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Background

Street and working children have become an alarmingly common sight in cities around the world. Tanzania began to see children in difficult circumstances on the streets in the late 80’s. At the same time the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN –CRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) came into force.  Dogodogo was founded in line with these Children Rights Conventions. There are now some 3000-5000 street children in Dar es Salaam.  The Founders of Dogodogo Centre believe that all children fundamentally have the right to a happy, healthy and safe childhood.

Global and National Development Policies disenfranchised the poor spawning instead years of poverty alleviation strategies that have not touched the rural farmer that represents 85% of Tanzania’s population. Their children began migrating in the thousands to all the towns in the Country. Some families are unemployed or are involved in unreliable income earning activities. These parents can not afford to send their children to school or they do not send them because they need their services at home. Also, many children run away from their homes, because they have been victims of violence and abuse by-products of crushing poverty

Street life violates the dignity of the children and negatively affects their physical, mental, emotional, moral and overall well-being. Full time street children experience great difficulties in their daily life including hunger, lack of shelter, sickness, unemployment and police harassment. In these harsh conditions the children use drugs, get involved in criminal activities and engage themselves in prostitution. "Survival sex" with adults provides the children with food and shelter. Unprotected sex leads down the road to HIV/AIDS and certain death.