War and poverty forced Innocent to live on the streets of Bujumbura, Burundi aged 4. He faced capture and punishment from the authorities and aggression from older boys; he would struggle to find food and shelter.
Amos Street Justice partners work with children, using local responses to engage with children, address their trauma, and give them the support they need to leave the streets.
Innocent never thought he would ever leave Burundi, let alone play football representing his country in the Street Child World Cup, or visit the UK to learn English and share his experiences with us at Amos Day 2015.
Innocent now works as part of New Generation’s Outreach team, engaging with other street-connected children currently surviving on the streets.
Our range of resource and fundraising packs, blog posts, downloads and products have been produced to help you find out more about Amos Street Justice.
On Thursday 8th October, girls from India and South Africa met online to share their demands with each other; it was a chaotic but fantastic time connecting up girls and young women thousands of miles apart but with many common experiences. They also heard demands drafted by girls in Burundi.
“The contact with the Young Entrepreneur’s programme has been an eye-opener — I was able to realise my potential of becoming an entrepreneur and financially independent.” As part of our autumn Don’t Stop Now! Appeal, read about one young woman from Burundi who is receiving training and support from our partner New Generation. Amos’ On Her Terms Lead Karin Joseph writes.
“During these times, Karunalaya staff came to us, to hear about our situation. They told us not to be afraid, and I was encouraged by their advice. This comforted us very much.” As we launch our autumn Don’t Stop Now! Appeal, read about one young 14 year-old girl and her family in India who are receiving support from our partner Karunalaya. Amos’ On Her Terms Lead Karin Joseph writes.
“It was only after the performance that I found out something that made Amies even more extraordinary — each member of the choir was a modern slavery survivor who had been trafficked to the UK, to be forced into either prostitution or domestic servitude. To have the confidence to stand up and sing in front of a large crowd having been through such traumatic experiences is truly awe-inspiring.” Guardian journalist Jessie McDonald writes about a moving performance.
“As much of a challenge as we may all be finding the lockdown — which now has more than a fifth of the world’s population living under varying degrees of ‘stay at home’ orders — for those living on the streets, the Coronavirus pandemic is no less terrifying, but the ability to self-isolate or #StayAtHome is not an option available to them. ‘Home’ is on the streets, in abandoned buildings, or temporary structures open to the elements.” Amos’ Director Chris Rose and On Her Terms Lead, Karin Joseph write.
“Their approach is having profound effects, combining group work, support with business training and self-defence sessions. On our third day together, the female workshop participants accompanied Cheka Sana staff members, Nyangi and Revina, to the self-defence training.” Amos’ On Her Terms Lead Karin Joseph reports from her recent visit to the Cheka Sana Foundation in Mwanza, Tanzania.
“I know leaving a legacy is one of the best ways to support Amos — indeed it is the one thing I was certain of when I sorted out my own will 17 years ago, when I was pregnant.” Writing a charity into your will can be a daunting process. Amos’ Katie Hagley says it doesn’t have to be that way.
Selected books, essays, films and podcasts from Audre Lorde to Arundhati Roy; we’ve found that these have provided unique and intersectional perspectives which challenge us and teach us something new. Hand-picked by the Amos team — we hope you’ll enjoy them too. Full details.
On Saturday 18th January 2020, Dieudonné Nahimana, the Founder and Executive Director of Amos’ partner New Generation Burundi, announced his candidacy for the forthcoming Burundian Presidential elections. “In the past 20 years, I have worked to mobilise and train thousands of youth in servant leadership and ethical conduct, and over the years I have felt the pressure from them and personal conviction to rise up to the national level of governance by running for president as an independent candidate. ” Full details.
“Little by little, the Umthombo team began to witness a change in Sibongile. Her outlook on life became more positive and she started to express a real desire to continue with her education and pick up her high school qualifications again.” Karin Joseph shares a story from Umthombo’s girls’ outreach team in Durban.
“We love food here at Amos Trust. We love talking about it, we love preparing it, we love sharing it, and yes, — we love eating it. We take the business of hospitality very seriously and what could be more hospitable than sharing a meal?” Nick Welsh writes about why hospitality and food are so important to Amos’ work.
“If you respect us, you’ll listen to us. If you listen to us — you’ll protect us. Please protect us.” Safety for girls on the street is a daily struggle and the options open to them are often slim; many families decide that child marriage is the safest option for their teenage daughters. On Her Terms Lead Karin Joseph shares her experience of a recent visit to Karunalaya, Amos’ partner in Chennai, India.
At the core of Amos Trust’s work are the individuals who support us. Our work is made possible by you. Large or small, your donation makes a real difference.
Amos Trust
St Clement’s
1 St Clement’s Court
London
EC4N 7HB
United Kingdom
Telephone:
+44 (0) 20 7588 2638
Email:
office@amostrust.org
Registered Charity No.
1164234
