Saida's story
With her father gone, 11-year-old Saida* was often left alone to look after the home and her younger siblings while her mother worked long hours. There was never enough to eat and, when her mother arrived home, Saida was often scolded for not completing her chores.
So, feeling overwhelmed, neglected and hungry, Saida headed to the streets.
But, alone on the streets in Tanzania’s largest city, Dar es Salaam, Saida was even more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
Despite the challenges she has around learning, Saida survived for almost a month before she was found and taken to Railway Children’s Child Support Desk at Magufuli Bus Terminal.
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Tackling root causes
After providing Saida with food and water and reassuring her that she was safe, a Railway Children project worker spoke with her about what had led her to run away and, crucially, how we could help.
Saida wanted to return home – but not to the same situation she had left. So, our project worker contacted Saida’s mother and began supporting the family to address the root causes of their problems.
As well as providing counselling for Saida’s mother, our project worker spent time helping the whole family rebuild their relationships and work out next steps. We also supplied practical support in the form of food parcels and business training for Saida’s mother who now combines local domestic work with growing and selling her own vegetables – so she doesn’t have to work such long hours away from home.
Today, Saida is enjoying being a child again. She and her siblings are back in school and Saida is delighted that she has learnt to read and write.
Rebuilding families
At Railway Children, we know the best place for a child to grow is in a family, where they are nurtured, safe and loved.
That’s why reuniting a child with their family is just the start of our support.
Through working with children and their families for as long as it takes and however they need, we are helping families rebuild together stronger – creating a better future for everyone, for good.
“I feel very happy and grateful to be living with my family,’ says Saida, ‘it’s wonderful to be together.”
But, right now, there are many more families like Saida’s falling apart and in desperate need of rebuilding.
*Name has been changed to protect identity.
Your money will be used wherever the need is greatest to support children across India, Tanzania and the UK.