This Digest addresses the reality of these children. It highlights the chronic poverty and mar- ginalisation they face: many spend their days digging in rubbish tips for something they can sell, and their nights on the streets, where they risk violence and exploitation. They lack a secure home, can’t afford access to health services or education, and there is nowhere safe for them to play. Denied a voice, they can neither denounce the conditions in which they live, nor realise their enormous potential to inform solutions.