This study presents a holistic analysis of the literature review on street
children and the current situation of the northern INGOs, who are involved in
working or funding street children programmes in Tanzania. The population
of street children in Tanzania is increasing and thus generates public concern.
The northern INGOs are framing street children as a global, social tragedy
and that they are the ones making a difference. This is what the study will
analyse. The study begins with the background, in which I briefly portray my
personal experience as founder of a Tanzanian LNGO, working with street
children and funded by northern INGOs. I discuss whether street children
existed in the pre- and post-colonial history of Tanzania. The study then
examines the experiences, the numbers, key factors that lead a child to the
streets and whether the interventions from northern INGOs are meeting their
needs. I seek to understand the complexities in defining street children,
calculating numbers and the partnerships between the northern INGOs and
Tanzanian LNGOs.
The research is a case study however, I employ a qualitative method
whereby I use in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted face to face
with key UK based INGOs working with street children in Tanzania. The
Tanzania children’s legal framework and how street children are a social
construct is a contemporary issue which is also explored in the study. Lastly,
the discussion of the findings and conclusion shows that to completely remove
or reduce the issue of street children in Tanzania is a process that will take
years. It requires comprehensive, long-term policies and networking between
northern INGOs and Tanzania LNGOs. Moreover, the evidence from the
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primary data and the interviews with the UK’s INGOs working in Tanzania
shows their intervention approaches to be fragmented and driven by
accessing funding, reporting and meeting targets.