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Children living and/or working on the streets in Harare: Issues and challenges.

Journal of Social Development in Africa

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Title Children living and/or working on the streets in Harare: Issues and challenges.
 
Creator Muchinako, GA
Chikwaiwa, BK
Nyanguru, AC
 
Subject Street, children, Harare, modernisation, participation, abuse, socioeconomic, Zimbabwe
 
Description This qualitative study sought to examine the situation of children that were living and/or working on the streets of Harare. A sample of six children (participants) was purposively drawn from among a host of children that were observed to be living and/working on the streets of Harare. A focus group discussion was conducted with the sampled children who had given their consent to participate in the study. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with four of the participants. The study findings indicated that the street children had to grapple with numerous socioeconomic challenges and both the government and society at large had continued to ‘ignore’ their plight. Apparently the family unit, which traditionally is considered the bedrock of child welfare and child protection, had, perhaps as a result of the prevailing socioeconomic hardships, abrogated this crucial responsibility, and in some instances, had even propelled the street children phenomenon. The paper concludes that socioeconomic prospects for children who live and/or work on the street of Harare are likely to remain bleak unless stakeholders can meaningfully intervene. The paper observes that the most effective solutions are probably those that appreciate the importance of participation of the street children themselves in deciding the best course of action.Keywords: Street, children, Harare, modernisation, participation, abuse, socioeconomic, Zimbabwe
 
Publisher School of Social Work, University of Zimbabwe
 
Contributor —
 
Date 2015-07-24
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Peer-reviewed Article
 
Format application/pdf
 
Identifier http://www.ajol.info/index.php/jsda/article/view/119926
 
Source Journal of Social Development in Africa; Vol 28, No 2 (2013); 93-112
1012-1080
 
Language eng
 
Relation http://www.ajol.info/index.php/jsda/article/view/119926/109386
 
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