A letter from Katarzyna Rybarczyk
In November, I spent two weeks in Zambia getting to know Carol and the children she works with. I got to participate in outreach operations organized by Action for Children Zambia, which allowed me to discover what life in the streets of Lusaka is like and what conditions street children live in.
Action for Children Zambia is one of few organisations working with street children who go out to interact with them at night, even though doing so is the only way to fully understand their lifestyle and to see how many of them actually are in the streets.
While in Zambia, I got to meet not only the children living in the streets of Lusaka but also the ones staying with Carol. When talking to kids living in all of the three homes that Carol opened, I could not imagine that they used to live in the streets themselves. All the kids were well-spoken, friendly, and driven.
Visiting Action for Children Zambia’s homes, allowed me to get an insight into how the organisation operates - it allows street children to enter a family. The kids and Carol live together and look after each other. After living with Carol for a while, some of the older boys become ‘uncles’ whose job is to take care of the younger ones, make sure everyone fulfils their obligations, and prepare meals.
Former street children who stay with Action for Children Zambia get a place to stay, the chance to get an education, and receive regular meals. But they also get more than that as they are given unconditional love and a permanent support network.
Through her work, Carol has not only helped hundreds of Zambia’s street children escape homelessness but she has equipped them with skills allowing them to reintegrate into the Zambian society. Action for Children Zambia teaches street children how to function as a family and how to earn an income in a legitimate way. Furthermore, Action for Children Zambia helps street children realise their potential and get a chance to break the cycle of poverty.
The happiness I saw among children living in all of Carol’s homes confirmed how successful Action for Children Zambia has been in its mission. And, seeing the way Carol interacts with street children showed me how much passion and commitment she has for improving their lives.
Many wrongly assume that the largest NGOs do the best work but, in reality, it is individuals like Carol who make an actual difference and who truly connect with street children and understand their needs. After all, there is a reason why all of Lusaka’s street children call her ‘Mama Carol.'
Being fully selfless and deeply concerned about the well-being of street children, Carol and Action for Children Zambia as a whole set an example for everyone. I will be forever grateful for being invited into the world of Zambia’s street children and I cannot wait to see how kids who currently stay with the organization grow up, become independent, and come back to the Zambian society, functioning in it in a completely different way than when Carol first met them.
Katarzyna Rybarczyk
