ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

OPINIONS OF POOR CHILDREN TOWARDS THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS: THE

CASE OF FORUM ON SUSTAINABLE CHILD EMPOWERMENT (FSCE) AT ARADA

SUB CITY DISTRICT 8

BY

ALEMAYEHU HOTESSA EDEMA

JUNE 2012

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

 Opinions of Poor Children towards their Living Conditions: The case of Forum on

Sustainable Child Empowerment (FSCE) at Arada Sub city district 8.

By

Alemayehu Hotessa Edema

A senior essay submitted to the School of Social Work Addis Ababa University in partial

Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Bachelors in Social Work (BSW)

Advisor: Dessalegn Negeri (PhD candidate)

June 2012

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Table of contents page

Abstract........................................................................................................................i

Declaration..ii

Acronyms...iii

Acknowledgement ..iv

Dedication....v

List of tables....vi

Chapter one

Introduction ....1

Background of the problem..1

Statement of the problem...3

Research questions.....7

General objectives of the study.7

Chapter two

Research Method..........8

Data collection instruments....8

Sample.....9

Data collection procedure...9

Limitation of the study....9

Significance of the study...10

Scope of the study.10

The study design...11

Methodology of the study......11

Methods for data collection11

Data sources ...12

Data analysis technique..12

Ethics and confidentiality ..13

Organization of the study13

Study area ..13

Chapter Three

Review of Available Literatures......14

General overview about poverty......14

Causes of poverty.....17

Poverty in Africa......19

The case of Ethiopia ........20

Children in poverty; their feelings/opinions towards their living conditions...21

Laws and policies on the issues of children......24

Chapter four

Findings ....26

Findings from FGD....36

Case presentation ...37

Chapter five

Analysis and Discussion....41

Discussions from cases.......46

Chapter six

Social Work implication, Conclusion and Recommendation.....50

Social work implication...50

Conclusion ......54

Recommendations....55

References ....58

Appendixes ......a-h
Abstract

This study identifies and describes the major feelings/opinions of poor children towards

their living conditions. The study sample included 35 key informants among which 25 were

participated by filling questionnaire, three case studies, and an FGD with seven members.

Major findings of this study included that poor children developed the feelings of

inferiority, self-isolation and neglect, lack of self-confidence, feelings of backwardness,

incompetence, disappointment, and feelings of shame, low self-esteem, fear, self-defaming and

inattentiveness. These feelings affect their current and future living conditions and resulted in

poor academic performance.

The strong implementation of laws, policies, provisions, and other legal documents;

identification of poor childrens negative feelings, emotional and psychological problems;

provision of proper counseling services by respective agencies; and social work development for

further work on the issues of children were highly recommended.

Declaration

This Senior Essay is my original work and has not been presented for a degree in any other

Universities, and that all sources of materials used for this senior essay have been acknowledged.

Name of student: Alemayehu Hotessa Edema

Signature: ____Alemayehu______________

Date: _______Jun 07, 2012______________

Advisor: Dessalegn Negeri Guyo (PhD)

Signature: ____DeslN__________________________

Date: _______Jun 07, 2012__________________________

Acronyms

AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

CHADET Organization for Child Development and Transformation

CYFWO Children, Youth and Family Welfare Organization

FDRE Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

FGD Focus Group Discussion

FSCE Forum on Sustainable Child Empowerment

GTP Growth and Transformation Plan

HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus

MOFED Ministry of Finance and Economic Development

MOLSA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs

MOWA Ministry of Women Affairs

NASW National Association of Social Workers

NGOs Non Governmental Organizations

OVC Orphan and Vulnerable Children

UN United Nations

UNICEF United Nations (International) Children's Fund

US United States

WB World Bank
Acknowledgement

First and for most, I would like to forward my special thanks to God for his protection

and help to complete my education in general and this study in particular.

My heartily thanks go to my advisor Dessalegn Negeri Guyo (PhD candidate) who gave

me a constructive comments starting from the very beginning of this study and provided me

supportive materials. Thank you Dessalegn for your commitment and support you provided to

me.

