Why don’t many street children have birth certificates?

When you have always had a birth certificate, it’s hard to imagine not having one – or why you would grow up without one? We can forget all the vital aspects of our lives that would simply not be possible without our birth certificates – including having an identity and access to legal rights and protections. It is these every day challenges that street children without birth certificates face. Take our short quiz and see how much you know about why a birth certificate is so vital for street children.

Start the quiz

1
Why don’t many street children have birth certificates?

Correct

Good try. The answer is f) some or all of the above

Street children are often not born in a hospital and subsequently may not be registered. This means that they often have to be registered retrospectively, which is a time consuming, bureaucratic and relatively expensive process. The difficulties are exacerbated when the child’s parents are not registered either, as they need to be registered in order to register the child.

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2
How much does it cost to get a birth certificate for a street child in Guatemala if they weren’t registered at birth?

Correct

Good try. The answer is e) £32

After all expenses, fines and taxes are paid, to retrospectively secure a birth certificate for a child costs, on average upwards of £32. For people living on less than £1 per day, it’s easy to see why this is out of the reach of so many children.

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3
In Guatemala which of the following do you need to retrospectively give a street child their birth certificate?

Correct

Good try. The answer is e) All of the above

In order to secure a birth certificate for a child retrospectively we need to collate all of this information. For times when a child’s parents weren’t registered either, we need to register them first.

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4
What are unregistered children in Guatemala known as by the general public?

Correct

Good try. The answer is b) The XXX children

Street children in Guatemala are known as the XXX children – children who are not seen, or counted, cared for or missed. This is a name that further humiliates and degrades them.

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5
How many children is it estimated that don’t have a birth certificate in Guatemala?

Correct

Good try. The answer is e) 700,000

It’s estimated that in excess of 700,000 children in Guatemala were not registered at birth. That’s 700,000 children whose lives are on hold as they battle to survive on some of the most dangerous streets in the world.

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6
What risks do unregistered street children face in countries like Guatemala?

Correct

Good try. The answer is f) All of the above

Unregistered children are invisible to the authorities – they are not counted in official statistics and are, therefore, unprotected. This means that they are at risk of all kinds of unthinkable abuse and danger.

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7
What happens to an unregistered street child in Guatemala when they die?

Correct

Good try. The answer is c) The child is buried in a pauper’s grave

When an unregistered street child dies they are buried in a pauper’s grave. They are then as invisible in death as they were in life.

Finish

Well done - you got answers correct.

You got answers correct. Securing birth certificates for street children can be a complicated business.

It’s amazing to think that a simple piece of paper can stop these children from being exposed to such danger and humiliation. In the last seven years, Toybox supporters have ensured that 7,000 children receive their birth certificates and, crucially, their hope for a new life – and this number is growing every day.

Please do help us to reach more children, to give them their birth certificates and the future they deserve.

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