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May 2005 |
Since January 2005, Marg Ward, an Australian nurse from Ballina,
has been working with street kids in the Médecins Sans Frontières
(MSF) Baoji Children's Centre in Shaanxi Province, in northern China. In cooperation
with authorities in Baoji, MSF has been running the centre since March 2001. This
is Marg’s fourth mission with the medical aid organisation.
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While
an estimated 1.5 million people in China live with HIV/AIDS, another social problem
is unfolding: homeless children.
"Once identified on the streets", explains Marg, "homeless
children are placed in government relief stations by The Civil Affairs department.” |
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One of the main problems in these government centres is overcrowding: "adults
and children are housed together, and receive no medical aid unless the situation
is life-threatening," says Marg, who has been working on the project for
three months.
| "In some cases,
they are provided with a blue uniform, and within 10 days transferred into a welfare
centre until they are 18."
Little consideration is given to the mentally ill or physically handicapped.
"Those with chronic disease are given token treatment for a short period,
if at all. These centres may appear new and clean but do little to solve the problem
of over 600,000 street children in China." |
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Many of these youngsters, such as Irene* (pictured below) , have been exposed
to physical and psychological trauma, neglect, abuse, hunger and rejection.
*not her real name
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"Irene
was brought here a week before I arrived in January. A street-woman said she found
her and took her to the police! She has autistic tendencies, cerebral palsy and
had obviously suffered depravation.”
“In less than two months at the centre Irene has become
a new child. She has learned some English from me and is really opening up. Her
smile is worth a thousand words!" |
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Marg works with an expat psychologist and a locally trained psychologist, using
music and movement as part of the rehabilitation.
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"The
children have a social outing on a Saturday, while Sunday is spent cleaning the
centre, washing and laundry. They go to a public bath house as we do not have
sufficient hot water if the number of kids exceeds twenty." |
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The children’s centre in Baoji has been supported by MSF in collaboration
with Ministry of Civil Affairs for four years, but even though it finances the
centre, MSF is still not officially recognised as an NGO in China.
| Despite this, the
project has been deemed a successful project by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
"The project will be viewed as an example for other welfare centres to observe".
"The challenge now is for MSF to have both the Nanning (HIV/AIDS
treatment project) and Baoji children’s projects acknowledged through the
registration of MSF," says Marg.
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MSF has worked in China since 1988 and currently has 19 international and 60
national staff.
» Read about other featured
projects
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