Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the occurrence of street children in Rubavu city. The study seeks to assess the occurrence of street children in Rwanda but is guided by Rubavu city as a focal center. Research aimed to to assess the occurrence of street children in Rubavu city of Rwanda with specific objectives of establishing factors (causes) contributing to an increased number of street children in Rubavu city, discovering problems associated with street children in Rubavu city and finally to find out measures to combat the problem of street children in Rubavu city. The researcher used primary and secondary data during this research study; Primary data collection involved questionnaires, interview guides, observation checklists, and Focus Group discussions. This reseach used a cluster sampling technique and Data was entered and analyzed in SPSS software. The researcher collected data from the street (street children and other related street personnel), Community Development officers, and Government agencies using a structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to collect data from key informants. To collect the Secondary data, the researcher used a review of documents. This research used the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version16.0 was used for quantitative data and also used a thematic analysis for qualitative data analysis. This research showed that 58.7% of respondents stayed with their parents. The results showed that 41.3% of the respondents stayed with stepmothers before street life. 58.7% of the respondents indicated that their parents were not employed, so they hardly had anything to rely on for survival. The researcher noted that 30.4% of the respondents indicated that their parents are domestic workers. This research showed that 26.1% of the respondents were treated well by their parents. In recommendations, we recommend the government of Rwanda to develop alternative educational initiatives for the urban poor children. Schools for such children must consider some parents' inability to afford fees and uniforms. Non-formal education programs should be introduced where street children, primarily the bigger children, could be taught practical subjects such as building, carpentry, or agriculture.