Resilient Dwellers of Urban “Slums”

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the survival activities of the street children in Ibadan, Nigeria, the street sub-cultures among them, the push factors, and language use in terms of their inventions of communication strategies for survival as “slum” dwellers. A total of 34 in-depth interviews and seven key informant interviews were conducted among purposively selected street children and stakeholders, respectively, in Iwo-Road, Ibadan. The findings show that the street children predominantly engaged in begging and petty hawking among other activities. Three subcultures—children of the streets, children on the streets and street family children—existed among the children. Poverty, dysfunctional families, the death of parents, and the search for excitement pushed the children to the streets. Street children have developed different communication strategies such as non-verbal acts, verbal narratives, emotional appeal, dramatisation, music, prayers, and abusive expressions to fit into their peculiar groups and survive as street dwellers.