Microfinance and street children: is microfinance an appropriate tool to address the street children issue ?

2.4. About their vulnerability

The vulnerability, which we can define as the susceptibility of being harmed by some events, takes unfortunately a very important place in the street children characteristics. The street being a very harmful environment, the child is more vulnerable to harassment and abuse. The child does face many risks, such as: drug addiction, sexual promiscuity and abuse, work exploitation, involvement in criminal activities and violence (from the police, other street children or from adults). Volpi (2002) points out for example how, in Latin and Central America, a very high number of street children are victims of brutality by police and other adults. UNICEF (2006) indicates that, in Latin America, many of them are murdered by vigilantes in the name of `cleaning up the city', often with the complicity of the police. Another mentioned problem is related to health, many children being alcohol and drug user, and subject to HIV. For example, Leroux and Smith (1998) report how Filipino street children experience loneliness, neglect, abuse, drug addiction, and various medical problems, and face constant harassment and arrest by the police, as well as abuse from other street children. In India, street children are also reported to be victims of violence, including physical and sexual abuse (Panicker, 1993)^16(*).

Vulnerability has different levels. Street children are all, inherently, vulnerable. But among them, children «of» the streets are said to be the most vulnerable ones as many of them sleep under bridges or in railway stations.

They are very mobile and difficult to locate, and many analysts point to the importance of considering proprietarily this «much smaller» and «extremely vulnerable» group (Kaminsy and Wright, 1992, Lusk 1989, Childhope 1993)^17(*). Street girls are also a highly vulnerable population. Indeed, they are heavily exposed to the multiple risks of street life and sexual exploitation, and run the risk of being doubly exploited: at work and sexually (Blanc, 1994: 327). Finally, apart from the vulnerability arising directly from their life on the streets, another type of vulnerability is related to the work they are doing. Indeed, children generally lack marketable skills, and therefore can not access good jobs, pushing them to enter the world of hazardous jobs which enhances their vulnerability.

2.5. About their capacities

We can go long in depicting the street children vulnerability. However, only seeing them under the prism of vulnerability may lead to a pity vision of the street children.

Indeed, evidence tends to demonstrate that street children are active policymakers for them and that the street life made them develop resilience^18(*) and adaptability, having therefore a high ability to thrive in difficult circumstances (Felsman, 1981^19(*)). This self management capacity has also been reported by Aptekar (1988)^20(*).

Moreover, many of them hold high moral principles and are found to have altruistic and caring behaviour (see e.g. Swart, 1998, 1990)^21(*). Chawla (2002)^22(*) reports that the interaction of children in street situations, within neighbourhoods and street communities, is the keystone for understanding the growth of impressive ethical behaviours among them. In fact, street children are found to contribute largely to their families' income, and to buy gifts to their siblings when returning back home (see e.g. Ennew, 2000).

Many fieldworkers report also the existence of supportive and co-operative peer relationships amongst these children (see e.g. Boyden, 1991, Bar-On, 1997 quoted in Foy, 2001; Lalor, 1998; Conticini, 2004).

Conticini (2004) highlights how street children create peer groups as a replacement of natural family ties and how friendship was important for them and Lalor (1998) indicates how the group is having a positive impact on their mental health. This group organisation can be central for providing both emotional and physical security. Indeed, it enables them to develop both a feeling of belonging and a collective identity (Lucchini, 1997).

Peer relationships become therefore important sources of identity and social support for young people (Woodhead, 1999: 29). Moreover, this group organisation is also present in their working activities, where evidence tends to demonstrate that much street based work is strongly built around peer groups, in order to share resources, strategies, assets and care (Tyler et al., 1991; Ennew, 1994; Panter-Brick, 2002 quoted in Woodhead, 2004:26)

As pointed by Blanc (1994: 340) «To counter the negative perceptions of the street children, a new anthropological literature has emphasized the positive aspects of the street experience, and the new pride and confidence street work gives them (see e.g. Anderson 1990)

Consequently, in that new approach, street children are not passive human beings, but rather active contributors to their development, attempting to make sense of their social world, and coming to an understanding and evaluation of their own experiences of child development; they are therefore not «object of concern», but «subjects with concerns» (Woodhead, 1999). It requires therefore reviewing their status as competent to determine what is in their best interests (Prout, 1998). This new vision is summarized by Rizzini :

«Although exploited, poor and oppressed, 'he' was a 'strong and astute' being, a surviving hero for whom it was necessary to create 'critical, creative and participative action on the part of educators, who always had something to learn from the children and had to face opposition from the public, who only demanded immediate results.' There the children would be playing their part as, denouncers of an unjust society that evaded its due responsibilities» (Rizzini, 1996) ^23(*)

* ¹⁶ Quoted in Leroux and Smith (1998)

* ¹⁷ Quoted in Blanc (1994)

* ¹⁸ Resilience can be defined as «the manifestations of competence in children despite exposure to stressful events» (Garmezy, Masten, and Tellegen, 1984 quoted in http://ohioline.osu.edu/b875/b875_1.html)

* ¹⁹ Quoted in Lalor (1999)

* ²⁰ Aptekar, L. (1988). Street children of Cali. Durham: Duke University Press, Quoted by Conticini and

al (2006)

* ²¹ Quoted in Ennew (2000)

* ²² Quoted in Conticini (2004)

* ²³ Quoted in Ennew (2003)