“We just want to go back to school. It is unsafe to live here in the cold streets. We humbly request community members to help us to lead normal lives, so that we may one day become responsible members of the community.”

This is the plea made to Mirror by four street kids in central Thohoyandou last week. The kids were roaming the town in the cold night when Mirror spotted them next to the old taxi rank.

“Take a photo of us and show everyone out there. Tell them we want them to help us to go back to school,” said one of them.

It was heart breaking when each one of them told Mirror how they ended up in the streets.

Matodzi Nevhulaudzi (15) from Itsani dropped out of school in Grade 4. “My parents went to town and never came back. I was left in the care of my grandmother, who used to beat me time and again. She never gave me food or paid for my school fees and I thought the best thing was to run away from home. That is why I joined my fellows here in the streets.” Matodzi says they scavenge from the dustbins as they do not have the means to provide themselves with food.

“We fight with dogs to have what people throw away in the bins. We just lay our heads in the corners of the shops without blankets, as long as life is going on.”

Phathutshedzo Phidzaulima (11) ran away from his home at Ngovhela and he dropped out of school in Grade 2. “My mother is a heavy drinker who never took care of me. She used to beat me whenever she came back drunk and I believed that it would be better to live in the streets than to live in the house while suffering. I want to go back to school.”

Andani Bulwana (12) from Tshisaulu-Posaito dropped out of school in Grade 4. “I used to stay with my parents who fought on a daily basis. My mother ran away from home and I was left in the care of my father who went to town and never came back. My grandmother wouldn’t stop beating me and I decided to say goodbye to my home.”

Mvelelo Mafanedza from Itsani Matieni cited the actions of his abusive mother as the cause for his running away. “Please, help us to have a brighter future because it is not good to live in the street. We also want to enjoy parental care and feel the warmth of love because we have rights to enjoy life like everyone else.”

The kids are randomly found between KFC and Pep Stores.