutions might help them acquire
qualifications for better and safer life in the future.
Many children on streets at this age see their future in leaving the Republic of
Macedonia illegally, and this is related to their involvement in criminal structures in the
Balkan states and Western Europe.
The model of children on streets who sell products also has some specific
characteristics. This category of children is usually older – higher grades of primary
school, mostly ages 14-18. The motive for involvement in this activity is poverty. They
earn not only for themselves for but their families as well. The reselling, selling of paper
or scrap iron is organized by older persons who are frequently members of criminal
structures who abuse the children’s age and poverty. The children usually do not attend
108
school, as they are forced to sell their merchandise during the day so that they can earn a
small amount of money. In this model there is not only the need to make money, but also
the abuse by mafia-like structures and bosses. Bit by bit, the children in this category
become hostages and subservient to mafia groups, getting drawn deeper into the dark
waters of crime.
Unlike the previous two models, the model of children who sell is characterized
by ethnic diversity of the children: Roma, a significant percentage of Albanians, Turks
and Macedonians. To become a member of a group trading in the black market, the
children have to be “known”, i.e. where they live, which family they are from, and even
in some cases cooperation from their parents is sought. This category of children is
disciplined with respect to their superiors and is afraid of the police.
Expert social work with children from this model requires cooperation with the
police and educational/counseling work with found members of the city criminal
structures, as well as education of inmates in juvenile detention facilities and penal
institutions (prisons), in order to raise awareness of the criminal responsibility for abuse
of children and youth and responsibility for children’s lives and behavior.
Programs for children on streets should always involve the parents of these
children, in the form of education about the dangers of joining criminal groups, but also
about the prospects of education and professional advancement of their children.
Programs for resocialization of the children and parents (especially fathers)
should have individual specific characteristics for all three models. The work in each
model should be conducted primarily by the state institutions, working with the
nongovernmental sector. The Day Centers for children on streets, within the Centers for
Social Work, should be supported by the NGO sector, the Red Cross and municipal
structures. Each Day Center should have individual characteristics, specific programs and
activities, including maintenance of a database and other facilities that will enable
efficient work of the professionals and volunteers and results in the resocialization of the
children on streets.
B. Desired models of work with children on the streets
109
In the part of the study that deals with existing models of protection of the
children on streets and models of activities for children on streets, we include critiques as
an inseparable part of the whole, as well as recommendations about future work. We
believe that desired models, constructed according to the opinions and positions of the
polled professionals, should be presented here.
With respect to improvement of the state models of care for children on streets,
the professionals have made the following suggestions:
1) The day centers for children on streets should be serving not only that category
of children but to include a wider scope of children from the place where children on
streets live, i.e. the Centres should not be stigmatized by negative connotations;
2) Any municipality that has information about risks to children should initiate
and support the implementation of forms of day care, primarily by provision of proper
premises;
3) Programs for the Day Centres for children on streets should be prepared by an
expert team of professionals who have studied the situation, needs and possible prospects
of the children on streets;
4) Inclusion of programs for work wit parents and supporting activities (clothing,
food, toiletry and cleaning products) for:
- maintaining the household;
- responsibility and attitude in the care of their children;
- cooperation with the school and other public institutions (representatives of
these institutions should make appearances);
5) Making space available for designated crisis shelters offering accommodation
for a few days;
6) Coverage of these children with organized summer holidays, winter holidays
and field trips;
7) Combining the work in the Day Centres between the government and
nongovernmental sector (the state centers should involve project-funded volunteers,
while the nongovernmental sector should involve state staff – e.g. professionals in
programs for preschool education of Roma children);
8) Involvement of the children on streets in sports and cultural associations;
110
9) Establishment of mobile teams for work with children on streets, as part of the
Center.
1.4.2.2. Forms of work with parents of children on the streets
In conversations with the professionals involved in the study, it was
unambiguously pointed out that the procedure for organizing forms of cooperation and
working with the parents of children on streets is needed and significant for successful
implementation.
It was pointed out that the most important collaboration is with the parents whose
children beg alone or accompanied by parents. These are usually young parents under the
age of 30, in many cases it is only the single mother. If a father is present, he usually lives
off the wife’s and children’s money. Initiating cooperation with this category of parents is
very difficult. On one hand they don’t want or accept any cooperation, and even when
they do get involved they are extremely suspicious about any possibility that they can be
helped. Their first move in meetings is an expression of their poverty and asking for
specific aid. They complain about the quality of their dwellings, house furnishings (e.g.
they all sleep on foam slabs on the floor), lack of money for basic supplies or for
treatment for a sick child. Also, the initially established cooperation is fickle and can be
easily broken.
If these needs are not satisfied in advance (preventively) or some assistance is not
offered in satisfying these needs it will be very difficult to implement the other forms. To
help overcome these difficulties, a body should be established, comprising
representatives of the parents, municipal officials, representatives of Centers for Social
Work, NGOs and the Red Cross, Day Centers for children on streets etc.
