Plight of Street Children: A Pastoral Challenge

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2000-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tangaza University College
Abstract
Street children in Kenya face innumerable hardships and dangers in their daily lives. The number of street children in Africa is expected to spiral to the shocking figure of 15 million by this year 2000, according to a report by the African Network for the Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN). The phenomenon of street children is directly linked with rapid urbanisation on the continent. The overall urbanisation rate in Africa is over 5 percent according to ANPPCAN 's Child Watch Newsletter. In his paper, "Urbanisation and street children in Eastern and Southern Africa" presented at the workshop, R.A. Obudho of the University of Nairobi said it was estimated that Africa will have the greatest number of street children by the year 2000. Of the street children found in Africa, the majority were found in the urban centres of Eastern and Southern countries. However, in Nairobi City, children are found living and working on city streets. It is a dangerous and precarious existence. The reasons for their presence vary, but all share the common experience of fighting for their everyday survival. The purpose of this research is to find out the phenomenon and to come up with effective action to the problem of street children. Chapter one is concerned with background of the study. We feel it necessary to draw attention to the increasingly vulnerable position of our worlds children. In it the researcher stressed the statement of the problem. He also explored the basic assumptions. Because of this it enables us to monitor the Church, Non Governmental organisations, Government's works by providing resources, training, information and supporting sources concerning rehabilitation of street children. The second chapter is set out to explore the literary Review related to the study. It gathered data from secondary sources in libraries and Church, Government and Non Governmental organisation reviews. In the second section we give some elaborate details of the research questions raised in chapter one. The third chapter offers the research methodology. The main interest here is in drawing out the qualitative approach, using the see, judge and act methodology. All of this concerns the part of gathering and receiving available secondary data. The observations of some projects were made. Chapter four is entitled "Results and discussions" which deals with information gathered from interviews and literature reviewed. It set out a key element in relating to the objectives, assumptions and research questions. The fifth chapter offers project proposal and recommendations. Finally, there is an appendix in which we give some very practical guidelines of questionnaire dealing with different people. Parents, children of and on the street, children under voluntarysector organisations and child-care workers and social workers.
Description
Keywords
Street Children, Pastoral
Citation