Street Action - Committed to street children through action and partnership

Including Street Children - A situational analysis of street children in Durban, South Africa

"The Better Care Network (BCN) welcomes Street Action's new report, Including Street Children, and is looking forward to adding the report to the BCN on-line library. Children living on the street are some of the most marginalized and unprotected in the world. Many of these children are without parental care and have no viable alternatives. This much needed report brings these children back on the agenda. By drawing on new evidence based research, the report sets out key recommendations for policy makers and practitioners on how to adequately protect and care for these vulnerable children".
(Better Care Network: New York, USA)

Street children have a right to be included in research. The rationale to undertake this research came about through the recognition that very few comprehensive studies have been published on the issue over the past decade. Research focussing on street children or youth is not common, particularly in Africa. This report explores the subject of street children in Durban, South Africa.

The research was inspired by Umthombo Street Children in Durban . The study was a collaborative project led by the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN), Umthombo Street Children, Street Action and Zoë Life.

The results and findings seek to start addressing policy, practice and ideas around the phenomenon and also in relation to international child protection policy.

The research on the ground was carried out to provide objective data regarding the health and well-being of children living on the streets; to describe their experiences of that life; and to describe the range of services directed at them. The study intends to provide insights and perspectives that, even if not exhaustive, could update and better guide responses and services to these children. Examples of good practice models are rare and there remains a persisting dichotomy between our understanding of street life and the policy and practice that are promoted to tackle the issue. Much of the literature available is still entrapped in a ‘pathology of case studies’ that fail to provide systematic information to policy makers and practitioners . This report aims to move beyond emotive narratives of street life. It begins to inform policy makers and practitioners by setting out specific recommendations that relate to the findings from the research focussing on the physical and psychosocial health of street children in Durban.

Aim of the research

To inform the development of effective strategies to avert children moving to the streets of Durban and South Africa and improve the health, well-being and future of those children who presently live there.

• To document the reasons why children resort to living in the streets in Durban and especially, the influence of HIV/AIDS (where relevant),
• To identify the reasons children give for remaining on the streets and non-return to their homes of origin;
• To produce basic demographic and health data such as malnutrition, stunting, substance abuse and TB status of children living in the streets in Durban;
• To estimate HIV prevalence rates among these children;
• To document the mental well-being of these children including their resilience and coping strategies;
• To document the services and resources available to assist the children and describe children’s perspectives and experiences of these services;
• To develop a generic analytical approach and tools for comparative research that will inform intervention initiatives for other cities in South Africa and countries in Africa;

Methodology

Through interactive workshops, the quantitative health survey and the feasibility and acceptability of HIV testing programme, the development of child participatory research methods were used to enable street children to explore specific topics. Through these approaches, data obtained from children on the streets was triangulated and learning points reinforced.

Ethics:
The project required careful planning and consideration of ethical and legal issues. The protocol was approved by the Biomedical Research Ethics Committee of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Funding:
Provided by the Department for International Development (DFID), Pretoria, South Africa,

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