Street children as a resource
Abstract
The study investigated skills among institutionalized street children of Kenya. The
main objective was the repertoire of skills among the institutionalized street
children. It focused on 3 institutions rescuing street children within Nairobi
province. These were sampled and respective children randomly selected for
interviews. Face to face interviews were conducted with key informants. The
children's relationships and institutional environment were directly observed.
The study focused on three main broad questions:
1.What is the nature and types of skills possessed by institutionalized street
children.
2.What factors enable skill acquisition among the institutionalized street children
3.What factors impede skill acquisition among the institutionalized street children.
The study found that up to 85.0% of the institutionalized street children posses
the following different kinds of skills; literacy skills, communication skills, social
skills, organizational skills and work skills. Action skills were present among a
small group of respondents, that is 14.4%. The study equally found the following
factors to be responsible of influencing ..these skills; the motivation factor,
institution infrastructure, the participation factor, shared information and the role
function of the children.
In conclusion, the study recommended that institutionalized street children be
involved more as participants and less as beneficiaries. This will as a result
influence their acquisition of action skills, which they lack. Also that the
resourcefulness of the institutionalized street children is more as a result of their
informal education through experiences, interrelations and socialization.
Therefore these children should be helped to attain their potential and not other wise condemned as non-resourceful thereby overlooking the significance of
informal education.
Areas of further research suggested included the role of informal education in the
rehabilitation of street children and the contributions of institutionalized street
children in capacity building.
Sponsorhip
University of NairobiPublisher
Department of Sociology, University of Nairobi