首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Micro-Enterprise Credit for Street Youth ’I am from a large, poor family and for many years we have done without breakfast. Eve
Micro-Enterprise Credit for Street Youth ’I am from a large, poor family and for many years we have done without breakfast. Eve
admin
2014-08-25
33
问题
Micro-Enterprise Credit for Street Youth
’I am from a large, poor family and for many years we have done without breakfast. Ever since 1 joined the Street Kids International program I have been able to buy my family sugar and buns for breakfast. I have also bought myself decent second-hand clothes and shoes.’
Doreen Soko
’We’ve had business experience. Now I’m confident to expand what we’ve been doing. I’ve learnt cash management, and the way of keeping money so we save for reinvestment. Now business is a part of our lives. As well, we didn’t know each other before - now we’ve made new friends.’
Fan Kaoma
Participants in the Youth Skills Enterprise Initiative Program, Zambia
Introduction
Although small-scale business training and credit programs have become more common throughout the world, relatively little attention has been paid to the need to direct such opportunities to young people. Even less attention has been paid to children living on the streets or in difficult circumstances.
Over the past nine years, Street Kids International(S.K.I.)has been working with partner organisations in Africa, Latin America and India to support the economic lives of street children. The purpose of this paper is to share some of the lessons S.K.I, and our partners have learned.
Background
Typically, children do not end up on the streets due to a single cause, but to a combination of factors: a dearth of adequately funded schools, the demand for income at home, family breakdown and violence. The street may be attractive to children as a place to find adventurous play and money. However, it is also a place where some children are exposed, with little or no protection, to exploitative employment, urban crime, and abuse.
Children who work on the streets are generally involved in unskilled, labour-intensive tasks which require long hours, such as shining shoes, carrying goods, guarding or washing cars, and informal trading. Some may also earn income through begging, or through theft and other illegal activities. At the same time, there are street children who take pride in supporting themselves and their families and who often enjoy their work. Many children may choose entrepreneurship because it allows them a degree of independence, is less exploitative than many forms of paid employment, and is flexible enough to allow them to participate in other activities such as education and domestic tasks.
Street Business Partnerships
S.K.I, has worked with partner organisations in Latin America, Africa and India to develop innovative opportunities for street children to earn income.
The S.K.I. Bicycle Courier Service first started in the Sudan. Participants in this enterprise were supplied with bicycles, which they used to deliver parcels and messages, and which they were required to pay for gradually from their wages. A similar program was taken up in Bangalore, India.
Another successful project, the Shoe Shine Collective, was a partnership program with the Y.W.C.A. in the Dominican Republic. In this project, participants were lent money to purchase shoe shine boxes. They were also given a safe place to store their equipment, and facilities for individual savings plans.
The Youth Skills Enterprise Initiative in Zambia is a joint program with the Red Cross Society and the Y.W.C.A. Street youths are supported to start their own small business through business training, life skills training and access to credit.
Lessons Learned
The following lessons have emerged from the programs that S.K.I, and partner organisations have created.
Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone, nor for every street child. Ideally, potential participants will have been involved in the organisation’s programs for at least six months, and trust and relationship-building will have already been established.
The involvement of the participants has been essential to the development of relevant programs. When children have had a major role in determining procedures, they are more likely to abide by and enforce them.
It is critical for all loans to be linked to training programs that include the development of basic business and life skills.
There are tremendous advantages to involving parents or guardians in the program, where such relationships exist. Home visits allow staff the opportunity to know where the participants live, and to understand more about each individual’s situation.
Small loans are provided initially for purchasing fixed assets such as bicycles, shoe shine kits and basic building materials for a market stall. As the entrepreneurs gain experience, the enterprises can be gradually expanded and consideration can be given to increasing loan amounts. The loan amounts in S.K.I, programs have generally ranged from US$30-$100.
All S.K.I, programs have charged interest on the loans, primarily to get the entrepreneurs used to the concept of paying interest on borrowed money. Generally the rates have been modest(lower than bank rates).
Conclusion
There is a need to recognise the importance of access to credit for impoverished young people seeking to fulfil economic needs. The provision of small loans to support the entrepreneurial dreams and ambitions of youth can be an effective means to help them change their lives. However, we believe that credit must be extended in association with other types of support that help participants develop critical life skills as well as productive businesses.
Which of the following is mentioned by the writer as a reason why children end up living on the streets?
选项
A、unemployment
B、war
C、poverty
D、crime
答案
C
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/0HNO777K
本试题收录于:
雅思阅读题库雅思(IELTS)分类
0
雅思阅读
雅思(IELTS)
相关试题推荐
Question(1)and(2)arebasedonthefollowingdata.(1)In2003thefamilyusedatotalof49percentofitsgrossannualinc
Hisfatherservedas______totheentireGarciaclan,dispensingmoneyandadvicetothosewhoneededit,andthefamily,intu
Almostwithoutinterference,hehasbeenabletocontinuethreatening,challengingandharassinghiscompetitors,andthus,whol
Aswetraveledtocollegeforthefirsttime,thefamilycarwas______withbooks,clothing,appliances,andothernecessities.
A、ahermeticfieldwithoutpotentialforcollaboration,giventhatitwasalmostexclusivelypopulatedby"misunderstoodgeniuse
HistorianscreditrepeatedlocustinvasionsinthenineteenthcenturywithreshapingUnitedStatesagriculturewestoftheMissi
Theseriousstudyofpopularculturebyintellectualsisregularlycreditedwithhavingrenderedobsoleteaonce-dominantviewt
随机试题
在油田客观条件允许的前提下,科学地开发油田,完成原油生产任务也是油田开发具体()之一。
铺床时不符合节力原则的是()。
患者,女,40岁。平素头晕头痛,耳鸣目眩,少寐多梦,突然发生口眼歪斜.舌强语謇,半身不遂,舌质红脉弦细数。治疗方剂宜选
心脏病孕妇死亡的主要原因
女性,50岁,有高血压史,因阵发性心悸2天来诊,体检:血压120/70mmHg,心率180次/分,律齐,心音正常,无杂音。1分钟后心率降至80次/分,律齐。30秒后又回复至180次/分。最可能的诊断是
甲女与乙男在某社交软件互加好友,手机网络聊天过程中,甲女多次向乙男发送暧昧言语和色情图片,表示可以提供有偿性服务。二人于酒店内见面后因价钱谈不拢而争吵,乙男强行将甲女留在房间内,并采用胁迫手段与其发生性关系。后甲女向公安机关报案,乙男则辩称双方系自愿发生性
下列有关基金管理内部控制的表述中,错误的是()。[2015年12月真题]
下列关于基金的说法,正确的是( )。
设向量组α1,α2,…,αm线性无关,β1可由α1,α2,…,αm线性表示,但β2不可由α1,α1,…,αm线性表示,则().
情景:你是小明。假如你是商店的营业员,张芳上次来买裙子,有她的尺寸,但是没有绿色的。张芳就向你预定了一件,现在货已到。任务:给张芳写一张50字左右的便条,内容包括:(1)张芳上次曾经来你店买过裙子,但是没有买到合适的。(2)上次要买的裙子已经到货
最新回复
(
0
)