Despite his young age, Fedile*, 19, has experienced a lot of hardship.
Growing up in the southwestern city of Jimma, Ethiopia, when Fedile’s parents divorced, he was left with no option but to stay with his father and work on his coffee farm.
“After my parents separated, the situation at home became difficult. My father shouted at me a lot.” says Fedile. “When I met a friend who was experiencing the same difficulties with his family, we decided to run away. I have lived in Dire Dawa for five years now.”
After running away at the age of 14, Fedile took on different jobs to get by and started saving money to go back home.
“At one point, I was doing quite well. I was working at a hotel, I had a phone and savings.” he says. “I was about to return home, I had my luggage with me, but then I got robbed and lost everything. That’s when I ended up living on the streets of Dire Dawa.”
According to UNICEF data, there are an estimated 120 million children living on the streets worldwide, with Ethiopia being one of the countries with the highest number of children forced to the streets due to factors such as poverty, loss of parental care, conflicts and climate change induced droughts and famines.
In response to the alarming number of children living on the streets, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia has implemented projects to get children and young people off the streets and support them in their transition.
Regaining stability after life on the streets
With the support of SOS Children’s Villages, Fedile no longer has to face the dangers of living on the street.
Vulnerable children and young people in the area can access outreach services, including mobile health and food service. Young people can also receive training in technical and vocational skills, allowing them to gain important experience and support them on their path to formal employment and independent living.
“When we first reached out to Fedile, he, like many other street children, refused to come to the transition centre for temporary shelter. He thought it was a joke.” says Micheal Sintayehu, Project Coordinator of SOS Children’s Villages in Dire Dawa.
“These children face very harsh realities and are regularly confronted with abuse, discrimination, and harassment. No child or young person chooses to live on the street.”
“Through the open food and mobile health services as well as the provision of counselling, we are able to build trust,” says Micheal.
"At our transition centres, we offer children and young people temporary shelter to protect them from harm and provide them with opportunities to regain a sense of normalcy in their lives.”
Through an initiative with one of the local universities in Dire Dawa, young people from the SOS Children’s Villages Street Children Project can take courses in how to earn and save money and build a business, as well as more practical courses to develop skills for formal employment.
Fedile is happy that he can finally pursue an education.
“Fedile decided to come to the transition centre and enrolled in a course at the technical and vocational skills training centre. He became one of our best students and was already offered a job after finalising the training,” says Micheal proudly.
“At the training centre, I am learning how to produce garments. I really enjoy that work,” says Fedile happily. “My life has changed so much because of this programme. I have three meals a day, I am attending training, and I will have a job after I finish it. Now, I feel like I can make progress in my life.”
*name changed to protect the individual’s privacy
