Challenges and Opportunities to Reunify Street Children with their Families: The Case of Asella Love for Children, Non- Governmental Organization

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.