A Study to Assess Various Problems Faced by Street Children of Bhopal City

Abstract

Introduction: Like all other children, although street children have the basic right to develop, survive and thrive, they encounter innumerable problems. To do so, at first it is necessary to address these children in terms of what problems they face in their everyday life, what is their survival mechanism and in a broad sense their livelihood process. This research is an attempt to shed light on these cruxes in the context of Bhopal city in Madhya Pradesh. The study was conducted with objectives to observe the lifestyle of street children, to identify the problems faced by them, and to assess their survival and coping mechanism in response to the problems they encounter. Methods and Materials: The study was a cross-sectional study to access various problems faced by street adolescents of Bhopal city. Street children were identified using snowballing techniques and data from these street children was obtained via interview using a checklist having various parameters about street children according to study needs. 100 willing street children were identified and enrolled for the study. Results: According to certain indicators like dwelling condition, income level, food habit, education and health, among the street children who were interviewed, 37% were found to be educated below fifth standard and 73% were uneducated. The respondents were of ages 11 to 15 years. Most of them were Hindus. 51% of the children on street used community toilets, 53% practiced open defecation. Most of them did not get sufficient food to eat. Major work reported was serving in hotels, dhabas and begging. Main problem faced during work was heavy workload and less payment received, poor health and vulnerability and verbal abuse. Major coping mechanism was keeping patience and enduring the problems until finding some solution. Conclusion: The present menace of mushrooming of different categories of disadvantaged, abandoned, vulnerable, destitute street living, working and playing children in the cities has posed an intense threat to humanity and child rights. The livelihood trajectories of the street children entangled with terrific and aggregated predicaments and problems is nothing but the presentation of their endangered and chaotic livelihood that requires very selective and careful choice and application of coping mechanisms to survive on the streets.