Many beggars and homeless persons taken off the streets around the country this year are back on the streets.

Operation Loloma, which was initiated in 2011 saw the Ministry of Social Welfare, Police and NGOs work together to take the beggars and homeless off the streets of our towns and cities.

According to Minister Mereseini Vuniwaqa, the majority of them keep returning to the streets and there are various reasons for it.

Vuniwaqa says others have been successfully absorbed back into society.

“A lot of them keep returning to the streets, there are a lot of issues around it. Some of them have been successfully relocated back to their communities, to their families. Some of them have been successfully relocated to our NGO partners that run livelihood programs and provide homes. Some of them have psychological issues and we get them to get treated at our hospital, St Giles.”

Vuniwaqa says it will take a collaborative effort of community leaders, religious organization and the community to help these individuals stay off the streets.