Abstract:
The objective of this study was to explore challenges and opportunities to reunify street
children with their families in the case of Asella Love for Children, a non-governmental
organization. Different attempts were tried so far to reunify them with their families or to support
street children both by government and non-governmental organizations but there are still
challenges both from the children exposed to street life themselves and from their families in the
reunification process. Based on this, my research focused on challenges and opportunities to
reunify street children with their families in the study area. In this study, I used a qualitative
research approach, constructive paradigm, phenomenology design to understand and describe the
lived experience of the participant. Again, I used purposive sampling for the selection of
participants of the study and I collected primary data from 32 research participants of the study.
Also, I employed data collection methods: in-depth interviews, key informant interviews, focus
group discussions, observation, and document review. I employed thematic data analysis. I used
triangulation to check the validity of the data. The findings of the study indicated that family
breakdown, death of one of or both of biological parents, family poverty, peer pressure, and
living with step-parents are challenges in reunifying children exposed to street life whereas the
existence of governmental and non-governmental organizations working on these children are
opportunities in reunifying these vulnerable children. Thus, children exposed to street life are
vulnerable groups in the society and social workers have a professional responsibility to help
those vulnerable children so it’s the implication to social work practice, intervention, policy,
research, and education, in general, to change their situation better.