I am also thankful to FSCE staffs at Arada sub city for their willingness and support to

conduct my study and collect data. I am also so thankful to the respondents who gave their

experiences and helped me to successfully conduct my study.

I am grateful to my friends and colleagues who earn moral and psychological support and

other information. Thank you Melese and Temesgen for your contribution.

Last but not least, I would like to forward my heartfelt to my mother Abebech Gemeda,

my father Hotessa Edema, my brother Desta Hotessa and my sisters Aster and Meselech Hotessa,

for their moral and psychological, spiritual (pray), and financial support to successfully

accomplish my study.

Alemayehu Hotessa Edema

Dedication

This paper is highly dedicated to my Mother Abebech Gemeda and my father Hotessa

Edema who gave me the opportunity to attend school in my early age while most of my friends

were remain helping their parents. Mam! I would not be here without your help and commitment

to see my future. I am here today but it is not the final destination!

List of Tables

Table 1. Birth place of respondents

Table 2. Religion of the respondents

Table 3: Family history

Table 4: Age category of respondents family

Table 5: Family birth place

Table 6: Number of households

Table 7: Family education level

a. Fathers education level

b. Mothers education level

Table 8: Parents occupation

Table 9: Childrens evaluation of their families income

Table 10: Families economic status as described by children/respondents

Table 11: Childrens feeling when they compare themselves with their rich counterparts

Table 12: Childrens response to their friends/classmates reaction

Table 13: Current feelings of the respondents

Table 14: Childrens previous performance in education

Table 15: Childrens current performance in school

Table 16: Belief that current feelings have an impact on their academic performance
Chapter one

Introduction

Background of the problem

Poverty is a worldwide problem which is both the cause and effect of many other

problems. It is very difficult to define poverty in short and precise terminologies. But, different

authors define poverty in different ways though their definitions go around types of resources.

Alcock defined poverty as going short materially, socially and emotionally (1997: 3).

Bibangabah (1985: 24 as cited in Fisseha, 2003), on the other hand, defined poverty as people

are poverty stricken when their income; even if adequate for survival, falls radically behind that

of the community. Then they cannot have what the larger community regards as the minimum

necessary for decency, and they cannot wholly escape, therefore, the judgment of the larger

community that they are in decent. In literal senses he is stating that they live outside the grades

or categories which the community regards as acceptable.

It is also possible to define poverty from two dimensions; Alcock stated absolute poverty

as a claim to be an objective, even a scientific definition, and it is based on the notion of

subsistence (1997: 68). Subsistence is, he argued, the minimum needed to sustain life, and so

being below subsistence level is to be experiencing absolute poverty because one does not have

enough to live on. An absolute poverty according to Semboja (1994) & Trufat (1996) is the

inability to attain the minimum necessities for the maintenance of merely physical efficiency. It

means lack of food, cash, and assets. It is a condition of life so degraded by disease, illiteracy,

malnutrition, and squalor as to deny its victims basic human necessities (Bibangabah, 1985: 24
as cited in Fisseha, 2003). It also refers to exclusively the situation of particular individuals

without any comparison being made between them and others (Semboja, 1994, & Trufat, 1996).

On the other hand, relative poverty, as defined by Alcock (1997:69), is a more subjective

or social standard in that it explicitly recognizes that element of judgment is involved in

determining levels; judgment is required because a relative definition of poverty is based on a

comparison between the standard of living of other members of society who are not poor, usually

involving some measure of the average standard of the whole of the society in which poverty is

being studied. Relative poverty is defined as the inability to attain a given contemporary standard

of living: it exists when the subjects under consideration are poor in relation to others (Semboja,

1994, & May, 2001 as cited in Trufat, 1996).

Whether poverty is defined from absolute or relative dimensions, it is a worldwide

problem. Poverty is the worst form of violence and it manifests in the social and psychological

lives in children, what it means to their minds and hearts (Garbarino, 2008: 72). There are a bit

more than two billion children in the world. Half live in poverty specifically economic poverty

(2008: 70). He also stated that poverty early in life is a special threat to development, at the most

basic level because it can compromise a childs biological and psychological systems. Around

the world, according to Garbarino, some 30,000 children die each day to poverty. That is

210,000 per week and 11 million per year. They die because they lack access to basic sanitation,

health care, and adequate food, and experience other toxic factors that can be linked to poverty.

