Factors that Led Children’s Exposure to Street Life Prior to their Admission in Rehabilitation Program in All Children Humaniterian Foundation Centre, Kagali, Rwanda

Abstract

Street children often experience multiple deprivations, including, neglect, abuse, poverty, and exposure to violence, which adversely affect their psychological, emotional, and social functioning. The objective of this study was to examine the factors that led to children’s exposure to street life prior to their admission in All Children Humanitarian Foundation Centre, Kigali, Rwanda. The study was anchored on Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory (1963) and Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (1960) which provided a concrete foundation for understanding how social environments and individual factors interact to shape the psychosocial well-being of individuals. The target population was sixty-two (62) participants composed of fifty-four (54) street children going through rehabilitation process in All children Humanitarian Foundation Centre, Kigali, Rwanda, and two teachers, two caregivers, two counsellors, one priest and the dean of discipline. The study used a qualitative approach and a phenomenology design to explore the lived experiences of street children going through rehabilitation process in All Children Humanitarian Foundation Centre, Kigali, Rwanda. Purposive sampling was employed to select respondents with relevant experiences and insights into the rehabilitation process. Data were collected using an interview guide and focus group discussions. Data analysis was conducted through thematic analysis. The study found that poverty, family breakdown, abuse, neglect, and lack of emotional support were major factors leading children to street life, resulting in trauma, anxiety, low self-esteem, and social isolation. The findings also revealed that rehabilitation through counselling, education, basic needs provision, and supportive relationships improved the children’s emotional well-being, self-confidence, resilience, and hope of future. The study recommended a holistic and child-centred rehabilitation approach that combines psychosocial support, professional counseling, regular follow-up, and family empowerment programs to promote the well-being and reintegration of street children.