Country background

While Tanzania has a strongly established political stability, the social gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen. The economic crisis that began in the early 1980s and intensified in the 1990s has created untenable conditions for Tanzania. The policies of structural adjustment propagated by the international financial institutions and adopted by the government in the mid 1980s, begun showing their negative impact on the conditions of lives of the majority of Tanzanians in the 1990s.

Though Tanzania has undergone trade liberalisation and globalisation, sadly this has more often than not worked against the poor. Many Tanzanians are extremely weak economically and their purchasing power is limited. As a result people cannot get the basics for themselves and their children. The cost of living in Tanzania has continued to increase. Due to persistent drought, life has become extremely difficult with the price of maize which is the staple food going up by 200%. Health services are increasingly beyond the financial means of most Tanzanians. Life expectancy in Tanzania has declined to 40 years from between 45-50 years while infant mortality rates are on the increase.

Breakdown of Traditional Family Support

In the context of African traditions, care of a child was a function done by the immediate parents in collaboration with close relatives, grand parents, aunts, uncles and even close friends. The upbringing of a child was a responsibility of relatives. Because children were of great value in terms of assisting with small activities in the homestead, they were greatly welcomed.

Unfortunately the growing economic crisis has seen, along with an increase in poverty, the decline of traditional extended family and community cohesion. The breakdown of the traditional support structures, which used to provide a considerable amount of security and a safety net, has contributed to an ever-growing number of children living and working in the streets and urban centres. Marital problems, divorce, disintegration of families and the widespread of HIV/AIDS have further complicated the problem of street children.