Wasted childhood? Social representations and identity of the children living on the streets of Nairobi

Kenyan society has developed a multiplicity of social representations of child streetism: the way they interrelate contributes to shaping this specific social phenomenon, direct actions, and envisage possible social change. The cultural dimension is poorly taken into account but it is still addressable in terms of actions by both the scientific community and the practitioners in order to change society’s perception of street children. The present study thus focuses on the phenomenon of Kenyan street children in terms of relationships and culture, by exploring, through a qualitative research, whether the identity of the street child can be understood by referring to the subject as the product of social and cultural conditioning or as an entity potentially capable to develop its reflexive experience and actively produce new meanings and social forms. On the whole, this study has highlighted identity as a crucial issue in dealing with street children. It demands consideration not just as a sociological exercise but also in order to direct projects aimed at the prevention of streetism and the rehabilitation and reintegration of street children, so that they could finally be regarded and treated just as children.