引入

‘I am from a large, poor family and for many years we have done without breakfast. Ever since I joined the Street Kids International program I have been able to buy my family sugar and buns for breakfast. I have also bought myself decent second-hand clothes and shoes.’

”

Doreen Soko 多琳·索科

‘We’ve had business experience. Now I’m confident to expand what we’ve been doing. I’ve learnt cash management, and the way of keeping money so we save for reinvestment. Now business is a part of our lives. As well, we didn’t know each other before – now we’ve made new friends.’

Fan Kaoma 范考玛

Participants in the Youth skills ENterprise Initiative Program, Zambia

介绍

Although small-scale business training and credit programs have become more common throughout the world, relatively little attention has been paid to the need to direct such opportunities to young people. Even less attention has been paid to children living on the streets or in difficult circumstances.

Over the past nine years, Street Kids International (S. K. I.) has been working with partner organisations in Africa, Latin America and India to support the economic lives of street children. The purpose of this paper is to share some of the lessons S. K. I. and our partners have learned.

背景

Typically, children do not end up on the streets due to a single cause, but to a combination of factors: a dearth of adequately funded schools, the demand for income at home, family breakdown and violence. The street may be attractive to children as a place to find adventurous play and money. However, it is also a place where some children are exposed, with little or no protection, to exploitative employment, urban crime, and abuse.

Children who work on the streets are generally involved in unskilled, labour-intensive tasks which require long hours, such as shining shoes, carrying goods, guarding or washing cars, and informal trading. Some may also earn income through begging, or through theft and other illegal activities. At the same time, there are street children who take pride in supporting themselves and their families and who often enjoy their work. Many children may choose entrepreneurship because it allows them a degree of independence, is less exploitative than many forms of paid employment, and is flexible enough to allow them to participate in other activities such as education and domestic tasks.

S. K. I. has worked with partner organisations in Latin America, Africa and India to develop innovative opportunities for street children to earn income.

The S. K. I. Bicycle Courier Service first started in the Sudan. Participants in this enterprise were supplied with bicycles, which they used to deliver parcels and messages, and which they were required to pay for gradually from their wages. A similar program was taken up in Bangalore, India.

Another successful project, the Shoe Shine Collective, was a partnership program with the Y. W. C. A. in the Dominican Republic. In this project, participants were lent money to purchase shoe shine boxes. They were also given a safe place to store their equipment, and facilities for individual savings plans.

The Youth Skills Enterprise Initiative in Zambia is a joint program with the Red Cross Society and the Y. W. C. A. Street youths are supported to start their own small business through business training, life skills training and access to credit.

The following lessons have emerged from the programs that S. K. I. and partner organisations have created.

Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone, nor for every street child. Ideally, potential participants will have been involved in the organisation’s programs for at least six months, and trust and relationship-building will have

The involvement of the participants has been essential to the development of relevant programs. When children have had a major role in determining procedures, they are more likely to abide by and enforce them.

It is critical for all loans to be linked to training programs that include the development of basic business and life skills.

There are tremendous advantages to involving parents or guardians in the program, where such relationships exist. Home visits allow staff the opportunity to know where the participants live, and to understand more about each individual’s situation.

Small loans are provided initially for purchasing fixed assets such as bicycles, shoe shine kits and basic building materials for a market stall. As the entrepreneurs gain experience, the enterprises can be gradually expanded and consideration can be given to increasing loan amounts. The loan amounts in S. K. I. programs have generally ranged from US $30-$100.

All S. K. I. programs have charged interest on the loans, primarily to get the entrepreneurs used to the concept of paying interest on borrowed money. Generally the rates have been modest (lower than bank rates).

There is a need to recognise the importance of access to credit for impoverished young people seeking to fulfil economic needs. The provision of small loans to support the entrepreneurial dreams and ambitions of youth can be an effective means to help them change their lives. However, we believe that credit must be extended in association with other types of support that help participants develop critical life skills as well as productive businesses.

街头儿童国际组织（S. K. I.）与非洲、拉丁美洲和印度的合作伙伴机构合作，致力于支持街头儿童的经济生活。他们开展了小规模的商业培训和信贷项目，旨在帮助这些处境困难的年轻人。在这篇论文中，我们将分享S. K. I.和合作伙伴所学到的一些经验教训。

通常情况下，孩子们不会因为单一原因而流落街头，而是由多种因素共同导致，比如缺乏充足资金的学校、家庭需要收入、家庭破裂和暴力等。对于孩子们来说，街头可能是一个寻找冒险游戏和赚钱机会的地方。然而，对于一些孩子来说，街头也是一个没有或几乎没有保护的地方，容易受到剥削性雇佣、城市犯罪和虐待的影响。

在街头工作的孩子通常从事需要长时间的非技术劳动，例如擦鞋、运货、看守或洗车以及非正规贸易等。有些孩子可能通过乞讨、盗窃和其他非法活动来赚钱。与此同时，一些支持自己和家人的街头儿童以及他们对工作的热爱。许多孩子选择创业是因为它能让他们获得一定程度的独立性，比许多形式的有偿雇佣更少剥削，并且足够灵活，可以让他们参与其他活动，如教育和家务。

S. K. I.与拉丁美洲、非洲和印度的合作伙伴机构合作，开展了一些创新的项目，为街头儿童提供赚取收入的机会。

S. K. I.的自行车快递服务最早在苏丹开始。该计划提供自行车给参与者，他们用自行车送信件和包裹，并逐渐从工资中还款购买自行车。类似的计划也在印度的班加罗尔实施。

另一个成功的项目是与多米尼加共和国YWCA合作的擦鞋集体项目。在该项目中，参与者借钱购买擦鞋工具箱，并获得安全存放设备的地方和个人储蓄计划的设施。

赞比亚的青年技能创业倡议项目是与红十字会和YWCA合作的项目。通过商业培训、生活技能培训和信贷途径，支持街头年轻人开始自己的小型企业。

从S. K. I.和合作伙伴组织创建的项目中得出以下经验教训：

创业并不适合每个街头儿童，也不适合每个人。理想情况下，潜在参与者应至少在组织的项目中参与了六个月以上，建立了信任和关系。

参与者的参与对于开发相关项目至关重要。当孩子们在决定程序方面发挥重要作用时，他们更有可能遵守和执行这些程序。

所有贷款都必须与包括基本商业和生活技能培养在内的培训项目相结合。

如果有父母或监护人与项目存在关系，将他们纳入项目非常重要。家访可以让工作人员了解参与者的居住地，并更多地了解每个人的情况。

最初提供小额贷款用于购买固定资产，如自行车、擦鞋工具和市场摊位的基本建筑材料。随着企业家们积累经验，可以逐渐扩大企业规模，并考虑增加贷款额度。S. K. I.项目的贷款金额通常在30美元至100美元之间。

所有S. K. I.项目都收取贷款利息，主要是为了让企业家们逐渐适应借款时支付利息的概念。通常利率较低（低于银行利率）。

有需要认识到对于寻求满足经济需求的贫困年轻人来说，获得信贷的重要性。为年轻人提供小额贷款以支持他们的创业梦想和抱负，可以是帮助他们改变生活的有效手段。然而，我们认为信贷必须与其他类型的支持相结合，帮助参与者发展关键的生活技能和生产性业务。