We propose parent education to be implemented through different types of
programs:
1.4.2.2.1. Education programs for parents contain the following topics:1) Education for an orderly home, economizing with money and supplies, food
preparation, personal hygiene and laundry;
2) On-the-job education, opportunity for completion of incomplete education
(elementary, vocational, secondary);
111
3) Responsible parenting education.
Education can be individual or group-oriented. Individual work is best done by
house visits conducted by social or health worker, consultants and advisors, mobile team
work with parents.
We propose to organize group work with parents with an advance plan,
invitations, in decent premises, close to their place of residence, with using video
materials, serving coffee or tea, if possible offer hygiene products as a form of attracting
attendees. Conversation and education should be followed by discussion with the parents,
directing them to the tasks ahead. Specific steps and activities are proposed for these
goals, with an emphasis on the importance of their children’s success in studying and
professional work.
An important form of improving parenting, in the opinion of professionals, is the
implementation of
1.4.2.2.2. Social programs for work with parentsSocial programs comprise activities by the parents themselves, their children,
together with the teams of the social care service.
The services should assist in obtaining personal documents: birth certificate, marriage
certificate, citizenship certificate, ID card, health insurance.
Also, social programs for children on streets should be included in awarding
regular cash benefits or other entitlements.
Improvement of the quality of housing is part of social programs. These programs
should first register those families whose dwellings fail to fulfill even the most basic
construction or living conditions, as well as lack of home furnishings.
Regular home visits and mobile teams for assistance should be part of the
fieldwork.
However, we propose the following programs as the starting point and important
prerequisite for professional work:
1.4.2.2.3. Programs for encouraging understanding and cooperation between the
parents of children on streets and professionals in the social, health and education
112
institutions. This will include education of the spouses (through brief seminars) about
marital duties, married life, care for children, family planning, customs, cultural events
and celebrations.
To improve the family life, the following programs will be important:
1.4.2.2.4. Programs for improvement of the household economics
The Roma woman and mother lives in the most severe poverty, yet tries to
provide a warm meal for the family at least once a day. The way to achieve this is
traditional motherly wisdom, instinct and experience. Still, an improvement of the
economics of the household is highly desired by the mothers.
In this study we propose several forms of education of the parents for
improvement of household economics, as follows:
- education for (commercial) residential cleaning;
- education for operating an open-air market stand;
- education for growing vegetables, domestic birds etc.
We propose that the economics education should contain an incentive component,
i.e. employment or income opportunity.
1.4.3. General conclusions and recommendations from the field research
1.4.3.1. Conclusions from the research (conducted) with the children on streets
1.4.3.1.1. Basic statistical indicators of the situation with children on streets in the
Republic of Macedonia, with characteristics of the family and homes where they live
1) Most children on streets in the Republic of Macedonia reside in Skopje -
49% of the total examined population.
2) Among other cities in the Republic of Macedonia, most children on streets
are from Prilep, Stip, Bitola and Gostivar. Children who beg in Gostivar usually come
113
from other cities, and only on certain days of the week. Children beg in cities outside
their places of residence.
3) With respect to age, the children on streets are usually on their own or with
peers aged 6-18, while those aged 5 and younger are with their mothers.
4) With respect to sex, most children on streets are male, in the ages 11-18. Those
aged 11-14 mostly beg, while those aged 15-18 shift to making money by reselling
products. Girls usually start to beg around age 14.
5) With respect to ethnic affiliation, most children on streets are Roma, but there
are also ethnic Albanian, Macedonian and other children. Ethnic Albanian children are
more involved in street vending.
6) Housing conditions for this category of children are extremely inappropriate
and are an important indicator of their vulnerability; these conditions induce these
children to spend most of the day on the streets.
7) The presence of the children on streets is often encouraged and supported
by their parents.
8) With respect to family size, most children live in families with 5-6 members
from multiple marriages, usually with the same mother, but the average is 3-4 children in
young families.
9) The education of the children on streets is threatened. A high percentage of
school-age children do not attend school. Also, a significant percentage of children on
streets (52%) have dropped out of elementary education.
10) The main obstacle to school attendance is poverty, lack of basic conditions
for studying at home, as well as street activity as the sole money-earning option. It should
also be noted that many of them see no use or benefit from studying.
Recommendations
A. Housing risk
As the highest risk for the children on streets is associated with the poor quality of
construction of the dwellings, with cramped space, insufficient furnishings and poor
114
hygiene, the first recommendation is for assistance in securing dwellings that meet the
standards for basic living conditions. This will require:
1) Registration of the families at highest risk;
2) Installation or construction of low-cost housing in the communities where
these families reside, in cooperation with the municipalities and donors (with a legal
restriction that these units cannot be resold). We recommend, with modest funding, some
of the army prefabricated structures and buildings to be relocated and adapted as
housing units by the municipality, primarily in the Roma municipalities.
