Orphans and vulnerable children are unfortunate enough to have been deprived of their first line of protection - one or both of their parents. It is estimated there are between 143 million and 210 million orphans worldwide. Every day 5,760 more children become orphans. 2,102,400 more children become orphans every year in Africa alone. [source: UNICEF]
Unaccompanied girls are especially at high risk of sexual abuse. Meanwhile, unaccompanied boys are at high risk of forced or ‘voluntary’ participation in violence and armed conflict.
With these grim statistics why are we very quick to judge them and always use the very harsh and unbearable languages to describe them and their actions? Have we thought of being very lonely without hope and love?
These children feel rejected, in fact they have a host of problems, which is automatically created and forced on them by the death of their parent(s) and the rejection by the relatives and close friends of their late parent(s). This is a very confusing state in their lives and it requires a lot of psychosocial support. Yet it’s a time when a child find themselves mistreated and being called by all sorts of horrible names.
