Mahikeng- The newly appointed MEC for Department of Social Development, Galaletsang Fenny Gaolaolwe will on Friday undertake a day long campaign in Tlokwe to raise awareness on the plight of children living and working on the streets.

Gaolaolwe’s campaign is part of the observance of the annual child protection week themed, “Working together to protect the rights of children.”

Gaolaolwe said the campaign is geared towards assessing children living and working on the street, identifying push factors that led to the children choosing the streets and retail shops as their homes.

“The issue of children living and working on the streets is a serious challenge facing all of us. This year we are targeting hotspots such as road intersections, built-up areas and the hotels. These are some of the areas which these children often beg for money. We also intend to visit their families, assess their capacity to care and protect their children,” Gaolaolwe said, adding that Child and Youth Care Centres funded by her department will also be assessed to monitor compliance to the provisions of the Children’s Act.

MEC Gaolaolwe said she deployed a team of social workers and coordinators to profile the children living and working on the streets in Mahikeng town the targeted hotspots in the intersections and retail shops.

Gaolaolwe said her team will further develop action plans for each child and their families to provide the relevant interventions at the end of the campaign which ends on Sunday 15 June 2014.-TDN
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