Are street children beyond rehabilitation? Understanding the life situation of street boys through ethnographic methods in Nakuru, Kenya

This paper describes the social organisation of street boys, the complexities and dilemmas of accessing them for interview, and removing the youngest and most vulnerable from the streets. The data were collected from three groups of street boys over a period of eight months: 20 “market boys”; four “plastic bag sellers” and their group leader; and twelve “begging boys” and their group leader. The study employed a reflexive ethnographic approach with participant observation, informal interviews and group discussions as data collection strategies. A participatory workshop was arranged for the highly mobile “begging boys” who could not be interviewed directly on the streets. Key informants helped in gaining access to the three groups of street boys, providing “insider information” about the boys and their contexts as well as in building trust. Through this research process, a deeper understanding of the street culture emerged, showing who the street boys are as well as how they are organised, their hierarchies and socialisation; patterns of substance use, home spaces in the streets, and networks of support.