SERVICE PROVIDERS' CHALLENGES IN ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF STREET CHILDREN IN ELDORET TOWN, KENYA

In the recent decades, children service providers have struggled to assist street children to come out of their negative situations on the streets due to a myriad of challenges. In Kenya, street children are considered illegal and discriminated against in their attempts to access services and treated with violence and contempt by state authorities and other service providers. This paper examines the challenges faced by service providers in addressing the needs of street children. A descriptive survey research design was conducted among 45 street children between the ages 8 to 16 years who were available during the time of the study at different bases in Eldoret town. Study findings show that there were several service providers identified by the street children who included NGOs, FBOs, Business Community and Good Samaritans. However, some of the services provided by the business community and Good Samaritans were identified, by Social Workers, as a factor that led to more children coming to the streets of Eldoret town. Street children revealed that they needed to be more involved in informing service providers on what they would want to be assisted with. It was also clear that street children would want to participate in long-term initiatives which were sustainable and would assist them to be self-reliant in the long-run. For instance, they wanted trainings on how to participate in economic activities so that they could be more self-reliant and disengage from dependency and be out of the streets. The study recommends that a sectorwide training approach for service providers involved in dealing with street children at all levels be developed, by the Government in collaboration with stakeholders to provide standard and holistic services to street children in the country