LAST week, Talk Up Yout was centred around street kids and the lives they have to live. The programme highlighted that there are over 100 million street kids worldwide, and approximately 800,000 of those kids living in Jamaica.

It was revealed that some of the children end up on the streets because of their families have left them; others run away from abusive family members, while a few of them have became the only bread winners for their family.

Dujon, a former street boy was not homeless, but just roamed the streets on a day-to-day basis, cleaning car windshields as a way of earning extra money for himself and his family. He grew up in the inner city and lived a rough life. His parents, he said were not able to sent him to high school because they did not have the money to do so.

On the streets he faced numerous dangers, including allegedly being beaten by police because of a report made that street boys had stolen goods from someone at a stoplight. But no matter what, he still tried to keep a positive attitude and find a way to make a better life for himself.

Dujon is no longer on the streets, but has plans to go back to school and become an entertainer or a soldier. He advises boys currently on the street to go out and find ways of achieving their goals and getting the things they want.

Dr Avril Daley, clinical psychologist, stated that Dujon has drive and confidence in himself, which will take him far in life.

Also stating that many of the street kids are not as educated as they should be. Dr Daley said, they might have been ridiculed and teased by other children at school, and felt that on the streets they feel free from those pressures.

"They are no longer teased by anyone and they are able to make their own rules. So when they are introduced to schooling programmes, they do not work as well as they should. Some of these kids still want to do as they please."