Re-engaging street-connected young people with education in Kenya

Project Directors: Su Corcoran
Research Associate: Lillian Awimbo
Amount: £10K
Funder: British Academy
Duration: June 2018-December 2019

Su Corcoran is collaborating with Glad’s House on a project that aims to understand the challenges faced by young people returning to education after extended periods of time spent living and working on the street in Mombasa, Kenya. Dr Awimbo, the lead counsellor providing psychosocial support to the young people supported by the organisation, and a research team of teachers and social workers will develop a case study approach, using ethnographic and visual methodologies, to answer the research question:

How do extended periods of street-connectedness affect young people’s experiences of (re)entering basic education?

In addition, the study aims to:

• explore the use of qualitative data generation methods as a means of monitoring and evaluating social work programmes with street-connected young people;
• develop guidelines for the delivery of Glad’s House education programmes and those of other organisations working with street-connected young people;
• understand the research team’s experience of conducting a research project and developing their research skills.

The research team are using multiple qualitative methods of data generation such as: walking interviews; drawings and image elicitation interviews; focus groups; and semi-structured interviews.

The project report will be available to download from December 2019