Who we work with

Our project serves street-children and young people who are ‘at risk’, meaning their volatile and unstable family environment increases vulnerability and exposure to abuse. UNICEF (1985) defines street children as:

• Children on the street are those engaged in some kind of economic activity ranging from begging to vending. Most go home at the end of the day and contribute their earnings to their family. They may be attending school and retain a sense of belonging to a family. Because of the economic fragility of the family, these children may eventually opt for a permanent life on the streets.
• Children of the street actually live on the street (or outside of a normal family environment). Family ties may exist but are tenuous and are maintained only casually or occasionally.

M'Lop Tapang works jointly with children and their families to access education, health care, counseling, income generation initiatives and other services needed to secure a better future. We also work in the community to increase awareness about issues affecting street children, in particular abuse, amongst local people, police, teachers and government officials, helping to make the community a safer place for children.