3) There is a necessity to construct basic street infrastructure (paved roads,
water supply and sewer network) with waste containers (which should be regularly
emptied).
4) Urgent and mandatory implementation of regulations for relocation of
landfills from the Roma settlements, or the Roma settlements from the landfills.
B. Economic risk
1) Most of the families of the children on streets live on welfare benefits, which
is minimal and insufficient for a sustainable livelihood. To survive, these families need
additional money, which they usually obtain by begging. We propose that the
municipalities, independently or through projects, organize small companies for washing
cars, cleaning of streets, parks, zoos and open markets, thus affording opportunities for
part-time or full-time employment, for at least one member of the family.
2) In Roma settlements and other poverty-stricken areas, we propose soup
kitchens to operate free (or for minimal fee) for 1-2 hours per day, in order to provide
elementary nutrition of the residents of the community.
3) As part of the effort to find ways to satisfy basic subsistence needs, we propose
organizing education focused on providing elementary qualifications for employment.
C. Health risk
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1) The municipality should provide enabling conditions for opening of outpatient
clinics in all communities, including those where the poorest population lives, by
involving volunteer doctors, house visits performed by doctors in the first year after
graduation or doctors who elect civilian service in lieu of military service. We propose
that they serve not only in the outpatient clinic, but also visit the families and conduct
counseling programs.
2) Medications for common ailments can be sent to the outpatient clinics and
then distributed to the children who may need them. We propose to obtain those
medications through donations or from the drug distributors, free of charge or at reduced
prices.
D. Education risk
1) The education risk of the children on streets is high. This makes the situation
deteriorate and expand. The work of the day centers should be supported, and the
opening of new centers should be encouraged, with opportunities for learning, active
use of the free time, implementing humanitarian activities and sports competitions.
2) The work programs of the day centers require cooperation with the schools
attended by the children, as well as education of the parents for addressing basic
livelihood needs and other difficulties they encounter. We also propose, as part of
these programs, a counseling service, which through direct contact will help guide them
in addressing basic needs and problems, as well as mobile teams of volunteers for social
work in the field.
3) We propose that the nongovernmental sector to increasingly seek to address
the most basic problems in the education of these children, as well as their parents.
4) The government and nongovernmental sector should collaborate in the
care for children on streets and build a common network.
1.4.3.1.2. Characteristics of life on the streets, i.e. the points of presence of these
children on streets
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1) The street, i.e. points of presence are usually street crossroads (with traffic
lights), parking lots, open markets, shopping centers and other public areas where the
residents of the city congregate. Most of the children on streets beg in open markets (in
their native city or another city), on so-called “market days”, in shops, private residences.
2) The children are mobile, i.e. they don’t stay on the same spot on the street or
public area.
3) The money is earned by begging, rendering services (mostly cleaning of
windshields of vehicles), selling untaxed products or products banned from the markets,
collecting waste from garbage containers (food, paper, scrap iron) etc.
4) The children on streets linger alone, with friends, with their siblings, and there
are some children who are accompanied by their mothers. The fathers rarely, if ever, get
directly involved, although they often linger nearby.
5) Mothers are usually on the streets with their small (age 0-6) children, and feed
them in the street.
6) The motive for begging among the children on streets is justified by the need
for money, as they can’t get a single denar from their parents.
7) Time spent on the streets each day is quite long, i.e. from 08h to 16h and has a
negative impact on their health, education and social situation.
8) As for the total cumulative time on the streets, most children are on the street 2-
4 years, but a large percentage have spent 4 years (i.e. their entire childhood) on the
streets, which indicates deeply ingrained habits of begging and spending time outside the
home.
9) The earnings average 100-200 denars per day per child; multiplied 4-5 times
per week, for a monthly income of 3.200-4.000 denars, which is close to the monthly
amount of welfare benefit from the Centers for Social Work. This amount is not
negligible for satisfaction of basic needs.
10) The children on streets spend their money mostly on satisfying basic needs,
for individual purchases of food during the day and giving some of the money to their
parents at the end of the day. Some of the money is spent on entertainment.
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11) Parents control most of the money earned by the children on streets. The
parents are in fact the dominant organizers and inducers. The children often beg on their
own initiative, while reselling is connected with parents or bosses.
12) The structure of the most difficult problems faced by the children on streets
includes long hours spent on the street in unfavorable climatic conditions (7-8 months
every year), exhaust gases from vehicles, lack of appropriate clothing and footwear,
human factors (threats from people – uniformed and those not in uniform) and brawls
among the children.
13) A fundamental characteristic of projects working with poor children is that
they are mostly short-term and organize only a few hours of activities over 2-3 days each
week. This involvement does not really affect the habit for street life – it just shortens the
time spent on the streets and partially directs the children towards schoolwork.
14) Injuries suffered by the children on streets usually come from brawls, injuries
inflicted by vehicles, and there are also some reports of rape and abuse.
