Influence of Poverty on Streetism of Children in Dar Es Salaam and Dodoma Cities

Authors

  • Sister Jeston Shitindi School of Sociology and Political Science, Shanghai University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47604/jpid.1743

Keywords:

Poverty, Streetism of Children

Abstract

Purpose: Tanzania has been implementing several initiatives to address the challenge of street children in the country. Despite such efforts, the child streetism has become the daily reality and has shown the sign of increasing. This dissertation is a study on the influence of poverty and family support on child streetism in urban Tanzania. Specifically, the study focused on analysing the lived experiences of street children; describing the influence of income poverty on streetism of children.

Methodology: The study adopted interpretivism research paradigm using descriptive cross-sectional design and inductive research approach. It involved a total of 38 informants who were purposively selected while the snowballing sampling technique was used in accessing street children. Semi-structured interview, documentary review and observation method were conducted.

Findings: Through thematic and content data analysis techniques, this study reveals that street children experienced difficulties in getting their basic needs and did not easily access health services when they fell sick. They also engaged into intra-violence among themselves. Further, child streetism has been largely influenced by income poverty. Regarding coping strategies, street children engaged into begging, unsafe sex and petty income-generating activities such as car wash and bottle collection. They also used self-medication to treat themselves when they fell sick or being left at the hospital buildings or on the street by their fellow street children when the condition got worse.

Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Additionally, they did not have any coping strategy to enroll themselves into the school. The study also revealed that vulnerability and rational choice perspectives must be used in exploring the lived experienced of street children instead of using the vulnerability perspective alone. The rational choice perspective explains, among others, why street children sustain street life hardships and difficulties instead of going back to their families.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Adrioni F. (2018). Street Children at the interface with social reality. Social Science and Education Research Review, 5(2):44 - 61.

Bhukuth, A and Ballet, J. (2015).Children of the Street. Why are they in the street? How do they live? Economics and Sociology, 8 (4): 134 - 148.

Chowdhury, S. Chowudhury; A.S. Hug, K.E., Johan Y, Chowdhury, R..Ahmed, T. and Rahman, M.M. (2017). Life style and risk behavior of Street Children in Bangladesh: A health perspectives. Health, 9:577 - 591.

De Benitez, S.T. (2011). State of the world's street children: Research. London: Consortium for Street Children.

Ennew, J. (2003). Difficult circumstances: Some reflections on "street children" in Africa. Children, youth and environments, 13(1). Retrieved from http://www.colorado.edu/ journals/cye/13 1/Vol13ArticleReprints/DifficultCircum AfricaInsight.pdf on 12th October, 2021

Gracey, M. (2002).Child health in an urbanizing world. ACTA Paedeatrica, 91(1), 1-8.

Kopoka, A.P. (2000). The problem street children in Africa: An ignored tragedy. A paper presented at the International Conference on Street Children and Street Children's Health in East Africa, Dar essalaam, 19-21 April, 2000

Le Roux, S.G. (2016). The role of family literacy programmes to support emergent literacy in young learners, D.Ed thesis, University of South Africa, Pretoria.

Levin K.A. (2006). Study design III: Cross-sectional studies. Evid Based Dent. 7(1):24-5.

Sachs, Jeffrey D. (2005). The End of Poverty. Penguin Press. p. 416. ISBN 978-1594200458.

Saramba (2002), Influencing style on children's behaviour. Journal of Education and Educational Development, 3(2): 222-249

UNICEF, (2015). Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-Being in Rich Countries. Innocent Report Card 7. UNICEF Innocent Research Centre, Florence.

UNICEF, (2012) Strong Foundations: Early Childhood Care and Education. EFA Global Monitoring Report. Paris: UNESCO.

Ward and Seager, (2010), The Relations of Early Television Viewing to School Readiness and Vocabulary of Children from Low-Income Families: The Early Window Project. Child Development, 72(5), 1347-1366

Ward, C.L and Seager, J.R. (2010).South African street children: A survey and recommendations for services.27 (1). Retrieved 20th November, 2020 from: http://web.b.ebscohost.com.bibl.proxy.hj.se/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=fcc96dd9-0214- 46bc-9975-466726145442%40sessionmgr112&vid=26&hid=106

World Bank (2020), Archived from the original on 30 August 2004. Retrieved 23 April 2010.World Development Indicators - World Bank (2011-2020)

Downloads

Published

2023-01-27

How to Cite

Shitindi, J. (2023). Influence of Poverty on Streetism of Children in Dar Es Salaam and Dodoma Cities. Journal of Poverty, Investment and Development, 8(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.47604/jpid.1743