Street Children: Effects and Survival Strategies the Case of West Showa Zone in Ambo Town, Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Street Children and their survival Strategies in Ambo town. The study employed qualitative research approach and purposive sampling technique. The sample size for this study was 27 participants in which 17 of them participated in an interview and 10 participated in focus group discussion guided by semi-structured instruments. The finding revealed that children who are joined on the street is due to various reasons such as poverty, family breakdown, migration, looking for jobs, abuse by parents or guardians, peer pressure and expectation of positive life. The result also showed that research participants are facing numerous social problems ranging from sexual abuse, verbal abuse, physical abuse, engagement in drug use, prostitutions, discrimination and different health challenges because of their living condition and inaccessibility to medical services. There should be new strategies that could be taken hand in hand between concerned actors to bring into attention and address the problems of street children in particular manner.