Key Objectives...

Our strapline states that we are 'committed to street children through action and partnership'. There are three key objectives that set out Street Action's development framework:

The relief of economic and social hardship among street children at risk and subjected to poverty in sub-Saharan Africa by providing such persons with resources, which they could not otherwise afford through lack of means.

Partnership is a prominent feature of Street Action’s development ethos.  Through our partnerships with organisations and projects in sub-Saharan Africa we aim to deliver genuine practical and sustainable change to the lives of street children subjected to direct poverty and poverty related issues.  This will be achieved through Street Action’s commitment to funding projects and organisations that seek the relief of poverty and access to basic resources for street children in situations where they are vulnerable, at risk and unable to care for themselves. 

Through utilising the knowledge of our partners, and drawing upon the experience of working in different communities and countries we shall seek to use funding to increase the capacity of existing projects and foster sustainability and growth.
 
We shall also encourage the development of new projects and models of support for street children.  Street Action does not however seek to run or set up any projects as an organisation but will work with its partners as required in any such development.

To develop the capacity, skills and resources of street children in such a way that they are better able to identify and help meet their needs and to eventually participate more in society.

The survival, protection, education and empowerment of street children are key objectives in the value-based framework of Street Action.An important aspect of Street Action’s strategy will be ensuring its goals, objectives, activities and outputs are directly responding to needs identified by the children and young people it seeks to serve.  Through collaboration with our partners we shall encourage practices that enable street children to gain a voice and influence over their needs and actions. Supporting the educational and basic skills needs of street children will be a key approach.  We shall work with our partners to develop new and innovative policies and programmes to reach street children and to address their right to education and full participation in society. 

Children and young people at risk such as street children often lack the primary socialising and modelling framework of the family that is thought to foster healthy growth and development.  Therefore they need to be understood in an integrated way, recognising the range of developmental issues that are involved – poverty, education, economic and social circumstances and developing a strategy that ensures the needs and rights of these children are protected. We shall be committed to working with projects and organisations that are being influenced and led by former street children ensuring that their lives are changed and they have a voice over society perceives and treats them.

To raise awareness of the issues faced by street children and to work with partner organisations in the UK and overseas, who share these objectives

The use of participatory practice will support the development of consensus building amongst partners on all levels, open dialogue and the promotion of active partners and supporter engagement with the organisation and the issues it is advocating. Our commitment and challenge is to connect our individual supporters to our partner organisations in ways which enable them to understand, learn and promote the issues that their money is going to – linking them to the projects on the grassroots. Through the practice of participation we will aim to make Street Action more accountable, more equitable and more appropriate in the relationship it builds with projects and partners on the grassroots. By encompassing transparency, openness and a voice in both public and private settings, the objective of awareness raising and the promotion of our partner organisations will be more effective in overcoming potential discrepancies between action taken by the donor and the interests of those with which Street Action is serving.

The participation of all stakeholders will serve the purpose of enabling supporters, partners and communities we serve to have informed opinions about how Street Action is run, thus strengthening accountability and the quality of decision-making across the organisation.

Effective participatory approaches and methods will be achieved though the collaboration of individual and partners on the micro and macro level.  This will achieve a greater impact upon the accumulating of knowledge and information. 
This approach will influence the objective of bringing about change and awareness raising through the development of an advocacy strategy.  With the support of the Board and advisors, Street Action will aim to use its supporters, partners, contacts and other resources to promote and raise awareness of the related issues of Street Action as well as seeking to mobilise the media and the public to advocate the need for appropriate actions to be taken on behalf of street children.

This will ensure that Street Action’s programme is developed in a transparent and accountable way ensuring that its key approaches reflect value-based partnerships built on the principles of justice, compassion and hope.