Ethiopia is not out of this because it is a mosaic of people who live in poverty and children

constitute a large number of populations (National policy of early childhood, 2010: 7).

According to the 2006 state of the worlds report of UNICEF, children constitute nearly 50
percent of the total population in Ethiopia and live in deep poverty (UNICEF report, 2006 as

cited in Debebe, 2007).

Poverty leads to different feelings of self and others. As Huston (1991: 14) said, children

from poor families are of higher risk for depression, low self confidence, peer conflict, and

conduct disorders. Poor people regularly speak of problems in getting enough to eat, with

disturbing regularity of lives surrounded by sickness and death, lack of resources, powerlessness,

feeling like living in jail and bondage, enslaved, inferiority (having no say in public), lack of

social inclusion, and access to needed services (Smith, 2008; pp. 20-23).

For this study, the researcher considered the Forum on Sustainable Child Empowerment

(FSCE) at Arada Sub city district 8 where children from poor families are getting services. The

focus of the study is on the opinions/feelings of those poor children towards their living

conditions.

Statement of the problem

Defining poverty is as problematic as the problem itself. Dixon and Macarov (1998: 1 as

cited in Fisseha, 2003) expressed poverty as one of the most omnipresent and long standing

problems facing governments and populations throughout the world; no matter how it is defined

or measured, whether in prosperous time or during depressions; whether in agricultural or

industrial society. Alcock defined poverty as going short materially, socially and emotionally. It

means that spending less on food, on heating, and on clothing than others on an average income

(1997: 3). As noted in different literatures, (May, 2001; Trufat, 1996; Semboja, 1994;

Bibangabah, 1985, as cited in Fisseha, 2003), poverty is best understood as having both an

absolute and relative dimensions.

 An absolute poverty is defined as the inability to attain the minimum necessities for the

maintenance of merely physical efficiency (Trufat, 1996). It means lack of cash, food, and any

assets. It is a condition of life so degraded by disease, illiteracy, malnutrition, and squalor as to

deny its victims basic human necessities (Bibangabah, 1985: 24 as cited in Fisseha, 2003). It also

refers to exclusively to the situation of particular individuals without any comparison being made

between them and others (Fisseha, 2003). On the other hand, absolute poverty claims to be an

objective, even as a scientific definition and it is based on the notion of subsistence. Subsistence

is a minimum needed to sustain life, and so being below subsistence level is to be experiencing

absolute poverty because one does not have enough to live on (Alcock, 1997).

Relative poverty is defined as inability to attain a given contemporary standard of living.

It exists when the subjects under condition are poor in relation to others (May, 2001). Another

author stated relative poverty as a more subjective or social standard in that it explicitly

recognizes that some elements of judgment is involved in determining levels; judgment is

required because a relative definition of poverty is based on a comparison between the standard

of living of other members of society who are not poor, usually involving some measure of the

average standard of the whole of the society in which poverty is being studied (Alcock, 1997).

Many definitions of poverty include the economic poverty. When they said, for example, it is

spending less on food, shelter, and clothing; they are also saying that poverty is also economic.

As stated in Huston (1991: 7), someone who is economically poor is determined by calculating

the cost of living based on the Consumer Price Index. It includes the income of the family

(household) and the family size. It is presented in the form of cash.

 Poverty is the problem of all human beings. Smith argued that a billion human beings

today are bound in poverty traps, in almost unrelenting misery (2008; 1). Conditions of poverty

are particularly desperate in Africa. The World Bank estimates that the number of poor in the

Sub Saharan African region in increased from 217 million in 1987 to 291 million in 1998. By

2001 according to World Bank, some 48 percent of the population was absolutely poor, living on

less than 1 dollar per day-the highest incidence of poverty in the world as Smith stated in the

same page.

