Research: (Re-)engaging street-connected young people

Research summary

• June 2018 to December 2019

This collaboration between Dr Su Corcoran, Dr Lillian Awimbo, and Glad’s House, aimed 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. 

The research team used walking interviews, image-elicitation exercises focused on the young people’s drawings, and focus groups with 21 young people. These interviews examined the participants’ experiences and opinions of education – especially their time in formal schooling. 

Together, these studies provide empirical evidence of: 

• young people’s experiences of formal schooling motivating their initial migrations to the street 
• how fear, embarrassment, and shame prevent young people from going (back) into formal education settings
• the need to feel accepted and supported if street-connected young people are to overcome feelings of not belonging and the additional challenges faced when transitioning from street to school.

As street-connected young people integrate into new communities, they develop a sense of belonging in relation to their experiences of the transition and the interactions they have with others. They are therefore able to settle into schools better when they feel supported and accepted, influencing long-term aspects such as academic performance or the roles that they envision for themselves at home and in society. 

Research Output

• Corcoran, S.L., Awimbo, L.A, Mugwanga, K, Aluoch, I.A: Street-connectedness and education in Kenya: Experiences of formal schooling as rationale for inclusive pedagogies of practice Prospects, 2020