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Although I only purchased this book recently and have a toddler who keeps me busy, I’ve been burning the midnight oil reading it. It was difficult to put down. The author Nancy Leigh Tierney paints a bleak but honest and realistic description of the traumatic and desperate lives of children who take to the streets to escape unbearable situations at home or because they simply do not have homes.
A section of this book consists of interviews with young women who have lived on the streets. The rest is general information about the politics of Guatemala that affect these children, the services (not) available to them by the state, the opinions of the general public and the social climate surrounding this tragic phenomenon.
As you read this book you are reminded that Guatemala is a third world country. Frighteningly high poverty rates, rampant illiteracy, chronic malnutrition and an absence of government welfare programs place a high percentage of the population at risk for disease, malnutrition, unemployment and early death. This often leaves many orphaned children to fend for themselves.
Many of the street children have lost one parent early in life. They are sent out to do work to help supplement the family income: shoe shining, selling trinkets and candy are some of the ways they do this. If their home life becomes intolerable because of physical and/or sexual abuse, they start spending more time in the street and less time at home.
Once these children start living full time on the street they are targets for violence, abuse, sickness, and even death. Many become victims of abuse at the hands of law enforcement. In addition, since they can basically make money by stealing or prostituting themselves they are often arrested and sent to less than desirable detention homes that they call “jail.” Apparently physical and sexual abuse is rampant in these detentions.
Often these street children join gangs for protection and to belong. Unfortunately this puts them at equal risk because of gang wars.
Hunger plagues these children daily and it is not unusual for them to sniff glue and solvents to alleviate the hunger as well as the loneliness and despair that they are feeling. Many die from the complications of drug abuse or overdoses.
Although this book was published in 1997, ten years has not made much of difference. It is estimated that today more than 5,000 children between the ages of ten and twenty-three live in the streets of Guatemala. Two-thirds of the girls report that they have been pregnant at least one time, and one-third of the girls have small children with them.
This is perhaps not the ideal book for the stressed parents in the adoption process right now, but an important book to read nonetheless.
More Reading:
Prevalence, Abuse and Exploitation of Street Children (in Guatemala)
Vitally important, I would say, especially for those who think that adoption is the worst thing that can happen to a child, and unfortunately there are many who are that deluded.
Thanks Sandra, you are absolutely right on the mark.
L.
gonna check the book out—thanks!