One of the vulnerable sections of the society is children. They constitute large number of

society. But they are not in policy discussions like welfare, education and family policy (Huston,

1991: 4). The same author in the same page mentioned that there is a family policy but it is not a

child policy. There are a bit more than two billion children in the world. Half live in poverty

(Garbarino, 2008:70). Two-thirds of world population, including perhaps three-quarters of the

worlds children, lives in countries that have not yet reached level of economic and industrial

development sufficient to assure their inhabitants even a minimal measure of the freedom from

want that is one of the goals of the world community (UNICEF report, 1960: 2). Garbarino tells

us that around the world some 30,000 children die each day due to poverty; that is 210,000 per

week and 11 million per year (p. 70). They die because they lack access to basic sanitation,

health care, and adequate food, and experience other toxic factors that can be linked to poverty as

stated by Garbarino. That is one clear meaning of being poor in any society allows the state of

children to be highly correlated with the economic status of that childs family.

In Ethiopia, children constitute nearly 50 percent of the total population. One of the

features of the deepening poverty in Ethiopian context is the experience of vulnerable groups,
including children (Debebe, 2007). A large number of Ethiopian children are suffering from the

ills of poverty and illiteracy such as living in extremely poor situation as Debebe said.

The influence of income and wealth on behavior is historically conditioned and very much

affected by trends in household real income. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify the

opinions of children from poor family towards their living conditions. As stated by Garbarino,

poverty sends the message of shame (2008: 73). If you lack cash in a monetarized society, he

said, you will feel poor, because you will not be able to many of the pleasures and necessities of

life. Children in many poor households are being reared in a culturally deprived environment that

is linguistically and emotionally impoverished. The poor differ from other socio economic

groups by displaying proportionately more of the qualities and characteristics that increasingly

characterizes groups as one goes down the stratification ladder as mentioned by Moynihan

(1969: 43). Garbarino states that being poor are about being left out of what your society tells

people they could expect if they were included (2008: 72). Again he said, being poor is being

negatively different; it means not so much a matter of what you have as what you dont have, it

means being ashamed of who you are and that in and of itself can be of violence toward self and

others.

Smith expressed the opinions and feelings of the poor in the following ways: the poor

speaks with disturbing regularity of lives surrounded by sickness and death. The poor also speaks

of their feelings of powerlessness in their lives and in their efforts to escape from poverty traps

(2008; pp. 21-23). They also feel that poverty like living in jail, living under bondage, and

waiting to be free as expressed by him. He also argued that some of the poor try to commit

suicide, while the other feel depressed and develop fear for what the future will bring. Still some

of them feel that they have no friends and their friend is ground. They also believe that since they
are poor they have no say in public, thus feel inferiority. Since there is also no food, they feel,

there are a famine in our home, and no progress in the family. They also feel lack of social

inclusion and lack of access to needed services (pp. 20-23).

In general, poverty has an impact on the psychological, socio-emotional, and cognitive

process of children which also leads them to different feelings or opinions of themselves, their

future and their living conditions. No concern is given to this issue. When they feel depressed,

they may take inappropriate measure to themselves. As a result of such inappropriate measures,

many of them left their family and become street children who affects both children themselves

and the country. Therefore, the researcher has developed the following research questions to see

and identify the major feelings of those children who come from poor family towards their living

conditions.

This research will be of the baseline social work research that will serve for potential

guide to intervention by identifying the major feelings of these poor children on their living

conditions. It can also assist the agency to hire the enough and professional counselors to deal

with such feelings which may hinder them from achieving what they expect in the future. On the

other hand, it opens the door to other researchers to focus on such issues.

Research questions

1. How do children feel for being from poor parents?

2. How their families economic status does affect childrens social interaction and

educational performance?

3. What social implication do those feelings have if identified?

General objectives of the study

 The main objective of this study is to identify the opinions/feelings of poor children

towards their living conditions.

Specific objectives

1. To see how they feel of themselves because of being from poor families.

2. To understand their opinions/feelings about their future life.

3. To identify their feelings when they are with their peers who are from relatively rich

families.

4. To recommend for appropriate social work intervention to tackle such feelings which

hinder them from achieving what they expect in their future.

