Street Children in Nairobi: Case Study of St.Charles Lwanga School, Kibera
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Date
2001-04
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Publisher
Tangaza University College
Abstract
The phenomenon of street children is almost a worldwide
phenomenon, but prevalent in urban areas, especially in the less developed
countries. In Kenya, street children were initially identified in the late 1960s as
"Parking Boys"; but the problem of street children began to be explicitly felt
in the 1970s. The word "parking" denotes the activity that these children were
mostly engaged in, identifying and showing motorists empty spaces to park
their vehicles and watching the vehicles to guard them against thieves. The
motorists usually paid them some little money for such services. The term
"street children" gradually replaced "parking boys", mainly because girls also
went into the streets to join the boys and both of them now engaged in
activities beyond just showing motorists where to park their vehicles and
guarding them.
Who is responsible for the creation of street children? Clearly, it is not
just their mistake that explains their being on the streets. Nor can we say that
their parents are solely responsible for their status. Rather, it is today's social
setup and the manner in which one has been brought up. Street children hardly have a social status in the larger society.
Existence is tolerated but not trusted, as their abode and background are not
known. Many city dwellers would prefer street children not to be near their
residential areas or places, even though most of these children are not
delinquent and are safe to deal with.
Attempt to seek better understanding of the street children's root causes
is crucial. It is necessary to perceive it in the context of the various
contemporary issues, such as added pressure applied on society by the
structural adjustment programs (SAPs), particularly is the effect of shifting the
burden of costs for social services to the user. This is probably a major cause
of school dropout, some of whom sooner or later find their way into the
streets. It is my hope that the developing world will soon come up with better
economic policies and better legislation that favor the rights of children so that
this escalating situation of street children may be curbed.
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Keywords
Street Children, Poverty, Education, Right-of children