What’s the goal?

Today, a hundred million children and young people are living on the streets around the world.  Typically, hunger, violence and poverty drive children to the streets, and hunger, violence and poverty meet them there.

Life on the streets can be devastating and extremely traumatic.  Street children are at risk from sexual abuse, rape and sexual exploitation. Abuse and disease are ever present.  Substance abuse, in particular sniffing glue is prevalent and used as a way to escape the harsh realities of street life. Some children are forced to turn to crime, and every year some lose their lives.

There are many fantastic organisations working with street children all over the world, giving them new hope and direction. Arts programmes allow children to escape the realities of life on the street, reflect on their experiences and find the strength to change their situation. Allowing children to think and act creatively gives them the opportunity to truly behave like children and have fun; a rare experience on the streets. We hope that our arts programme will give the teams the space and time to reflect on this unique event.

To genuinely improve the situation for street children, they need to make their voices heard. Our exhibition will give the street children a chance to express themselves on a global stage. We aim for a hundred thousand visitors to the Interactive Street Child Experience at Durban Art Gallery . Experiencing the art and hearing the stories will contribute to changing public perception of street children, ensuring that our impact continues long after the World Cup has finished.