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 significant increase in the number of older street-connected boys, being more...

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 COGTA in support of their Warm Winter Campaign. The blanket donations were...

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 individuals.   Sandwiches and fruits were also shared with 71...

COVID 19 Response

As the journey continues, uMthombo facilitated its Outreach Programme the week of the 4th May – 09th May 2020 in eThekwini Municipality Wards (26, 27, 28 & 31), these Wards are within the city of Durban. We continued to provide psychosocial support and conducted follow-up assessments from our previous month food parcels distribution. Feedback...

COVID 19 Development Work Interventions

The week of the 27th April - 3rd May 2020, uMthombo engaged with 3 eThekwini Municipality Wards (4, 14 & 42) distributing food parcels to 436 beneficiaries as part of the our Community Awareness & Prevention Programme.  Families identified were in social distress of which many are comprised of child headed households, unemployed...

Webinar Interview about COVID 19 & Homelessness

Join us on the 30th of April 2020 (17:00 UK time & 18:00 SA time) in a webinar interview which will be conducted by Amos Trust our UK partner. We will also be joined by other likeminded organisations from Tanzania & India. In this interview we will be sharing our experiences during this time of COVID 19 based on our respective context....

COVID 19 Activities

South Africa was declared to be on a National Lockdown due to the COVID 19 pandemic from the 27th of March 2020, meaning that all South Africans should initially remain home for 21 days in order to beat this novel virus. Only essential services (Police, Doctors, Nurses, Food retailers and essential support services) were permitted to assist in...

COVID 19 Development Work Interventions

The week of the 27th April - 3rd May 2020, uMthombo engaged with 3 eThekwini Municipality Wards (4, 14 & 42) distributing food parcels to 436 beneficiaries as part of the our Community Awareness & Prevention Programme. Families identified were in social distress of which many are comprised of child headed households, unemployed youth...

uMthombo’s uBuntu Campaign

During these testing times, uMthombo has engaged in various actions to alleviate the plight of street-connected people. Some of these interventions are summarised in the infographic below. #uMthombouBuntuCampaign

Abandoned & Derelict Buildings a Haven for the Homeless

Derelict buildings are often associated with criminal activities which portray occupiers as criminals, drug addicts and social delinquents. This creates a stereotype of viewing homeless people as problematic based on their social standing. Most living in these buildings have changed them into makeshift bedrooms for survival, while job hunting or...

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...

read more

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...

read more

COVID 19 Response

As the journey continues, uMthombo facilitated its Outreach Programme the week of the 4th May – 09th May 2020 in eThekwini Municipality Wards (26, 27, 28 & 31), these Wards are within the city of Durban. We continued to provide psychosocial support and conducted...

read more

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.