TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION
APPROVAL
DEDICATION iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS viii
ABSTRACT ix
LIST OF TABLE x
LIST OF FIGURES xi
CIIAPTER ONE 1
INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background 1
1.2 Statement of the problem 3
1,3. General objective 5
1 .4 Objectives 5
1.5 Research questions 5
1.6 Scope of the study 5
1.6.1 Content Scope 5
1 .6.2 Geographical Scope 5
1.6.3 Time/duration 6
1.7 Significance of the study 6
I .8 Justification of the study 6
1.9 Conceptual Framework 7
1 .10 Definition of significance terms 8
ChAPTER TWO 9
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 9
2.1 Introduction 9
2.2 Socio~economic Family status that increase number of street children 9
2.2.1 poverty 10
2.2.2 Family structui’es as leading socio-economic factor to influx of street children phenomenon 10
2.2.3 Child abuse 11
2.3 Effects of influx increase of the street children 12
2.4 Managing the Phenomenon of Street Children 14
2.5 Street children issues 15
V
2.6 Theoretical frame~voi~1~.16
2.7 Summary of literature review 17
CHAPTER THREE 18
3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 18
3.1 Introduction 18
3.2 Research design 18
3.3 Area of the study 18
3.4 Population of the study 19
3.5 Sample size and sampling techniques 19
3,5.1 Sampling size 19
3.5.2 Sampling techniques 19
3.6 Data collection methods and instruments 20
3.6.1 Interview 20
3.6.2 Questionnaire 20
3.6.3 Observation 20
3.6.4 Focus Group Discussion 21
3.7 Quality control methods 21
3.8 Data Analysis techniques 22
3.9 Ethical considerations 22
3.10 Limitations 22
CHAPTER FOUR 23
DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION 23
4.1 Introduction 23
4.2 Background information about respondents 23
4.3 Socio-econornic factors contributing to increase of street children 25
4.3.1:Poverty 26
4.3.2: Family structures contributing to increase in street children 29
4.3.3: Child abuse as a social factor that increases influx of street children in Jinja municipality 30
4.4 Effects of influx increase of the street children 31
4.5 Managing the Phenomenon of Street Children 32
4.6 Interpretation 32
ChAPTER FiVE 34
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 34
vi
5. 1 Introduction .34
5.2 Summary of the findings 34
5.2.1 Summary of findings on the socio-econornic factors that contribute to the influx of street children.34
5.2.2 Summary of findings on the effects of the problem of street children 35
5.2.3 Summary of findings on what the Jinja municipality management done to curb the phenomenon of
the street children 35
5.3 Conclusions 35
5.4 Recommendations 36
5.5 Suggestions for further research 36
REFERENCES 37
APPENDICES 39
Appendix 1: Questionnaire for the street children 39
Appendix 2: Questionnaire for the community members (parents) 43
Appendix 3: Questionnare for the Rehabilitation Center Administrators 45
ABSTRACT The quest for this study was to examine factors contributing to the increase of street children in Jinja municipality in Jinja district. The study was guided by three objectives and research questions. These objectives are; to establish how poverty contributes to the number of street children in Jinja municipality, to establish how socio-economic family status contribute to the number of street children in Jinja municipality, to assess how child abuse contributes to the number of street children in Jinja municipality. The study was also guided by social development theory coined by Erik Erikson (New York 1969). Relevant literature reviewed revealed that there are several factors that contribute to increase of street children in Jinja municipality. The study was mainly qualitative nature. It employed descriptive research design which was preferred because it allowed the researcher to conduct in-depth interviews and observation schedules to gather both factual information systematically and also record the characteristics of interest as they occur. Two rehabilitation centers was purposively sampled to participate in the study. Purposive, stratified and simple random sampling methods were used to determine respondents. Data was collected through open and close ended questionnaires. The categories of respondents were street children, children in rehabilitation centers and administrators from the two centers. The study revealed the socio economic factors that contribute to the increase of street children in Jinja municipality ranging from poverty, lawlessness, alcohol and drug abuse, social permissiveness family breakup, child abuse and inadequate good will from the governments towards supporting poor families. The study concluded that there was an urgent need for the government to facilitate provision of feeding programs, in public primary schools, compulsory free primary education should be enforced and stakeholders sensitized on their roles to promote street children to access quality education. The study recommends that the church focuses on spiritual formation and teaching on marriage and family life to strengthen the basic unit of society, which is the safety net for the children. The government as well as the civil society should spearhead massive education on the rights of children. This would reduce the rampant of children rights brought about through ignorance
