ANGLOPHONES, PLEASE SCROLL DOWN !
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Enfants de la Rue - Vente des poussins / Street Kids selling live Chicks ! |
Enfants de la rue – Tamil Nadu
Selon une enquête de l’UNICEF (juillet 2012), il y aurait
environ 11 millions d’enfants de la rue en Inde. Ce chiffre, bien entendu, n’est
qu’approximatif étant donné la mobilité de ces enfants qui se déplacent d’une
ville à l’autre ou d’un quartier à l’autre. Mais il est en constante
augmentation – appauvrissement général de la population dû à la sécheresse, à la mondialisation qui ne profite qu’aux riches.
Par "Enfants de la Rue" (de 5 à 18 ans), on entend aussi bien ceux qui vivent
totalement seuls, rejetés par leur famille ou l’ayant fuie pour des raisons de
violence ou de maltraitance, ceux qui ont des contacts épisodiques avec leurs
parents et ceux qui vivent en famille dans la rue. Les enfants qui appartiennent
aux deux premières catégories vivent de mendicité, de vols, de petits boulots,
de prostitution... Ils sont très vulnérables et sans aucune protection sanitaire
ou sociale. Ils souffrent d’infections de toutes sortes, en particulier de
maladies sexuellement transmissibles (SIDA, etc…) et sombrent souvent dans
l’alcoolisme et la drogue. Des ONG locales tentent de leur venir en aide
(« Vedanta Khushi, Care for the
Underprivileged Children », par exemple).
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Préparation du déjeuner / Preparing Lunch - on the Sidewalk... |
A Chennai même (capitale du Tamil Nadu), il y avait
déjà environ 75000
enfants de la rue il y a une dizaine d’années (rapport
officiel, 2002). Il y en a beaucoup plus aujourd’hui. 65% d’entre eux
vivent sur le trottoir ou dans des lieux publics avec leur famille. EW s'est
intéressée à leur situation dans le but, entre autres, d'établir des
comparaisons entre les pauvres de zone rurale (cibles de la plupart des
programmes EW dans cette région) et les sans-abris des villes - y
compris les enfants. Toutefois, ces catégories ne sont pas immuables. Il suffit
d'une mousson insuffisante, par exemple, avec ses conséquences dramatiques -
perte des possibilités d'irrigation, chômage des ouvriers agricoles ("coolies"
ou travailleurs journaliers non qualifiés) - pour que des villages entiers
prennent la route à la recherche de travail dans des villes... Non seulement à
Chennai mais même jusqu'à Mumbaï (Bombay), de l'autre côté du
pays.
A Chennai, EW a son "QG" dans une petite auberge tout près de Triplicane High Road - grouillante d'activité - dans un quartier musulman assez pauvre. Nous avons, à chacun de nos séjours, l'occasion d'y rencontrer Veela (voir article du blog, mars 2011). Bien qu'il soit relativement facile de contacter les Enfants de la Rue, Veela est toujours disposée à servir d'interprète, nous permettant ainsi d'obtenir plus d'informations. Les enfants viennent de différentes parties du Tamil Nadu et certains d'entre eux vivent dans la rue depuis des années - ils mangent, dorment, se lavent, défèquent sur leur partie attitrée du trottoir qu'ils sont, d'ailleurs, prêts à défendre. Si les pères sont présents, ils ont de petits boulots qui ne paient pas assez pour qu'ils puissent assurer un abri à leur famille (chauffeurs d'"auto-rickshaws", par exemple). Les mamans balaient les rues, font des paniers en bambou, sont servantes chez des Indiens de classe moyenne. Quelle que soit la situation particulière, les parents, pour des raisons économiques, laissent les enfants se débrouiller toute la journée comme ils peuvent... (Un bébé d'environ 9 mois, seul sur le trottoir, pendant que sa mère est partie mendier, n'attire même pas l'attention des passants. Les gens de la rue sont mal vus des autres Indiens).
