- Title: Social workers hit the road to help Egypt's street children
- Date: 19th July 2017
- Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 12, 2017) (REUTERS) BUS ON CAIRO STREET SOCIAL WORKERS GETTING OFF BUS SOCIAL WORKERS WALKING IN STREET SOCIAL WORKERS TALKING ON BUS SOCIAL WORKER TEAM LEADER, ADNAN ABDELSATTAR SPEAKING TO TEAM (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SOCIAL WORKER TEAM LEADER, ADNAN ABDELSATTAR, SAYING: "This is the team part of the moving units from the Ministry of Social Solidarity. This one deals with children who are homeless and considered street children. They first try to attract the children through activities then afterwards they start the rehabilitation process with the help of a social expert and a psychologist. They are helped to integrate in society or families." VARIOUS OF SOCIAL WORKERS WASHING BOY'S HANDS SOCIAL WORKERS LEADING CHILDREN ONTO BUS SOCIAL WORKERS ENTERING BUS SOCIAL WORKER, SHAYMAA ABDELSALAM, PUTTING ON STERILE GLOVES ABDELSALAM PUTTING ANTISEPTIC ON COTTON/APPLYING IT TO CHILD'S WOUND (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SOCIAL WORKER, SHAYMAA ABDELSALAM, SAYING: "When the child arrives, I do a visual checkup and if he has any wounds I disinfect it. If he has a wound in his hand I get him to wash his hands first. Then I use Betadine [antiseptic] to disinfect it and wrap it up with a plaster. If the wound is big and needs stitches then we transfer him to a hospital and go with him while he's treated and then come back. VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PLAYING PLAYSTATION VIDEO GAME INSIDE BUS CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 17, 2017) (REUTERS) SOCIAL WORKER AND CHILDREN WALKING IN STREET SOCIAL WORKING LEADING CHILDREN ONTO BUS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SPOKESPERSON FOR PROJECT, HAZEM EL MALLAH, SAYING: "The team creates a relationship that I feel enables them to know how to analyse the child and understand what brought them to the streets. This bus is only a temporary step. It is a temporary and primary step to understand the child. It is a temporary situation to assess whether the child will be returned to his parents or be put in foster care." VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PLAYING ON PLAYSTATION INSIDE BUS CHILD'S HANDS CHILD AND SOCIAL WORKER TALKING CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 12, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CHILD PLAYING WITH PUZZLE SOCIAL WORKER HELPING CHILDREN WITH PUZZLE CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 17, 2017) (REUTERS) CHILD AND SOCIAL WORKER TALKING SOCIAL WORKER OVERSEEING CHILD'S DRAWING VARIOUS OF CHILD DRAWING SOCIAL WORKER, SHAYMAA ABDELSALAM, PUTTING ON GLOVES CHILD'S ARM WITH WOUND SOCIAL WORKER CLEANING WOUND VARIOUS OF ABDELSALAM PLACING BANDAGE ON WOUND CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 12, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS BUS ON THE ROAD LEAVING
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2017 11:35
- Keywords: homeless children Egyptian capital street children social care Cairo
- Location: CAIRO, EGYPT
- City: CAIRO, EGYPT
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0016QDRVBP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Buses carrying Egyptian social workers are taking to the streets of Cairo to help homeless children in need of medical or psychological treatment.
The aim of the project, currently in operation in ten of Egypt's governorates is to reintegrate the children into society through counselling and play, with the hope that they can return home or be placed in foster care.
The Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity initiative, known as "Children without Shelter", was launched in April 2017 to help children who have run away from their homes.
"This is the team part of the moving units from the Ministry of Social Solidarity This one deals with children who are homeless and considered street children. They first try to attract the children through activities then afterwards they start the rehabilitation process with the help of a social expert and a psychologist. They are helped to integrate in society or families," said team leader Adnan Abdelsattar.
Children receive first aid for less serious injuries on the buses before playing video games to help them feel at ease.
Once the psychologists and social workers have gained the children's trust, they use learning techniques like card games to teach them about social integration and the importance of family life.
The social workers say the children are responding positively to the initiative.
"The team creates a relationship that I feel enables them to know how to analyse the child and understand what brought them to the streets. This bus is only a temporary step. It is a temporary and primary step to understand the child," said project spokesman Hazem el Mallah.
If the child's family is available the children are returned home and monitored through governmental offices while others may be housed in social institutions.
According to the United Nations there are around 150 million street children around the world, and a 2014 study by Egypt's National Institute for Social and Criminal Studies estimated that there are 16,019 street children in Egypt.
Those behind the mobile unit also see it as a safe space to talk to the children, assessing their own individual circumstances and helping them to get back on track to live a better life away from harm. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
