FIELDWORK

Fieldwork (Districtwork)

CAS staff carry out ‘fieldwork’, meaning they visit the streets to be with the children to find out where they work and sleep and inform them of CAS activities and programmes. Fieldworkers interact with the street children and offer them the opportunity to use the services of the refuge. In this way children can benefit from the work of CAS.

CAS sees it as an important part of its work on the streets. The fieldworkers meet the street children and start a friendship. They talk to the children, gain a level of trust, listen to their problems and sometimes give advice. They give the child advice and information about the various possibilities CAS can offer them. The street corner facilitators teach health education, life skills and literacy at selected meeting points. Meeting points are mostly different places such as verandas of shops, areas around public toilets or public bath houses. Children are encouraged to visit the refuge at their own free will. It is entirely up to the child whether they decide to continue the contact and come to the refuge or not.

All the fieldworkers and street corner facilitators have been assigned to a particular area of town. They keep records of the number of children they teach and meet and they give reports about the circumstances of the children on the streets.