A Chennai, EW a son "QG" dans une petite auberge tout près de Triplicane High Road - grouillante d'activité - dans un quartier musulman assez pauvre. Nous avons, à chacun de nos séjours, l'occasion d'y rencontrer Veela (voir article du blog, mars 2011). Bien qu'il soit relativement facile de contacter les Enfants de la Rue, Veela est toujours disposée à servir d'interprète, nous permettant ainsi d'obtenir plus d'informations. Les enfants viennent de différentes parties du Tamil Nadu et certains d'entre eux vivent dans la rue depuis des années - ils mangent, dorment, se lavent, défèquent sur leur partie attitrée du trottoir qu'ils sont, d'ailleurs, prêts à défendre. Si les pères sont présents, ils ont de petits boulots qui ne paient pas assez pour qu'ils puissent assurer un abri à leur famille (chauffeurs d'"auto-rickshaws", par exemple). Les mamans balaient les rues, font des paniers en bambou, sont servantes chez des Indiens de classe moyenne. Quelle que soit la situation particulière, les parents, pour des raisons économiques, laissent les enfants se débrouiller toute la journée comme ils peuvent... (Un bébé d'environ 9 mois, seul sur le trottoir, pendant que sa mère est partie mendier, n'attire même pas l'attention des passants. Les gens de la rue sont mal vus des autres Indiens).
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| Veela - 20 ans dans la rue... / Veela - 20 years as a Street Kid... |
Nous avons donc de nouveau rencontré Veela. Elle a
maintenant 26 ans mais ne possède pas d’acte de naissance. Veela ne sait ni lire, ni écrire - que
ce soit en tamoul ou en anglais mais elle peut signer son nom. Elle a quitté
l’école à 11 ans. Par contre son anglais
parlé est très compréhensible, elle parle également d’autres langues
occidentales apprises dans la rue… Nous sommes frappées par sa propreté et son air joyeux. C’est que Veela est en
« transition ». Elle dort encore parfois sur le trottoir mais parfois aussi chez
son « boss » qui la paie 1000 roupies (=15 €) par mois pour ménage, vaisselle et pour
qu’elle s’occupe de la petite fille de la maison. Elle a trois repas par jour,
elle nous l’annonce avec un mélange émouvant de joie et de fierté ! Elle peut aider sa
grand-mère (Veela est orpheline). Elle ne parle plus de mariage, ce qu’elle
voudrait c’est pouvoir louer une chambre mais la caution est beaucoup trop
élevée (20 000 roupies !). « Je ne mendie plus », nous a-t-elle déclaré, « mais
j’espère que vous allez m’aider !» (Des enfants nous apprendront plus tard que Veela a changé de
quartier... )
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| Triplicane High Road - Chennai, Tamil Nadu... |
Les Nations Unies, par la Déclaration des Droits de l'Enfant (adoptée en 1959), reconnaissent que la communauté internationale doit tout faire pour protéger les enfants du monde, tous les enfants :
L'enfant doit bénéficier d'une protection sociale. Il doit pouvoir grandir et se développer sainement ; dans ce but lui et sa mère feront l'objet de soins spéciaux, avant et après la naissance. L'enfant a droit à une nourriture adéquate, un logement, des loisirs et des services médicaux (Article Quatre).
Cela s'est révélé insuffisant et les Nations Unies ont réitéré la nécessité de répondre aux besoins vitaux des enfants (éducation primaire universelle, protection de la santé...) en établissant la liste des "Buts du Développement du Millenium" ("MDG"), adoptée en 2000. Le processus "MDG" se termine en 2015, et il est évident que l'objectif est loin d'être atteint - que ce soit par les Nations Unies, les leaders mondiaux ou les adultes partout dans le monde... Hillary Clinton, dans un de ses livres, a repris comme titre un proverbe africain: Il Faut un Village pour Elever un Enfant... Faut-il donc mobiliser le monde entier pour élever un enfant ?... A suivre. EW.
(Francophones, pensez à voir plus loin pour d'autres jolies photos)
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE VERSION :
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| Famille avec Enfants - à la Rue / Family with Young Kids - Living in the Streets of Chennai |
According to a recent UNICEF study (July, 2012), there are some 11 million Street Kids in India. This figure is obviously only a gross approximation ; given the extreme mobility of the target population, it is very difficult to have any reliable numbers. But it seems that this population is increasing, due to the latest failed monsoons and to globalization, etc.