1.4.3.1.3. Dreams and visions among the children on streets
1) The children on streets do not like life on the streets, but they accept it because their
homes fail to meet even basic conditions for family life;
2) They yearn for warm and pleasant family life;
3) They dream of marriage and finding work abroad;
4) They see their prospect for improving their quality of life in specific employment
opportunities, membership in sects etc.;
5) The main obstacles to the fulfillment of their visions are the lack of suitable education
and the poor economic situation.
1.4.3.1.4. Mapping
1) The children on streets in the Republic of Macedonia mostly live in their families, with
their parents.
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2) The dwellings where these children live are found in settlements without minimal
infrastructure, rife with illegal construction using substandard materials
3) Most of the settlements where these children live are located at the city periphery, near
military barracks, slaughterhouses, rivers, even landfills
4) Families where these children come from prefer communities with residents who share
similar ethnic affiliation and economic status
5) Some families that seek seasonal work on farms move to the south of Macedonia in
winter, which implies a need for expert social and educational work in these areas in the
winter months.
Recommendations
1) We expect that the data from this part of the study will contribute to the
creation of direct programs and forms of support and assistance to the children on streets
towards an improved quality of life and abandonment of the street as a place for full-time
stay.
2) Locations where the children on streets circulate are usually known to the
competent services (Centers for Social Work) and NGOs. We propose that the experts
and volunteers visit these locations in order to establish contact (mobile services),
distribute leaflets and brochures, distribute warm meals and explain where the day
centre facilities are located (with an invitation to visit these facilities). The interaction
should be brief, understandable and attractive to the children, without intimidation or
obligation.
3) Holding brief seminars and consultations among professionals and
volunteers from the government and nongovernmental organizations, about the risks
faced by the children on streets, mapping and presentations of models of organizing and
direct work in daily centers and institutions, thus improving knowledge about the
possibilities for improving the quality of life, education and culture.
4) Invitation and inclusion of parents of the children on streets in "coffee
meetings" in schools, offices of NGOs and vocational schools, with offers of realistic
approaches to cooperation, income opportunities, education about responsible care
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for children, presentation of clean and orderly homes of poor families, in a family-
friendly atmosphere, exchange of recipes for preparation of low-cost meals etc.
5) Inclusion of the children on streets with other children in summer resorts and
camps during the summer months.
6) Campaigning among workers, students and pupils for collection of
clothing, food, housewares and other donations to help the children and their families.
7) Organizing care arrangements by more affluent families interested and ready
to welcome these children into their homes on weekends and holidays.
8) Centers for Social Work and NGOs should organize Day centers for
children on streets, but these centers should also include other children from the
neighborhood, in order to stimulate interest for attendance and orientation towards
educational and sports activities. More detailed elaborations of the recommendations for
work in the day centers are given below:
Recommendations for Day centers for children on streets are divided into two
groups, from the viewpoint of the providers and from the viewpoint of clients of these
services and activities.
For the service providers we recommend:
1) To create a database of children on streets with basic data and regular visits
to the places of residence.
2) Support for opening of Day Centers for children on streets by the state,
municipalities and the nongovernmental sector;
3) Create a network of Day Centers for children on streets, including the
collaborating institutions (schools, sports clubs, arts-and-culture associations);
4) The teams of experts at the Centers should get involved in appropriate
education for preparation of programs for direct work with the children on streets;
5) Preparation of plans and programs for each activity, with availability of
didactic materials;
6) Cooperation with the mobile teams and the children on streets;
7) Organizing, inclusion and coverage of the children on streets at summer
resorts;
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8) Organizing campaigns for collecting donated food and clothing for the
families of the children on streets;
9) Organizing weekly or monthly health checkups and treatment of the
children;
10) Organizing help and support for the children for:
a) preschool education
b) inclusion in the regular elementary school system
c) help in studying and homework
d) help in inclusion in parallel education (computers, musical instruments etc).
From the aspect of the children on streets, we propose:
1) Enabling easy and attractive access to the Centre (transport, leaflets etc);
2) Maintaining records of attendance each day, with no pressure for regular
attendance;
3) Every child in the Centre should feel at ease, in cooperation with the expert
teams;
4) Establish board or council of the children on streets and council of parents
of children on streets;
5) The day center should not be exclusively oriented towards coverage of
children on streets only;
6) Make public presentations of achievements and results;
7) The day center should have extensions in the settlements, in the branch
offices of the CSW or NGOs, where the poorest population lives;
8) Encourage the organizing of ceremonies and other events with participation
of these children.
9) Assistance in making longer-term plans for the families of the children on
streets, in order to overcome problems, with direct inclusion of social work.
10) More coverage should be achieved for this category of children, primarily in
primary education. The Family Law and the Law on Primary and Secondary
Education should be complemented by specific amendments which will increase the
criminal responsibility of the parents for not enrolling their children in schools and
strengthen monitoring. There is also a need for efficient and urgent involvement of
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schools, classmates and the expert team as well as involvement of social workers in the
schools. The school should strive to achieve full coverage of school-age children; on the
other hand, it should create conditions for at-risk pupils to obtain quality educational
support and social protection.
