Society for the Care of Street Children

Society for the Care of Street Children

The Society for the Care of Street Children is a nonprofit humanitarian organization focused on rescuing, rehabilitating, and reintegrating children living and working on urban streets. Founded in the late 20th century, the Society operates programs across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and collaborates with international agencies to address child protection, public health, and social reintegration. Its work intersects with actors such as UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières, and Save the Children, and it has been cited in reports by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Human Rights Council.

History

The Society traces its roots to initiatives inspired by figures like Mother Teresa, Eglantyne Jebb, and Albert Schweitzer and organizational models from Save the Children, Red Cross, and Barnardo's. Early support came from philanthropists such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller Jr., and Bill Gates and from advocacy networks including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Oxfam. In the 1990s the Society expanded during humanitarian responses coordinated with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNICEF, and World Health Organization missions in cities affected by conflict and migration, following precedents set by relief efforts after the Rwandan genocide and the Balkan wars. Partnerships with municipal actors in Mumbai, Lagos, and Nairobi mirrored collaborations seen between Médecins Sans Frontières and local authorities during crises like the Ebola epidemic.

Mission and Programs

The Society’s mission aligns with international frameworks such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Sustainable Development Goals championed by the United Nations General Assembly. Programmatically it offers street outreach inspired by models from Médecins Sans Frontières and Doctors Without Borders, emergency shelters comparable to those of Shelterbox and Habitat for Humanity, and family reunification services similar to SOS Children's Villages. Specialized initiatives address health challenges documented by the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including immunization campaigns patterned after Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance programs and mental health support drawing on methodologies from World Psychiatric Association. Educational and vocational training partnerships mirror collaborations seen with institutions like UNESCO, ILO, and The Open University.

Operations and Funding

Operational hubs are located in metropolitan centers such as London, Nairobi, Mumbai, Rio de Janeiro, and Manila, with governance structures influenced by best practices from Charity Commission for England and Wales and regulatory frameworks akin to those overseen by the Internal Revenue Service for nonprofit status. Funding streams combine grants from multilateral donors like the European Commission, contracts with agencies such as USAID, philanthropic contributions from foundations including Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and Wellcome Trust, and individual giving campaigns emulating appeals by Oxfam and Save the Children. The Society also secures corporate partnerships with firms modeled on collaborations between Unilever, Microsoft, Google, and international NGOs, and runs social enterprise ventures inspired by Ashoka and Schwab Foundation to generate earned income.

Impact and Evaluation

Impact assessments employ methodologies from evaluation bodies such as Independent Commission for Aid Impact, International Program for Development Evaluation Training, and standards promoted by OECD's Development Assistance Committee. Program outcomes are measured against indicators used by UNICEF and the World Bank, including reductions in street homelessness similar to case studies from Brazil's municipal programs, improvements in health metrics reported in WHO publications, and educational attainment benchmarks paralleled in research by UNESCO. Independent evaluations have engaged auditors from firms like PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG and academic partners from institutions such as London School of Economics, Harvard University, and University of Cape Town to validate impact claims.

Partnerships and Advocacy

The Society advocates through coalitions with organizations including UNICEF, Save the Children, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch and participates in international forums such as sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Commission on the Status of Women, and conferences organized by UNICEF and WHO. It collaborates with local civil society groups modeled on BRAC, Karuna Trust, and Partners In Health to influence policy instruments like national child protection laws in jurisdictions such as India, Kenya, and Brazil. The Society’s advocacy campaigns have drawn inspiration from historic movements led by figures such as Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi and align with global initiatives led by the United Nations Children's Fund and the International Labour Organization to end child exploitation.

Category:Child welfare organizations Category:Non-profit organizations