Empowering Futures: Reintegrating Street-Connected Youth
Transforming Lives on the Streets of Durban
Discover how uMthombo is changing the narrative for street-connected children and youth, guiding them towards a hopeful, integrated future.
Be a Part of the Change
Your involvement can directly impact the lives of street-connected children and youth. Join uMthombo today and help us provide them with the tools for a successful reintegration into family and community life.
Reintegration Programs
Community Advocacy
Health and Safety Initiatives
Educational Opportunities
Support Our Mission
Your donations are vital for sustaining our programs that empower street children and youth. Every contribution helps us offer sports, education, and essential life skills training.
Latest Updates from uMthombo Street Children SA
2023 Highlights
Street Situations Our data from previous 3 years, had shown that the number of children & youth in street situations was almost on par, with a small difference, between 1 or 2 percentage, based on intake gender statistics. At the close of 2023, we now noted a...
Warm Winter Campaign
uMthombo is proud to continue to help those who are truly in need. The COVID 19 pandemic & Lockdown has left many families, communities and the most vulnerable in compromising situations. As part of the COVID 19 relief efforts, uMthombo donated 45 blankets to...
COVID 19 Psychosocial Interventions
Four abandoned buildings, 2 open spaces and different street locations in and around the eThekwini Central Business District were visited in the past week. In abandoned buildings 65 monthly food parcels were handed over to family units, which in total made up by 199...
Exploring new possibilities and opportunities
We assist children and youth in envisioning and striving toward alternatives to street life by providing support, guidance, and resources to help them.
Individuality
Reaching out to Durban’s Street Children & Youth
By utilizing sports and psycho-social support, we aim to reach out to street-connected children and youth, assisting them in healing from trauma, rebuilding confidence and hope, developing self-discipline, and setting positive life goals.
Family
Interventions towards Reintegration
We conduct assessments of family situations and, when feasible, facilitate preparations for reintegration. Additionally, we offer crisis family support and make referrals to specialist services as required.
Reintegration – Facilitating the return or placement of individuals into a direct or extended family where deemed safe and suitable, or preparing them for independent living.
Aftercare – Continued monitoring and support for the child/youth and their family following reintegration.
Cummunity
Community Development and Prevention in townships surrounding Durban
Providing capacity support for community stakeholders (CBOs, schools, churches, municipal structures) as they work together to establish community-wide multi-sectoral support systems and advocacy campaigns.
This aims to prevent children and youth at risk from falling into the dangers of drugs and street life, ultimately building stronger community safety nets.
Society
Advocacy and Campaigns
Collaborative advocacy efforts are underway to push for enhanced laws and policies that combat the stigmatization of street-connected children and youth. We are urging relevant authorities to implement measures that cater to their needs and provide support to other stakeholders who are involved in this cause.
Our campaign for 2018-19, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ emphasizes the importance of community support in nurturing and protecting our youth.
