Street Children and Moral Agency

BOOK CHAPTER

“Morality on the Streets: An Examination of the Beliefs and Moral Practice of Street Children in Light of Christianity and African Traditional Religions,” in Ethnography as Christian Theology and Ethics, Christian Scharen & Aana Marie Vigen, eds. Continuum, 2011.

Abstract

In Kenya, and in Nairobi especially, the problem of street children is overwhelming. There are more than 250,000 children living and working on Kenya’s streets. Within African Traditional Religions there is the demand to care for the stranger, yet Kenyans are so overwhelmed by these children that no response seems adequate. Everything in Kenya fits within a framework of community, and these children exist outside of common community frameworks. This book chapter was written in an attempt to place street children back in the framework of community through an examination of religious belief, which is considered central to African identity. Within this chapter, key themes from African Traditional Religions and Christianity such as blessing, community, and life-force are explored in relation to street children. Drawing on my own ethnographic research conducted in Nairobi, I argue that for street children, morality and faith are redefined in the context of survival and forced choices.

Related Presentations

Morality on the Streets: An Examination of the Beliefs and Moral Practice of Street Children in Light of Christianity and African Traditional Religions, Loyola-Marquette Colloquium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jan. 27, 2007.