Play on the Streets:Street Children and Youth in Three African Cities

Street children and youth engage in a rich variety of play activities across the three cities, which change as they grow into young adulthood. Youth in the three cities shared some common play experiences; with differences around how girls and boys play, and the range of activities they engage in. Play is a key coping strategy, essential for emotional wellbeing and in building social relations with friends and the wider community. Challenges included finding time for play around meeting daily needs, finding space for play due to commercial ownership of land; and aggressive policing from security officials and local leaders who discourage the visible presence of street children and youth