Street Children & Youth Empowerment Project

Most community centers in Africa offer a safe haven from the streets, and opportunity for education, even a simple meal and a place to sleep. St. Miracle Works Educational Foundation works closely with its development partners across the country to provide needed support and care for the needy children. Many of these children and youth have lost their way because they lack compassion and love from their own family. Volunteers can help with training lessons to make the youth self-reliant, or self-employed through education, support and counseling. Teaching Maths, English and the importance of education is a main focus.

The project addresses social and physical issues affecting youth, such as gender, reproductive health, and drug abuse through counseling and education. Volunteers help initiate talks about the existence of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. Prior experience not required, just a caring heart for these disadvantaged children. With more focus in developing countries on preventing violence and abuse at home, and by reaching out to children already on the streets and providing them with the rehabilitation, education and security they desperately need.

We exist to promote children empowerment in developing countries, particularly in Africa serving as role models for strengthening and preserving the rights, privileges and capacities of children, the vulnerable ones in particular as a prelude to improving their living standards and participation in millennium development agendas of developing countries.

SMWEF's project is meant to eradicate street living amongst children across the neighbourhood and alleviate poverty. Such an achievement would drastically boost the area’s economic standing and inspire much-needed development in an underserved community.

SMWEF volunteers and interns are placed on the ground to identify and rescue children in street situations or complicated family circumstances, and to assess their needs and aspirations. Many children have often dropped out of school to work in the streets, an unacceptable violation of basic children’s rights in Africa. SMWEF partners with local schools where it offers mentorship programs, skill trainings and a basic education curriculum (numeracy, literacy, etc.) to prepare rescued children to enroll back into the governmental school system.