11) Forms that could be used to strengthen the education capacities of the
children on streets include counseling work, popular practical lectures, sports and
entertainment activities, courses for training or retraining (household economics, hygiene,
trades, basic accounting etc).
12) Prevent (with police assistance) the criminal groups from abusing the
children on streets for their needs by investigation, questioning of the children and
sharp sanctions for the instigators. Also, if the parents (guardians) of the children on
streets are involved with or are part of the black market, they should be sharply
sanctioned (including education on parental responsibilities and duties).
13) Enable better inclusion of these children in organized use of the free time,
with opportunities to get warm meals, appropriate equipment and programs for attractive
and direct implementation of the activities.
14) Implementation of direct social work in the homes of the children on
streets in order to improve the knowledge and responsibility of the parents and
children concerning appropriate spending habits and encouraging orientation towards
legal employment opportunities.
15) Change the police treatment of the children on streets.
The implementation of these recommendations will impose a need for appropriate
premises and logistics (halls, workshops, club rooms etc.), for which we expect the
municipalities to demonstrate their consideration.
1.4.3.2. Conclusions from the assessment of the insights of professionals from the Centers for Social Work and nongovernmental organizations into the situation and possibilities for improving the quality of social care for the children on streets
1.4.3.2.1. Centres for Social Work are characterized by many years of
professional social work with vulnerable populations through the following forms of
actions:
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- Awarding cash benefits
- Visits and supervision of families
- Placement in foster families
- Placement in institutions
- Health care for beneficiaries of welfare assistance
- Procurement of books and school supplies
- In-kind assistance (clothes etc).
1.4.3.2.2. The nongovernmental sector is active with programs for social
protection of the vulnerable population, including children on streets, since 1993, which
means it lacks a long tradition. The implementation of program content is usually
supported by projects of UNICEF, Open Society Institute, UNDP, MCIC and other
foundations, as well as some Western European embassies (Netherlands).
1) So far, representatives of the nongovernmental sector have been
insufficiently involved in the drafting of legal regulations.
2) Due to the large number of Roma NGOs, they should merge into larger
entities and connect into a network.
3) Young activists in the NGO sector should posses appropriate professional
and educational qualities.
4) There are no continued or specific programs aimed at working with
children on streets. These should soon become commonplace in almost all NGOs
working in Roma-inhabited areas or with the Roma people.
1.4.3.2.3. Models of working with children on streets
A. Existing models of care for the children on streets
Depending on the sector which organizes the care for children on streets we
have:
- model of care for the children on streets by the state; and
- model of care for the children on streets by the nongovernmental sector.
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The model of care for children on streets by the state is characterized by the
following:
- Long tradition
- Implements social protection measures pursuant to the Law on Social Protection
- Organize Day Centre for the children on streets, as a novel significant form
- Development of direct social work on the streets
- Implements direct cooperation with schools.
The model of care for children on streets by the nongovernmental sector:
- No long tradition, but ambitious
- Does not work only with children on streets, but includes them in the programs
- Financing from project donors
- Experience and tradition working with the Children and Youth Centres for over
10 years
- Implementation of programs for direct work with parents (coffee meetings) and
family visits for over 10 years
- Direct cooperation with schools
- Opportunities to implement programs for pre-school children.
Depending on the category of children on streets, we differentiate three models:
- model of children who beg
- model of children who perform services on the streets
- model of children sell on the streets
B. Desired models of care and support for the children on streets
1) Centres for social work and NGOs should implement specialized programs
for the children on streets
2) Municipal authorities should demonstrate active and direct participation in
finding and implementing forms of care for the children on streets – day centres
3) More thorough approach in the preparation and implementation of
programs in the Day Centers for care for children on streets
4) Activation of mobile groups for street operations
5) Opening of crisis centers
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6) Inclusion of the children on streets in institutional and non-institutional
social protection
7) Inclusion of the children on streets in programs of sports and arts-and-
culture associations.
1.4.3.2.4. Forms of working with parents of children on streets
A. Supporting educational forms of work with parents
1) Inclusion in the system of regular evening education
2) Inclusion in courses for completion of primary education
3) Inclusion in vocational courses offered by workers’ universities to obtain
diplomas for qualifications that are in demand in the labor market
B. Supporting social forms of work with parents
1) Assistance in obtaining identification documents
2) Inclusion in the programs for education for responsible parenting and household
improvement
3) Inclusion in the programs for neighbor assistance
4) Campaigns for environmental cleanup and environmental culture
C. Supporting economic-education forms of work with parents
1) Education for merchandising and accounting for open-air market stalls
2) Education for qualifications which are in demand in the labor market
3) Inclusion of the parents in school councils and NGOs
4) Supporting competition among parents in the fulfillment of basic obligations
towards the home and the school.