Chapter two

Research Methods

In conducting this research, the primary and secondary sources of data are used. The

research basically focuses on the identification of major feelings/opinions of children from poor

family towards their living conditions. Specifically, they are children who come from poor

family and getting services in FSCE Arada Sub city district eight. The questionnaire was

developed for cases, guide for an interview, and guide for Focus Group Discussion (FGD).

Accordingly, the key informants, children, were interviewed directly and other information were

also conducted indirectly as well.

 To select the key informants, a non-probability sampling that is purposive, based on the

knowledge of care givers and staff was used. The results of the information gathered are shown

in the forms of meanings/words, and tables and presented under the finding.

Data collection instruments

The instruments used to gather the prominent information to achieve the stated objective

are basically questionnaire, and FGD guide. The questionnaire was prepared by considering the

age, education level, and cultural contexts of such children. It directly goes in line with the

objectives and research questions. The type of questionnaire is open-ended because the main

focus of the study is qualitative methods. On the other hand, the relevant information is also

reviewed from available documents specifically on the background issue of the children.

Sample

The size of the sample was 35 respondents; questionnaire was distributed to 25

individuals, three case studies, and an FGD with seven members. The results are presented

accordingly and categorized using the measurable variables.

Data collection procedure

I went to the center, FSCE, to talk to the staff that I want to conduct research in their

agency. They were cooperative and helped me in selection of informants from among 105

students/children using non-probability sampling which is purposive sampling. I told them the

purpose of my study properly beforehand. I also assured the confidentiality of the information

they gave.
 The questionnaire, and FGD guide was prepared in English by considering their level of

understanding, age level, and cultural issue. The questionnaire did not translated into Amharic.

But the oral translation was made by the researcher during data collection. The data was

collected in April 01-17, 2012 with the help of the staff and my colleagues. The area of the study

and the subjects were not new for me because I was there for four months for the purpose of

Field Practice. I already built a good rapport with the subjects from which the informants were

selected.

Limitation of the study

This research was conducted only in one NGO in two kebeles of Arada sub city district

eight. The number of respondents who participated in this research were 35 from among 105

subjects and therefore cannot be representative and also be generalized to other sub cities. On the

other hand, all the information gathered from the informants is not critically discussed because of

the shortage of time as a result of academic course load.

Significance of the study

Poverty is a reality that needs to be studied and understood and it is a problem that needs

to be eradicated. It is the problem of all human beings and affects each and every section of the

society. Specially, vulnerable sections of the society like children are mostly affected by it.

Poverty-stricken children develop different feelings towards their living conditions. Those

opinions/feelings affect their current and future developmental and success.

Thus, there is a need to identify and understand such feelings and recommend for proper

social work intervention. This study focuses on the identification and understanding of such

feelings. Therefore, the paper is better than other topic paper because it contributes to the
existing knowledge; it demonstrates the experience of children. In addition to this, the findings of

this study may be useful to help the agency and other concerned body to pay careful attention to

such feelings and provide the appropriate counseling and guidance services. In general, it may

also help other researchers to develop their work on the issue of children from poor families.

Scope of the study

This study is conducted on the issue of poor children their feeling towards their living

conditions. They are getting services at Forum on Sustainable Child Empowerment (FSCE). Its

head quarter is in Addis Ababa and has branches in different regions of the country. However,

the scope of this study is limited to one agency, FSCE; Arada sub city district eight kebeles

15/16, and it also limited to children from poor families who are getting services in the agency.

On the other hand, it is limited to opinions/feelings of those children.

The study design

Methodology of the study

To achieve the stated objectives of this study, the researcher employed qualitative

research method, but not purely qualitative. Qualitatively, the opinions of informants were

gathered using case study which is an in-depth examination of the selected participants, FGD,

interview and questionnaire. The information gathered using the above methods were described

in words and their meanings were studied.