The notion, however, covers several different realities. Some "Street Kids" (ages 5 to 18) may be living without any adult contact at all - as orphans or those having been rejected by their families or victims of domestic violence and abuse... Others may have some episodic contact with their parents (or with another adult family member), while others live with their own family units (parents, siblings, grandparents...) but are homeless and live on the street. The first two categories are extremely vulnerable. They live hand-to-mouth - begging, thievery, small odd jobs or prostitution - and have no educational opportunities or access to decent sanitation. They easily fall prey to mafia-like networks, develop infections (including HIV-AIDS), and often succumb to alcoholism and drug abuse. (Several local NGOs in the area try and specfically address their needs, such as "Vendata Khushi - Care for the Underpriveleged Children", for example).
In Chennai itself (Capital of Tamil Nadu), there were already an estimated 75,000 Street Kids back in 2002, and there are even more today. 65% of the total live with their families on the streets. And EW was particularly interested in better assessing the situation, so as to see the relationships between the rural poor (which make up the core population of most of EW's projects in the region) and the urban homeless - including children. These are not cut-and-dried categories. One failed monsoon, for example, with the consequent loss of sufficient irrigation and resultant agricultural employment (as "coolies", or unskilled day laborers) is enough to send entire villages on the roads, into the cities, in search of work... Not only to Chennai, but even as far away as Mumbai (Bombay), on the other side of the country.
EW, while working in Chennai, has its "base" in an inn just off of bustling Triplicane High Road - in a relatively poor Muslim neighborhood. And every stay has been an opportunity to link up again with Veela (see the back blog article from March, 2011). While it is relatively easy to meet and interact with the local Street Kids, Veela was a willing interpreter, helping us dig for more information. The kids came from different parts of the State, and some had been on the streets for years - living, eating, sleeping, washing, defecating on the same stretch of sidewalk - which would be defended as "personal turf". If fathers were present, they worked at odd jobs or ones that paid so little they were unable to provide any shelter for their families (auto-rickshaw driver, for example). Moms might be street-sweepers, bamboo cane weavers, or domestics to middle-class families. Whatever the case, parents, for economic reasons, left the children largely to fend for themselves during the day. (This included coming across an infant, no more than 9 months old, who'd been left on the sidewalk while his mother went out begging. None of the passers-by seemed particularly concerned about this state of affairs. Street people have unsavory reputations and don't elicit much sympathy from other Indians). Life is nothing but hardship...
Veela's own situation has improved slightly, after an entire childhood in the streets, with her aging and ill grandmother and her siblings. She is now in her mid-2O's, but has no birth certificate and thus no "official" identification... She did attend a government primary school for a few years - but is still illiterate - she can only sign her name in Tamil. She is obviously quick as a whip, and taught herself spoken English, as well as the rudiments of other Western languages - to beg, or offer her services as a "guide" to visiting tourists. Although she still sleeps on the sidewalk on occasion, she has found a part-time job as a maid - and her boss pays her 1000 rupies a month (15 euros, plus meals) for cleaning, laundry, washing, cooking, and day-care for the boss's little daughter. Veela was very proud and has given up the idea of marriage for now, so as to concentrate on her job. She would like to rent a room but the up-front deposit is way behind her ability to pay (some 20,000 rupies would be necessary). Evidently (other Street Kids passed along the word to us...) Veela has moved to "another neighborhood", as she was trying to "transition away" from the streets...
The United Nations, with its Declaration on the Rights of the Child (adopted in 1959), recognized that the entire international community should endeavor to protect the world's children, all of them :
The child shall enjoy the benefits of social security. He shall be entitled to grow and develop in health; to this end, special care and protection shall be provided both to him and to his mother, including adequate pre-natal and post-natal care. The child shall have the right to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medical services. (Article Four).
This was not enough, however, so the United Nations reiterated the need to provide children with all the basic necessities (universal primary education, protection of chidren's health...) with its list of Millenium Development Goals, passed in 2000. but as the "MDG" process comes to its close in 2015, it is apparent that we are all still very far from the mark - the UN., world leaders, and adults everywhere... Hillary Clinton was on to something with her 1996 book - It Takes a Village to Raise a Child - but she needed a broader scope, perhaps. Does it take a world to raise a child ? More soon. Best from EW.