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Appendix 1. Questionnaire for children on the streetsQuestionnaire for children on the streets
UNICEF project: ASSESSMENT OF CONDITIONS, POLICIES NAD PROGRAMS FOR THE CHILDREN ON STREETS IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Implementing agency: National Centre for Training in Social Development,
Institute for Social Work and Social Policy, Faculty of Philosophy - Skopje
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILLING OUT THE QUESTIONNAIRE
The questionnaire pertains to three categories of children on streets (ages 0-18): children who beg, children who perform services on the street, and children-street vendors. For each category of these children there is a particular color-coded questionnaire: white for children who beg, blue for children who perform services on the street and yellow for children-street vendors.Before filling out the questionnaire please study the questions well. Also, before interviewing the child you should obtain basic data about his/her place of residence, which could be useful during or after the poll. The questionnaire should be written legibly, in block letters and appropriate to the questions asked.The first page (checklist) is to be filled out by you on the basis of direct observation of the child’s environment.When polling children under the age of 7, you are required to ask permission from the parent or older sibling. In such cases, you only ask questions appropriate for the age of the child. After you fill out 10 questionnaires, report to your controller.After filling out the questionnaires please check the answers in order to avoid inconsistencies or inaccuracies, and in the case of missing data ask the polled children again. We wish you success in your work!
Pollster:_______________________________________ Tel:___________________City:_________________________ Location________________________________ Controller: ____________________________
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CHECKLIST:1. a) city b) village2. Location where the child mostly hangs around (possible to checkmore than one response):Location name:a) Crossroad w/o traffic lights ______________b) Crossroad with traffic lights ______________c) open market ______________d) Bazaar ______________e) Bus station ______________f) Rail station ______________g) Cafe bar, restaurant ______________h) Square ______________i) Tourist resort ______________j) Shopping center ______________k) Church ______________l) Mosque ______________m) Cemetery ______________n) Houses/apartments ______________o) Other (explain) :__________ ______________3. Institutions close (up to 1 km) to the child’s place of residence? (circle)a) Day Centerb) Schoolc) Outpatient clinicd) Local government building (neighborhood association)e) NGOf) Sport Clubg) Other______________
4. Health condition of the childa) Physical disability :____________b) Mental handicap:______________c) Addictions:____________d) Skin disease (noticeable)e) Respiratory disease (noticeable)f) Other _________________
5. Housing conditions5.1. Type of construction of dwellinga) makeshift (cardboard, sheet metal) b) dilapidated c) other:_____________
5.2. Number of roomsa) 1 b) 2 c) more than 2
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1. BASIC DATA ABOUT CHILD AND PARENTS1.1. First and last name:_____________________________ (nickname):____________1.2. Place of birth? ___________________1.3. Age (approximate), circle:1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 181.4. Sex: a) male b) female1.5. Family structure: a) both parents b) single parent1.6. Total number of family members: _________
Name: years:- mother__________ age_______- father___________ age _______- brothers_________ age ________- sisters_________ age ________- grandparents: grandfather______ age _______
grandmother ______ age ______- other members of family:_______1.6. Ethnic affiliation:a) Roma b) Albanian c) Macedonian d) Serbian e) Vlach f) Turk e) Other_____1.7. Home address:___________________________1.8. What do you mostly do on the street?a) beg b) sell c) offer services g) other__________1.9. Who are you with when you are on the street?a) alone b) with siblings c) with friends d) with mother d) with fathere) with mother and father f) with the whole family g) with relatives h) with others___________
2. Characteristics of location where the child is mainly present
2.1. How many times per week is the child present at that location? (circle):1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 days per week
Which days? a) market days b) Saturday and Sunday only c) weekdays
2.2. Average length of presence on street per day (circle):under 4 hours - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 – over 10 hours
2.3. Business hours (from-to, circle):7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24
2.4. Have you sustained any injuries on the street during the year 2004?a) YES b) NOIf yes, hoe many and what type of injuries?