Methods for data collection

This part is the description of the methods used for collection of the data. Open-ended

questionnaire was developed to gather information from three cases selected purposely from the
general population. It was made that the questionnaire is filled by their words. The questions

contained in the questionnaire was developed by considering the respondents level of

understanding, age, and culture and it also basically goes in line with research questions. Since it

was an open-ended, the appropriate space was left for further elaboration throughout the process.

Key informants

The face to face interview was conducted with three respondents who were selected

purposely as research participants. Since the study was more of qualitative, unstructured

interview was an important method of data collection. The interview guide was developed and

based on that guide; the information come from the respondents was carefully jotted down.

Focus Group Discussion (FGD)

In order to achieve the stated objectives, the researcher conducted one FGD with seven

members who are purposely selected from the total population. The selection of participants was

held by being with the staff/caregivers. The seven subjects were selected purposely being given

chance because they came from poverty stricken-families than others. A group discussion was

held in a permissive environment in order to extract opinions and share ideas and feelings

through group interactions.

During FGD, the researcher acted as a moderator and listener posing predetermined

open-ended questions which the respondents answered in any way they chose. The open-ended

questions/guide which helped the researcher gather information that was difficult to be obtained

using the above methods/procedures were developed beforehand.

Data sources
 The primary source of data was children who come from poor families. The outstanding

information was collected using questionnaire, and FGD guides. Basically, the information they

gave was their experience. During selection of subjects, it was believed that those poverty-

stricken children were key informants and they are sources of the information. On the other

hand, the background of the subjects was carefully reviewed. The background information of

those subjects was filed/documented by the agency. In general, the sources of data were children

themselves and different documents.

Data analysis technique

Data analysis was started during data collection. The information of respondent was

analyzed word by word and the process was continued until the end. Appropriate coding of the

information was applied to ensure the confidentiality of the information. Before starting analysis,

the information gathered was first separated into variables and also coded accordingly. In the

presentation of the information or result, simple statistics like tables, and percents were used.

Ethics and confidentiality

The need for ethics and confidentiality was considered seriously since the subjects of this

study were children. After their background was properly studied, due attention was given to

their status and anonymity. On the one hand, the presence of their legal guardians was given

emphasis and the consent form was also used to obtain consent on the other hand. The written

consent form was signed. Permission was obtained from their legal guardians. For this study, the

researcher asked children above eight to eighteen years of age. Before data collection, the

purpose of the study was clearly stated and the agreement of the subjects was ensured as well.
They were given the right not to participate and also skip the question(s) they are not willing to

answer. They were also given the right to stop or quiet the participation at any time they want to

do so. The confidentiality of both records and other information was insured by the proper

communication the researcher made with the subjects beforehand.

Organization of the paper

This study is organized into six chapters: chapter one is about the introduction of the

paper and the study, chapter two is about methodology, chapter three is about review of available

literatures, while chapters four, five and six respectively are about presentation of the

data/results, discussion and analysis; and summary, conclusion, social work implication and

recommendation.

Study area

The area of this study is Arada Sub city which the one from ten sub cities of Addis

Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Arada sub city comprises ten districts. From these ten districts,

this study was conducted in district eight kebele 15/16. This district is the place where FSCE is

working on the issue of children. It is specifically called Community Based Multi stakeholders

Child Protection Center.

This district is populated with 30,000 people (District eight Administration office, 2012).

Half of this is children. Kebeles 15/16 have 3221 households (District eight Office of Household

Registration, 2012). FSCE is a non-governmental organization which is working with children

from poor families. In kebeles 15/16, they are currently providing services for 105 children

(FSCE, 2012).
Chapter Three

Review of Available Literatures

General overview about poverty

Defining poverty is as problematic as the problem itself. Many scholars defined poverty

in different ways. It is a problem. Poverty means going short mentally, socially, and emotionally

(Alcock, 1997: 3). According to him, it means spending less on food, on heating, and on clothing

than someone on an average income.

Dixon and Macarov (1998: 1 as cited in Fisseha, 2003) expressed poverty as one of the

most omnipresent and long standing problems facing governments and populations throughout

the world; no matter how it is defined or measured, whether in prosperous time or during

depressions; whether in agricultural or industrial society; and despite anti poverty programs and

aid to the poor, poverty continues.

