Children of the street: The cause and consequence of their social exclusion in Gondar city,North West Ethiopia

Abstract

The marginalization of children who are working, living, and surviving on the street is a worldwide problem. This study emphasized examining the root causes and consequences of social exclusion on street children in Gondar city, North West of Ethiopia. The study employed a qualitative research approach to get a profound understanding of the phenomena. Hence, samples were selected using the non-probability purposive sampling technique. The data was collected from In-depth interviews with eighteen street children, two focus group discussions with the children, and four Key informant interviews with experts in the area of street children from the Gondar office of women and children, office of labor and social affairs as well as Yenge Tesfa organization indicated that street children are excluded member of the society because of lack of parents/guardians, poverty, peoples’ negative attitude. Also, the finding shows that their lives were affected due to the deprivation of positive social relationships, lack of basic needs, acute health, and psychological problems respectively. Accordingly, their social exclusion inhibits them from enjoying the rights and opportunities that exist in society as children in particular and members of society in general. Therefore, unless interventions are made by the concerned bodies, it results in general crises on the well-being of these unfortunate children.