TYPE: NUMBER of injuries:a) Slight injuries _______________ _______________b) Severe injuries _______________ _______________
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I know children who have been: TYPE: NUMBER of injuries:
a) lightly injured ______________ ________________b) seriously injured ______________ ________________c) killed ______________ ________________
2.5. Do you cooperate with employees from nearby shops/markets? a) YES b) NO
2.6. In which months of the year are you on the street (how many months per year)? (circle):
January-February-March-April-May-June-July-August-September-October-November-December
2.7. Are you in any danger while on the street? a) YES b) NO
If yes, say what kind of danger _______________________________________________________________________
How often does it occur?a) very often b) sometimes c) rarely
Who/what are you afraid of?_____________________________________________
2.8. Does someone assault you while you are on the street? a) YES b) NOIf yes, who:_________________and how often? a) very often b) sometimes c) rarely
2.9. Does someone chase you off the street?a) YES b) NOIf yes, how often? a) very often b) sometimes c) rarely
Who chases you off the street most often? (circle):a) Officers of the Center for Social Workb) Policec) NGO representativesd) Group of competitors/adversariese) other____________________
2.10. Are you being forced to work on the street?a) YES b) NO
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If so, by whom?a) parents b) older siblings c) local gangd) other____________
2.11. Is someone controlling what you do on the street?a) YES b) NO
If so, who: a) parent b) older child c) gang leader (boss) d) other______________
Why does this person control you regularly?:a) to take the money collected b) to see how we are and what we are doing c) to send us to a new location d) to bring us food/water d) other________________
2.12. How often do you sleep in the street or nearby?a) often b) seldom v) never
Where do you sleep on the street?_______________________________________
2.13. How long have you been on the street?a) 1-6 months b) 7 months- 1 year c) 1-2 yearsd) 2-4 years e) over 4 years
2.14. Which is the hardest problem you face on the street?a) weather b) traffic c) other people d) lack of clothing/footwear e) other____________________
3. Basic motive for begging/life on the streets3.1. What motivates you to beg on the street?a) Making a living b) family pressure c) Lonelinessd) Habit e) Pressure from adults or older childrenf) Forced by organized gangs g) I find it interestingh) Other__________________
4. Stay in an institution4.1. Have you ever stayed in a social institution: a) YES: when?______which institution?_______________ why?___________________; b) NO
4.2. What is your experience from the stay in that institution:a) Negative sides____________________________________________________b) Positive sides____________________________________________________4.3. Have you ever been abroad?a) Yes: when?____________ where? (country)________________; b) no
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5. Educational attainment and education needs of the children on streets
5.1. Grade (elementary)_________; grade (secondary)_________5.2. School name: Elementary________________ Secondary________________5.3. Grade average__________ (in the last academic year__________)
5.4. School attendance:a) Regularb) Attends sometimesc) Does not attend school
5.5. How long have you been absent from school?a) seasonal absence __________ months b) ____________ academic years
5.6. Main obstacle to school attendance:a) My parents direct me to do other workb) Poverty in the family (no money for textbooks, clothes)c) I am not interestedd) It is very difficulte) I see no benefit from going to schoolf) Other______________________
5.7. Educational status of members of the family (circle):- mother: a) illiterate b) fourth grade c) elementary d) secondary d) postsecondary e) higher
- father: a) illiterate b) fourth grade c) elementary d) secondary d) postsecondary e) higher
- sister: a) illiterate b) fourth grade c) elementary d) secondary d) postsecondary e) higher
- sister: a) illiterate b) fourth grade c) elementary d) secondary d) postsecondary e) higher
- brother: a) illiterate b) fourth grade c) elementary d) secondary d) postsecondary e) higher
- brother: a) illiterate b) fourth grade c) elementary d) secondary d) postsecondary e) higher
6. Visits to day centers
6.1. Have you heard about a Center for Educational Support in this town?Name of Center _________________ Location of Center_______________How far is Center from place of residence____________
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6.2. Have you ever visited/attended a Center for Educational Support? a) YES what attracted you to go?a) the place is warm/heated b) friends c) help in studying d) other____________
b) NO Why not, what is stopping you? ____________________a) shame b) I am not interested c) there is no use d) I am forbiddene) other______________
6.3. What would attract you to visit/attend a Center for Educational Support:a) Help with homeworkb) Computer educationc) Music clubd) Sports clube) Drama clubf) Folk dancing clubg) tea and warm mealh) Foreign language: a) English b) German c) Russian d) Italian e) French f) Otheri) Other______________6.4 If offered for free, what type of activities or help/support would you accept?____________________________________________________________________
7. Earnings and spending7.1. Do you make money on the street? a) YES b) NO If yes, what are your average daily earnings (in denars)?a) up to 100 denars b) 110-200 denars c) 210-500 denarsd) over 500 __________ denars7.2. What do you spend the money on?a) food b) clothes c) games d) other_________________7.3. Do you give the money over to somebody? a) parents b) gang boss c) I spend it myselfd) other_________
8. Free time activities and socialization8.1. What do you do when you are not on the street?a) walk b) watch TV c) with friends d) other________________8.2. Do you do any additional work at home?a) take care of siblings b) cleaning/laundry c) cookingd) other____________8.3. Where do you get together with friends after "business hours" on the street?_______________________________________________________8.4. Who do you usually hang out with after "business hours" on the street?______________________________________________________________
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8.5. What do you usually do when you get together? _______________________________________________________________________
9. Interests9.1. What scares you the most?__________________9.2. What is your dream? What would make you happy?_________________________9.3. Do you watch television? a) YES b) NOWhat kind of programs are you most interested in? a) music b) films c) sports g) others__________________9.4. Are you interested in a trade, craft or way of making money other than the street?a) NO b) YES: Which trade/craft?________________________________9.5. What is preventing you from working in the trade you are interested in?a) no education b) no money to start working itc) no money to educate myself d) I am forbidden e) Other________________9.6 In five years, I expect to be. . . . (vision of the future)_______________________________________________________________________
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Appendix 2. Questionnaire for professionals from the Centres for Social Work and non-governmental organisations
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR PROFESSIONALS FROM THE CENTRES FOR SOCIAL WORK AND NGOs
City:______________________1. CSW/NGO street and no.____________ 2. Date of meeting_________________3. Attending:Name (First/Last)______________________Name (First/Last)______________________ Name (First/Last)______________________ Name (First/Last)______________________ Name (First/Last)______________________ Name (First/Last)______________________ Name (First/Last)______________________ Name (First/Last)______________________
4. Scope of work for each person:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PROJECT QUESTIONS
1. Has your CWR or NGO implemented projects (or duties from state services) for social activities with any of the following three categories of children on streets:
Category Type of project Client Yeara) children who beg
b) children who offer services
c) children – street vendors
2. Do you have written materials from research conducted with any of the following three categories of children on streets prepared by your CSW or NGO?
