A Study of Shelters for Street Children from an Organizational ...

2.5 Conclusion
Contextualising the contemporary phenomenon of children living and/or working on the
streets locally it could be argued is a necessary good thing, because the local context
gives the phenomenon a local content and avoids replicating intervention and the
provision of services. However, it is not enough to conceptualise the local context and
content as ends in themselves. It is necessary to consider the external and influencing
factors which impact on the national socio-economic performance and consequently
affect negatively the family and communities. The inter-link is inseparable. Dealing
with the local situation alone will not eliminate the growing phenomenon nor
comprehensively address the plight of children living and/or working on the streets.
Organisations like UNICEF and World Bank link the problem of children living and/or
working on the streets to the spread and rising levels of poverty, particularly in
developing countries (http://www.worldbank.org: 24/5/2003; http://www.unicef.org:
26/03/003).
The chapter has also dealt with definitions of the concepts. This endeavour was to help
eradicate the confusion inherent in the meaning and usage of social concepts, and
because there are no agreed definitions on social science concepts, it is arguably
consistent with the endeavours of social scientists to define the concepts and underline
their usage (Babbie and Mouton, 2001:1, 20; Terre Blanche and Durrheim, 1999: 1-7).
Social science concepts require defining and redefining to make it clear how they are
used and applied in any study. This chapter has discussed the meaning and usage of
the concepts 'children living and/or working on the streets', the 'shelters or homes',
which attempt to address the plight of children living and/or working on the streets and
'children as residents' who receive services of such shelters and the 'reintegration or
reunification programs'.
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