Comparative Study of Resilience among Street Children in Northwest Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Street children are those whose street becomes their home more than their families. Almajiri pupils are a form of street children. Being on the street subjects them to a lot of physical, social as well as psychological stress. Resilience, a positive coping mechanism, is likely the key factor protecting these vulnerable children from breaking down. This study, therefore, focused on comparing the level of resilience among traditional almajiri (tsangaya) pupils with their counterparts in the newly introduced Almajiri Integrated Model Schools (AIMS) in Sokoto metropolis, northwest Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, comparative study involving pupils between the age of 6 to 17 years, selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. An equal sample of 96 pupils, each from tsangaya and AIMS were recruited. Questionnaires on socio-demography and Child Youth Resilience Measure–12 (CYRM-12) were administered. Data obtained was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: A total of 192 male only pupils were recruited for the study. The majority (71.9% and 67.7%) of both tsangaya and AIMS pupils respectively were Hausas. The mean ages of pupils in tsangaya and AIMS were 13.01±2.30 versus 12.91±2.15 years respectively. None of those in tsangaya does receive school meals as against a hundred percent of those in AIMS. Parental deprivation was found to be significantly high among tsangaya pupils. Overall, pupils in tsangaya were more likely to record low level of resilience as compared to pupils in AIMS. Conclusion: Tsangaya pupils appear to have a lower level of resilience compared to their counterparts in AIMS.