Category Type of research Client Yeara) children who beg
b) children who offer services
c) children – street
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vendors
3. Have any officials of the CSW or NGO participated in the preparation of laws/regulations pertaining to these categories of children?
Category Law(s) Provision(s) Yeara) children who beg
b) children who offer services
c) children – street vendors
4. Has your CSW or NGO implemented actions (activities, summer schools, education, courses) for improving the quality of life for this category of children?
Category Type of activity Client Yeara) children who beg
b) children who offer services
c) children – street vendors
5. What are the worst problems you face working with this category of children on streets?
Category Worst problemsa) children who beg 1.__________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________3. __________________________________________________
b) children who offer services
1.__________________________________________________2. __________________________________________________3. __________________________________________________
c) children – street 1.__________________________________________________
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vendors 2. __________________________________________________3. __________________________________________________
6. If you were to be funded by a project, what ideas for improving the quality of life for the children on streets and halting of negative consequences from their way of life would you be able to implement?
Category Proposed ideasa) children who beg 1.__________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________3. __________________________________________________4.__________________________________________________
b) children who offer services
1.__________________________________________________2. __________________________________________________3. __________________________________________________4. __________________________________________________
c) children – street vendors
1.__________________________________________________2. __________________________________________________3. __________________________________________________4. __________________________________________________
7. Which Roma NGO exist in your city and which projects or programs to they implement?
Category Roma NVO Programs/projectsa) children who beg ______________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
b) children who offer services
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
c) children – street vendors
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
8. What does CSW do with street children, list the forms of work/assistance used most often:
a) regular cash benefits b) one-time cash benefitsc) assistance in-kind d) assistance from NGOse) counseling f) inspectionsg) Referral to NGOs that work with these children
9. Do the children on streets visit the Center for Social Work or NGO?
a) YES b) NO How often: a) often b) seldom v) never
10. Does CSR have a database of the children on streets? ______________
11. Is the local community in your city able to provide free infrastructure (barracks, abandoned huts)?
_______________________________________________________________________
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Appendix 3. References
1. An Outside Chance: Street Children and Juvenile Justice - An International Perspective, M. Wernham, Consortium for Street Children, 2004;
2. Assessment of Priority Areas of Activity and Potential Financing Needs in R. Macedonia for the International Roma Education Fund, World Bank, 2004 (Study), (Macedonian language version available);
3. Vulnerability of Roma Children in Municipality Shuto Orizari, UNICEF - World Bank, 2000;
4. Vulnerability of Roma Children in the Dispersed Roma Communities in Skopje, UNICEF - World Bank, 2000.
5. Children in the Streets - Street Children in R. Macedonia, Report from Empirical Research, Institute for Social Activities, Skopje, 2001;
6. Day care centre for children on the streets - material prepared by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, 2004;
7. Empirical analysis of problems of children in risk and evaluation of existing protective factors in R. Macedonia, UNICEF, 2004;
8. Law on Protection of Children, Official Register no. 17/2003;
9. Law on Social Protection, Official Register no. 65/2004;
10. Family Law, Official Register no. 38/2004;
11. Law on Primary Education, Official Register no. 2/2002;
12. Law on Health Protection, Official Register no.1997;
13. Program for Effectuation of Social Protection, Government of R. Macedonia, 2004;
14. Program for Social Inclusion, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, 2004;
15. Strategy about Roma people in R. Macedonia (12-2004), Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, December, 2004, with following documents:
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- Action Plan on Housing (9-2005)- Action Plan on Employment (8-2005)- Action Plan on Education (7-2005)- Action Plan on Health (8-2005).16. Street Children - Children in the Streets (textbook), Faculty of Philosophy, Skopje, 2001.Appendix 4. Maps of locations by place of living of children on the streets
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