Children of the Streets: Why and What We Can Do
Almost everyone knows the story about the boy who was
abandoned at birth and raised by wild animals. Even ancient Romans had similar
tales of Romulus and Remus, orphans raised by wolves. Though we live in modern
times, we still have cases of children being raised by wild beasts. These
beasts are drug dealers, pimps, and gangs that homeless children feel forced to
look to for protection and survival.
Some children who end up homeless are on the streets due
to neglectful and abusive parents who force them out. A younger child may
simply be ignored by their parent, and allowed to roam the streets all the
time. A young teenager may resort to running away from home due to direct abuse
from a parent.
Americans generally think of street children as a
Third-World problem. The problem with this assumption is that street children
are a “real world†problem. It affects every country regardless of the per
capita income.
In America, it is a stark reminder that we are not immune
to this problem when you consider the social welfare system. Foster children
often runaways from foster homes, and often slip through the cracks when no one
reports them missing. In addition, there are countless children who run away or
are forced from homes by abusive parents. At any given time in America, there
are over 1.3 million youths that are in this unfortunate position. 60% of them
are raped or sexually assaulted - girls and boys - on the streets, and the
average age of the street child is nine years old. 92% of them were abused in
their homes.
Where do the “beasts†of the street come into play in
America? They come in the form of sexual predators and pimps. Within 48 hours
of being on the streets, over half of the children will be approached for sex
and prostitution. These predators know that most homeless children have no one
to account for them. No one will be looking for them, making them the easiest
victims of all. Finally, another beast is the drug dealer. Drug dealers often
use homeless children as vehicles for trading drugs. In return, the children
can get resources and even membership into a gang to survive.
Children of the streets suffer the severest psychological
and social wounds of all children. They often suffer abuse at the hands of
those they use for resources. They also have well-founded anger and
disillusionment at what has happened to them. Many of them have such hatred for
their foster parents or their biological parents that the only trace of love
within them has been replaced by darkness. Many of them refuse to think of the
future, for they know it is only as hopeless and forlorn as their pasts.
To mitigate this problem, Americans must react
proactively and not rely on “someone else†to take care of the problem. The
biggest element these children are missing in their lives are adult role-models
and counselors. One of the best opportunities to help children in this
situation is awareness and volunteer work at various homeless child agencies:
“Children of the Nightâ€, “Stand Up for Kidsâ€, and “Children of the Sonâ€, just
to name a few. All these programs offer interactive and real-time support to
homeless children. You can also use your awareness to educate adults around
you, despite how uncomfortable and disconcerting it may make them.
Jamey and Katrina Madonna are the Founding Directors of
“Children of The Sonâ€, a non-profit organization for children who are victims
of abuse, neglect, poverty and abandonment who are living in foster care,
residential facilities and the inner-city. They currently operate a summer
recreation camp for girls on a 1000 acre ranch.
Mr. Madonna is raising the necessary capital to build a
permanent place of residence on his beautiful ranch for children ages 13 -21
who have run away, been abandoned or have “aged out†of the foster care system.
Jamey Madonna utilizes the very powerful Reverse Funnel
System, a marketing system for Global Resorts Network, to make thousands of
dollars per week to support this organization. His team of top income earners
will show you a way to live a life of prosperity and happiness. Join him today
and see how careful funds investment can result in actionable charity that can
change an entire generation.
Jamey Madonna