International holidays - International Day for Street Children

International Street Children's Day, celebrated on April 12, was created by CSC, a group of street children researchers and activists from 135 countries It is designed to draw public attention to the problems faced by children around the world who are left without supervision and proper care The problem has not spared any country, including developed ones But it is especially acute in third world countries According to various estimates, today there are 100-150 million street children in the world It is difficult to obtain accurate data due to the fact that a significant number of such children do not have and have never had documents, and their birth is not recorded anywhere Living on the street or simply without the participation of prosperous adults causes them irreparable damage, often ending in early death The problem of neglected children is inextricably linked to poverty, physical and sexual abuse It is these reasons that lead to girls and boys losing their family and home, spending their days and nights in unsafe spaces: abandoned buildings, train stations, parks, public transport stops There they are exposed to additional risks and forced to fight for survival Street children cannot realize their basic rights:• the right to a safe living environment, freedom from persecution and assault;• the right to access healthcare;• the right to education;• the right to access justice in case of harm Boys and girls who find themselves in difficult life circumstances become victims of crime and are subjected to exploitation and violence of various types They are forced to work hard, beg for food or look for it on their own, and are malnourished Children and adolescents who survive in such conditions often become dependent on drugs or alcohol, and subsequently increase the number of antisocial elements and criminals Since 2019, the CSC organization has been conducting the “4 Steps to Equality” campaign This action calls on governments around the world to take action to protect children According to the organizers, to solve the problem of street children, it is necessary to take 4 steps: • strive for universal equality; • protect every child; • provide all children with access to the services they are entitled to; • develop specialized solutions for various problems