Challenges Faced by Out of School Female Street Children and Teenagers Engaged in Begging in Tanzania

Abstract

Street begging among children and teenage remain a barrier to accessing basic education for girls. This study explores the challenges surrounding out of school girls engaged in begging and examines their future aspirations regarding schooling. Mixed method approach but qualitative dominant was deemed relevant to understand the phenomenon in its context.  Using a purposive, snowball and incidental sampling techniques, a total of fifty-seven (57) participants were sampled including fifteen (55) female street children and teenage beggars, (1) District social welfare officer and one (1) District Community Development Officer in Dodoma City of Tanzania. Quantitative data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The results indicated that these girls encountered hardships in the street including violence, sexual harassment, rape and beatings from the male street children beggars and the general public. The findings underscore how girls involved in street begging endure hardship and their schooling aspirations remain in darkness. The incidence of such terrible phenomenon made their future aspirations in dark and guaranteed the deprivation from schooling. The need for more inclusive interventions to tackle the phenomenon in each nation as per contextual conditions arises.