Maurice Munyabirori, aged 17, once harbored big dreams like other children, hoping to become a medical doctor. But those dreams were shattered the day he arrived in Kigali, lured to the city with a promise of a domestic job.
He recalls that a friend, who was a year older than him promised him work in the city but vanished into the crowd upon arrival at Nyabugogo main taxi park on August 6, 2023. With no means to reconnect, Munyabirori ended up lonely on the street.
Now, he roams the streets of Kigali, struggling to survive, begging for food on a daily routine. He hails from Gasiza Village, Rutovu Cell, Sovu Sector in Ngororero District, Western Province. Despite the hardships, he vividly remembers the day he arrived in Kigali as if it was just yesterday.
Munyabirori's introduction to street life was brutal. Other street children at Nyabugogo dispossessed him of his belongings and initiated him into their harsh world through beatings. He recalls being taken to a place called Sodeparal, where he and other street kids managed to get food from a family hosting a birthday party.
For him, each day is a struggle. Some days, Munyabirori doesn't find any food and goes to sleep on an empty stomach. We found him wandering the streets with his friend Babu Niyonkuru, aged 16, from Kimisagara Sector also in Nyarugenge District.
Their friendship is a lifeline; they share whatever they collect. If one doesn't manage to get food, the other shares a meal bought for Rwf1,000, depending on their catch for the day.
Munyabirori's identifies his parents as Marceline Ukwizabigira and Jean Claude Rwabigwi, local peasants who had managed to see him complete Primary four at Mwumba A Primary School in Ngororero before being lured onto the streets of Kigali.
'My life on the street is hard, but I have no other choice. I have eventually learnt from fellow street children and adopted their habits. But, my wish is to reconnect with my family and return to school to pursue my future dreams,' he says with resounding zeal and determination.
Munyabirori and Niyonkuru sleep by the Mpazi water drainage, between 10 PM and around 6 AM when they leave to avoid detection or becoming an inconvenience in the neighboring community.
Reflecting on the conditions of their makeshift bed, Munyabirori says, 'It is a nice place; you can also sleep there comfortably,' humorously debating with his friend, who describes it as a mere pile of cartons laid on the ground.
'Rain is not a problem; it can rain on us, and we still survive. We are also used to the coldness at night. The most challenging problem is hunger and the constant worry of finding what to eat,' Munyabirori narrates.
Sometimes, he finds time to clean his clothes and body. They get clothing from donors or buy them with the little money they collect.
Throughout the day, Munyabirori and Niyonkuru walk through different parts of Kigali, including the city center, Giti Cy'Inyoni, Gatsata, Kimisagara, and Nyamirambo. When exhausted, they rest before resuming their daily routine.
When asked why he was sniffing glue, Munyabirori laughed along with Niyonkuru, explaining that it helps them survive street life, passing time and making the days go by faster in addition to raising their spirits. They obtain the glue from traders in Nyabugogo.
Munyabirori, nicknamed "CHUK" by his street community, earned this name after being involved in an accident that saw him admitted to the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK). The car owner took him to the hospital, and upon recovery, he returned to the streets, still bearing the scars.
Niyonkuru, who has been on the street for slightly over a year, hails from Muganza Village in Kimisagara. He left home knowing he would lead a street life, lured by a friend. His mother had divorced his father after lingering quarrels, and he lived alone before abandoning home, tired of the family struggles.
Both Munyabirori and Niyonkuru are among the unnumbered street children in Rwanda, a situation that has called for urgent action from the government through designated agencies and insititutions.
In an interview with IGIHE, Assumpta Ingabire, the Director-General of the National Child Development Agency (NCDA), revealed that the number of street children fluctuates based on the interventions in place.
Citing the Child Protection Policy, Ingabire stressed that all children should grow up in safe families where they can enjoy their rights, including education, welfare, health, participation, and protection. Rwanda's vision is clear: 'No children should live on the street.'
According to her, family-related issues such as conflicts, neglect, and lack of parental responsibility are primary factors contributing to children living on the streets.
To address this issue, NCDA, in collaboration with various stakeholders, conducts periodic awareness and mass mobilization on child rights through media, community forums, and specific sessions with parents, particularly at Early Childhood Development (ECD) facilities and with those who have children on the streets.
At the village level, family friends are responsible for identifying children at risk of going to the streets due to child protection inefficacies within their families. They also identify families in conflict and provide support or refer cases where necessary.
'At NCDA, we provide psychosocial and economic support to some families at risk of separating from their children, empowering them to take care of their children,' Ingabire explained.
NCDA has also implemented a National Child Protection Case Management Framework that outlines how each child protection case should be addressed. It details how child protection actors should collaborate to ensure comprehensive handling of each case until the affected child is rehabilitated and can live a normal life.
Rwanda's commitment to protecting its children is evident through the efforts of institutions like the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) in addition to NCDA.
The Rwanda National Rehabilitation Service (NRS) is also tasked with monitoring transit centers to ensure compliance with regulations, aiming to reunite street children with their families or send them to rehabilitation centers where they can acquire life skills.
Rwanda has 28 transit centers across the country, including the Kigali Transit Center at Gikondo, which provides temporary accommodation for children rescued from street life.
Once at the centers, they are screened to determine their identity and immediate needs like medical treatment, hygiene essentials, clean clothing, and bedding. They are then either reunited with their families or guardians or transferred to a rehabilitation center.
Between 2017 and 2019, the Kigali Transit Center screened and reunified 1,261 children with their families, while 2,564 were transferred to the government-operated Gitagata Rehabilitation Center and 18 other private rehabilitation facilities in the country, managed by civil society and faith-based organizations.
According to figures from the National Rehabilitation Services (NRS), 5,065 children at the government-operated Gitagata center and 18 private rehabilitation centers were either reintegrated back into their families or provided with education and skills between July 2017 and December 2019.
Among others, a total of 129 children were rehabilitated from Gitagata Rehabilitation Center (GRC) and reintegrated into their families during the 2021/2022 period.
Between 2022 and 2023, 881 children were rehabilitated from both the GRC and Nyamagabe Rehabilitation Center (NRC), while 882 children were rehabilitated from these centers in the 2023/2024 period.
Overall, 1,892 children have been rehabilitated over the past three years, with a total of 12,000 children reintegrated into families since 2016.
Today, hundreds of former street youth have acquired valuable, life-changing skills in areas such as tailoring, catering, carpentry, welding, plumbing, masonry, and driving. Most have become resourceful, self-sustaining, and law-abiding citizens.
The issue of street children is not unique to Rwanda; globally, there are approximately 150 million street children. Although there are no specific figures for Rwanda, as of January 2024, Police reported at least 3,900 young people and children in rehabilitation centers due to illicit drug use and other illegal activities.
Despite ongoing efforts, the problem persists. This reminds the community of the need for continued and enhanced efforts to address the issue, consolidate gains, and remain proactive in preventing the rise of street children.
Théophile Niyitegeka
