street work
Meeting children where they are
Street-connected children do not walk into offices—they must be reached. Our outreach teams operate in Dar’s hotspot areas, building trust with children living and working on the streets.
What the programme involves
Street work is the first point of connection for children living and working on the streets. Our outreach teams regularly visit known hotspot areas in Dar es Salaam, meeting children where they are and building trust over time through consistent, respectful engagement.
During outreach visits, trained staff spend time listening to children, understanding their circumstances, and assessing immediate risks. This allows teams to identify safeguarding concerns early and provide urgent support where needed, including protection from abuse, exploitation or violence.
As trust develops, outreach workers carry out individual risk and needs assessments to understand a child’s safety, wellbeing, family situation and support options. Where a child is at immediate risk, staff respond quickly, working with Social Welfare Social Development Officers (SWSDs), Fit Persons and other safeguarding partners to ensure appropriate protection.
Street work also plays a critical referral role.
Children who wish to explore alternative care, family tracing or other support are referred into relevant services, with outreach teams supporting this transition and maintaining follow‑up to ensure continuity of care.
Alongside direct outreach, the programme works with trained Community Champions—local individuals who help identify at‑risk children, strengthen community responsibility and support safer environments for children in hotspot areas.
Our primary street work focus is in Ilala and Ubungo municipals, supported by referral networks across the city to ensure children can access protection and services wherever they are.
why it matters
Early engagement…
prevents deeper street entrenchment
identifies exploitation early
builds pathways towards reintegration
case study / video
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[ https://railwaychildren.assetbank.app/assetbank-railwaychildren/action/viewAsset?id=49709&index=5&total=10&view=viewSearchItem ]