Livelihood Strategies of Street Children in Accra

Abstract

Childhood is believed to be a period of innocence in an individual’s life where he/she is trained, supported, assisted and given guidance primarily by parents and guardians to ensure that they grow into responsible adults. Street children are children for whom the street and other unoccupied dwelling places have become their abode and do not have the care and supervision of responsible adults. This study looked at the livelihood strategies of street children in Accra, specifically Tema Station and Agbogbloshie. The objectives of the study were to know the characteristics of street children, to identify the various livelihood strategies the children utilize, to explore the social networks and daily activities of street children, to examine the problems they encounter, and to explore institutional interventions and how these are targeted to the needs of street children. The study employed a mixed methods (survey, in-depth interviews, and FGD’s) approach to answer research questions. The findings revealed that the children’s livelihood activities included kaya yei (head pottering), scrap collecting, shop attendants, and some were cooks in local restaurants. Social networks were found to be a useful asset to the street children as they derived companionship, protection and job allocations via these networks. Problems the street children encountered included arrival shock, inclement weather, and risk of disease from parasitic insects. Institutions were identified as virtually absent in the lives and activities of the street children as the interaction between them was minimal. It was recommended that institutions, both governmental and non-governmental, be encouraged to pursue an awareness, advocacy, and outreach campaign concerning the services they provide, and the benefits children stand to gain by using their services. Additionally, it was recommended that state and non-state institutions find appropriate and appealing ways of meeting the needs of the street child population by pooling their resources and expertise together, as well as to engage them in order to develop interventions that meet the needs of the children. Parents must be encouraged to ensure that their wards stay in school until such a time before allowing them to take off in search of work. Future studies should explore the activities of the ‘kubolor’ (thugs) boys on the streets.