Sex for Drugs: A Case of Street Children of the Harare Central Business District, Zimbabwe (SDSTHZ)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Very few academic studies have been conducted that interrogate narratives around sex for drugs among the street children of the Harare Central Business District in the face of socio-economic challenges. Some of the challenges have been partly induced by the austerity era. The paper adopted the Ubuntu or unhu, child rights and child agency theories to under the realities of these children. Research findings ostensibly suggest that the street children of the Harare Central Business District espoused to sex for drugs in a context faced by myriad of socio-economic challenges. The sex for drugs demonstrate agency of the street children. The behaviours are also seen as thin agency given the limitedness of survival options of these children. Conversely, the sex for drugs among street children highlight the level of child rights violations prevalent on the streets of the Harare Central Business District. A qualitative research methodology punctuated by street ethnography approach was utilised to generate data for this paper. The paper concludes by lobbying and advocating for a child rights based approach in implementing programmes or projects for street children of Harare Central Business District.