The Challenges (Obstacles):
Poverty
Lack of Resources
Sub-standard Education and high Illiteracy rate
Lack of ongoing / future Educational & Vocational opportunities
High Risk of child trafficking
Lack of protective social & cultural structures
High incidence of abandonment issues
Social dysfunction issues (Inability to function safely, fruitfully and appropriately in society at large)
Goals:
Provision: Moving from poverty & dependency to independency.
To help at-risk youth become equipped to attain some level of independence and self-reliance through education and opportunities for ‘self-help’. Recognising however, that there will be a need to help while poverty remains.
Protection: Moving from vulnerability to security.
To provide an environment that increases the safety of at-risk transitional youth; and address issues that affect their vulnerability (ie – lack of citizenship). Greater safety and security help to reduce the incidence of exploitation, abuse, neglect, trafficking, etc
Community: Moving from abandonment to family.
To facilitate the development of strong, long-term ‘family’ and community relationships; to help meet the need to ‘belong’.
Equipping / Empowerment: Moving from dysfunctional to functional.
To find ways to empower at-risk children and youth to overcome barriers created by dysfunctional environments & backgrounds, the continuing obstacles that they face, and their vulnerability to exploitation; in order to enter adult mainstream society in a productive, fulfilling and purposeful way.
Blessing: Moving from receivers to givers.
To encourage and facilitate blessing to the wider community and to those around them; and to become effective contributors to society.