Dominique Chadwick talking about Youth Alive
'Market vultures', in Tamale, are not big threatening birds but very young girls scavenging for food in the market. This is the name given to girls like Hawa (pic below the video is of Hawa) and her friends, age 10 , who have to spend an hour a day collecting left over seeds from the ground The mixture of seeds and dust that they collect is the only food that they eat as the aunties, looking after them, have no income to buy any food.
Below is a video of Hawa: She goes every day to the market to collect left over seeds . This will be her only food. With her auntie she will then sort the seeds out from the dust, wash it and cook it in a sort of porridge. While they collect the seeds the girls are often insulted by the market traders who call them "market vultures".
This is really a shocking situation as no one, and least of all children, should have to live in those conditions, merely surviving. Filming Hawa, in the market, was for me a really moving experience, one that compels you to stand up and act and try to support these children in any way. This is exactly what Youth Alive has been doing since 1996 with total commitment, trying to restore the dignity of many children living in the street, keep them off the street and give them a better future.
Hawa is one of hundreds of children from poor or broken families who end up living in the street. Now with some initial support from Youth Alive, Hawa is able to go once a day to the center where she is learning to read and write. She obviously loves studying and is doing really well. With further support she can hope to carry on with her education.
I first encountered Youth Alive in 2000, while filming in Tamale. Right from the start, I was struck by the dedication of its staff who, without patronising the children, give them the love, care and respect that they so desperately need. Over the years I have had the opportunity to go back regularily to Tamale and witness the amazing achievements of Youth Alive, against all odds and often with limited resources. I had a chance to meet many successful young people supported by Youth Alive who have been trained into various trades such as carpentry, welding, electronics, Hairdressing, weaving and dressmaking.
On my last visit to Youth Alive (the picture to the left is Dominique Chadwick), I also met Ernestina and Patricia , two young women supported by Youth Alive and now both in their first year of development studies at Wa University. They are determined to go back to their communities when they finish their studies to help with their development. They have now become true advocates against streetism. This amazing life transformation from the street to the university is a credit to the work of Youth Alive who should get all the support that it deserves.
By supporting one child you can be sure to transform the lives of many others and help break the cycle of poverty. I have seen it and it works!
