Street Kids International

Street Kids International (or Street Kids) is a Canadian based non-governmental organization founded by Peter Dalglish in 1988^[1]. The organization focuses on providing street youth with the opportunity to lead safer and better lives through three main programme avenues: street health, street work and street rights. In 2008, Street Kids International expanded its operations to the United Kingdom with Street Kids International UK. The organization defines its mission as: “We advocate and deliver innovative programs, so effective that they are spontaneously adopted, adapted and shared by our worldwide network of partners.^[2]”

Street Kids International was born out of the Second Sudanese War that began in 1983. In the mid 1980s, Peter Dalglish worked in Sudan as a field worker for the United Nations^[3]. While in Sudan, Peter organized the first technical training school for street children in the country. The vocational school trained street youth to become apprentice mechanics, welders and electricians. In 1987, Peter used his experience with street youth to establish a guaranteed same-day courier service in Khartoum, Sudan. The bicycle courier service became the basis for Street Kids International’s work. In the following year, Street Kids International became a registered Canadian charity.

1988 marked the birth of Street Kids International as a registered charity in Canada and in the following year, the organization premiered the animation Karate Kids. The film, which later won the Peter F. Drucker Award for Non-Profit Innovation in 1993, addresses health related issues faced by street youth^[4]. According to the Street Kids International website, the film is available in more than 100 countries and 26 different languages.

Following Karate Kids, Street Kids International developed a second animation entitled Goldtooth^[5]. Again, Street Kids International’s work was recognized when it won the UNICEF Prize at the 1996 Ottawa International Film Festival^[6]. Like Karate Kids, the film addresses health issues faced by street youth with a focus on substance abuse. It is also worthwhile to mention that both films were directed by Derek Lamb, an Academy Award-winning animation filmmaker and producer^[7].

Near the later half of the 90s, Street Kids International began to further develop its programmes and in 1997, the organization successfully piloted a micro-enterprise programme in Zambia^[8]. Two year later, Street Kids International launched its Street Health programme in Central Asia with the support of the Open Society Institute – Soros Foundations Network. Stemming from the pilot micro-enterprise programme in Zambia, Street Kids International launched its Street Business Toolkit in Latin America in 2000.

In 2001, the organization premiered its latest animation entitled Speed’s Choice^[9]. In a shift away from health-related issues, the animation addresses the subject of street entrepreneurship. According to the Street Kids International website, the film is a component of their Street Work programme. Since 2001, Street Kids International has undertaken various initiatives in Canada and internationally, and in 2007, the organization was recognized by CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) for their Long-Term Commitment to International Cooperation. In 2008, Street Kids International celebrated its 20th anniversary and having reached out to 2 million youth worldwide.

A few of Street Kids International’s more notable achievements:

• 1987 Street Kids International Bicycle Courier Service operational in Khartoum, Sudan.
• 1989 Karate Kids animation about street youth and sexual health premieres.
• 1993 Karate Kids animation wins Drucker Award for Non-Profit Innovation
• 1995 Goldtooth animation about street youth and drug use premieres.
• 1996 UNICEF's Meena Prize, received for Goldtooth
• 2001 Speed’s Choice animation about street kid entrepreneurialism premieres.
• 2007 Recipient of the CME and CIDA Special Recognition Award for Long-Term Commitment to International Cooperation
• 2007 Established Street Kids UK, and joined the Consortium for Street Children based in the UK.
• 2007 Finalist for the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize.

A list of current project countries according to the Street Kids International website:

• Bolivia, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia,India, Kenya, Nepal, Poland,

• Street Kids International
• The Consortium for Street Children