Anthropological Perspective on Social Understanding of Street Children in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

The problem of street children formerly referred to as "Parking boys and girls" is a fairly recent phenomenon that has invited a lot of criticism from various quarters with political leaders taking the lead. Prominent civil servants have also blamed and condemned such children as an embarrassment to the~c~ country. The more these leaders condemn the problem, the more ~ -s chronic it becomes. lu sP The social contraction of meanings about street children in Nairobi are changing ana-ambiguous such that a cultural perspective must take into account such ambiguity and some understanding of how street children are defined by the wider society. This research involves a fairly comprehensive study of the street children with major emphasis on the reasons behind their presence on the streets, whether they prefer street life to home life, the kinds of activities they are involved in while on the streets, their health status, rural-urban linkages, their aspirations, their sleeping patterns, how they feed, selfperception and description, street problems and generally the impact of street life on the children. ' The way street children perceive themselves is compared and contrasted with focus group characterization with a view to creating a better understanding of street children. This investigation provides an ethno ra hic understanding of the I~ street children problem. Finally, recommen ations and suggestions have been made on how to tackle the problem of street