The notion, however, covers several different realities. Some "Street Kids" (ages 5 to 18) may be living without any adult contact at all - as orphans or those having been rejected by their families or victims of domestic violence and abuse... Others may have some episodic contact with their parents (or with another adult family member), while others live with their own family units (parents, siblings, grandparents...) but are homeless and live on the street. The first two categories are extremely vulnerable. They live hand-to-mouth - begging, thievery, small odd jobs or prostitution - and have no educational opportunities or access to decent sanitation. They easily fall prey to mafia-like networks, develop infections (including HIV-AIDS), and often succumb to alcoholism and drug abuse. (Several local NGOs in the area try and specfically address their needs, such as "Vendata Khushi - Care for the Underpriveleged Children", for example).
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| Faire sa lessive - Washing Day - Triplicane High Road, Chennai |
In Chennai itself (Capital of Tamil Nadu), there were already an estimated 75,000 Street Kids back in 2002, and there are even more today. 65% of the total live with their families on the streets. And EW was particularly interested in better assessing the situation, so as to see the relationships between the rural poor (which make up the core population of most of EW's projects in the region) and the urban homeless - including children. These are not cut-and-dried categories. One failed monsoon, for example, with the consequent loss of sufficient irrigation and resultant agricultural employment (as "coolies", or unskilled day laborers) is enough to send entire villages on the roads, into the cities, in search of work... Not only to Chennai, but even as far away as Mumbai (Bombay), on the other side of the country.
EW, while working in Chennai, has its "base" in an inn just off of bustling Triplicane High Road - in a relatively poor Muslim neighborhood. And every stay has been an opportunity to link up again with Veela (see the back blog article from March, 2011). While it is relatively easy to meet and interact with the local Street Kids, Veela was a willing interpreter, helping us dig for more information. The kids came from different parts of the State, and some had been on the streets for years - living, eating, sleeping, washing, defecating on the same stretch of sidewalk - which would be defended as "personal turf". If fathers were present, they worked at odd jobs or ones that paid so little they were unable to provide any shelter for their families (auto-rickshaw driver, for example). Moms might be street-sweepers, bamboo cane weavers, or domestics to middle-class families. Whatever the case, parents, for economic reasons, left the children largely to fend for themselves during the day. (This included coming across an infant, no more than 9 months old, who'd been left on the sidewalk while his mother went out begging. None of the passers-by seemed particularly concerned about this state of affairs. Street people have unsavory reputations and don't elicit much sympathy from other Indians). Life is nothing but hardship...
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| Veela - Lors d'Entretiens / Veela - during Interviews ... |
Veela's own situation has improved slightly, after an entire childhood in the streets, with her aging and ill grandmother and her siblings. She is now in her mid-2O's, but has no birth certificate and thus no "official" identification... She did attend a government primary school for a few years - but is still illiterate - she can only sign her name in Tamil. She is obviously quick as a whip, and taught herself spoken English, as well as the rudiments of other Western languages - to beg, or offer her services as a "guide" to visiting tourists. Although she still sleeps on the sidewalk on occasion, she has found a part-time job as a maid - and her boss pays her 1000 rupies a month (15 euros, plus meals) for cleaning, laundry, washing, cooking, and day-care for the boss's little daughter. Veela was very proud and has given up the idea of marriage for now, so as to concentrate on her job. She would like to rent a room but the up-front deposit is way behind her ability to pay (some 20,000 rupies would be necessary). Evidently (other Street Kids passed along the word to us...) Veela has moved to "another neighborhood", as she was trying to "transition away" from the streets...
The United Nations, with its Declaration on the Rights of the Child (adopted in 1959), recognized that the entire international community should endeavor to protect the world's children, all of them :
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| Repas sur le trottoir / Meal on the Sidewalk... |
The child shall enjoy the benefits of social security. He shall be entitled to grow and develop in health; to this end, special care and protection shall be provided both to him and to his mother, including adequate pre-natal and post-natal care. The child shall have the right to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medical services. (Article Four).
This was not enough, however, so the United Nations reiterated the need to provide children with all the basic necessities (universal primary education, protection of chidren's health...) with its list of Millenium Development Goals, passed in 2000. but as the "MDG" process comes to its close in 2015, it is apparent that we are all still very far from the mark - the UN., world leaders, and adults everywhere... Hillary Clinton was on to something with her 1996 book - It Takes a Village to Raise a Child - but she needed a broader scope, perhaps. Does it take a world to raise a child ? More soon. Best from EW.
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