Working children’s perspectives of health and well-being in urban Ethiopia

This paper explores the perceptions of children about their own working and living conditions in urban areas of Ethiopia. Based on multiple qualitative research methods, it discusses their priorities for achieving a ‘good enough life’ in the context of urban poverty and stressful material deprivations. Examples of children’s living conditions are drawn from my past and on-going research with children who are engaged in begging and diverse street-based activities. The paper employs the examination of the livelihood strategies of children as useful way of exploring their shifting life trajectories including work, education, and health and leisure time. Children’s perspectives of well-being are shown to be considerably different from that of adults. Moreover, surviving in street circumstances are compounded by challenges and risks, although children have changing perceptions of ‘risks’ and amazing degree of resilience to them. The paper concludes by highlighting methodological and conceptual issues for a holistic understanding of well-being – health being an important parameter – from children’s points of view. Key words: children, well-being, risk, health, streets, livelihoods, Ethiopia