Another author, Smith (2008: 3), expressed poverty as other conditions that are less

quantifiable but no less real and oppressive. It is awareness and fear of becoming destitute as a

result of a shock or catastrophic event, such as an illness, or the death of a draft animal, or theft

of your lead: poverty is vulnerability. And it is an ongoing stress trying desperately to anticipate

and adapt to this vulnerability as stated by him.

Poverty is the denial of the right to a basic education. Poverty is powerlessness. It is the

lack access to real markets that could offer a way out of poverty (2008: pp 3-9). On the other

hand, Payne, in her book says A Framework for Understanding Poverty, defined poverty as

the extent to which an individual does without resources. These resources are financial resources
which is having money to purchase goods and services. Emotional resources: being able to

choose and control emotional resources, particularly to negative situations without engaging in

self-destruction behavior. This is an internal resource and shows itself through stamina,

perseverance, and choices (Payne, 1996: 16).

She also stated mental resources as lack of being able to process information and use it in

daily living. Unable to read, write, and compute leads to difficulty in accessing information from

many different free sources and be somewhat self-sufficient is also considered as mental

resource. On the same page, Payne (1996) expressed spiritual resources as lack of belief system

that can be obtained from a higher power, that there is a purpose for living, and that worth and

love are gifts from God (p 16).

Resources can also be the physical one. According to Payne (1996), it is seen as having a

body that works, that is capable and mobile. The individual can be self-sufficient. Support

systems also matters. It is a resource to whom does one go for help when it is needed. Lack of all

these resources, as she said, leads to poverty. However, poverty can be expressed in two forms:

in absolute and relative form. An absolute poverty is claimed to be an objective, even a scientific

definition, and it is based on the notion of subsistence. Subsistence is the minimum needed to

sustain the life, and so being below subsistence level is to be experiencing absolute poverty

because one does not have enough to live on (Alcock, 1997: 68). On the other hand, Fisseha

(2003: 1) defined absolute poverty as the inability to attain the minimum necessities for the

maintenance of merely physical efficiency. It means lack of food, cash and any assets. It is a

condition of life so degraded by disease, illiteracy, malnutrition, and squalor as to deny its

victims basic human necessities (Bibangabah, 1985: 24 as cited in Fisseha, 2003). It also refers
exclusively to the situation of particular individuals without any comparison being made between

them and others (Semboja, 1994 as cited in Fisseha, 2003; & Trufat, 1996).

The second expression of poverty is relative poverty. It is a more subjective or social

standard in that it explicitly recognizes that some element of judgment is involved in determining

levels; judgment is required because a relative definition of poverty is based on a comparison

between the standard of living of the poor and the standard of living of other members of society

who are not poor, usually involving some measure of the average standard of the whole of the

society in which poverty is being studied (Alcock, 1997: 69). In addition to this, relative poverty

is defined as the inability to attain a given contemporary standard of living. It exists when the

subjects under consideration are poor in relation to others (May, 2001).

In the words of Bibangabah (1985: 24 as cited in Fisseha), people are poverty-stricken

when their income; even if adequate for survival, falls radically behind that of the community.

Then they cannot have what the larger community regards as the minimum necessary for

decency and they cannot wholly escape, therefore, the judgment of the lager community that they

are in decent. They are degraded for in the literal senses, they live outside the grades or

categories which the community regards as acceptable.

Causes of poverty

Poverty can be caused by different factors. It can be caused by factors, most of the time,

that is environmental rather than personal (heredity). In addition to environmental factors there

are also various social factors like poor housing, high interest rates, and concentration of

population, emancipation of women, child labor, old age, bad sanitary conditions, poor

education, immigration, and war (Mencher, 1967: pp 173-177).

 Another author puts the causes of poverty in two forms; pathological and structural

causes. Pathological causes state that the individual is poor because s/he inherited characteristics

such as intelligence, and psychological approaches which explain individuals (non)

achievements by reference to acquired or developed personality traits (Alcock, 1997: pp 37-38).

They focus on nature rather than nurture.

The other category of pathological causes, according to Alcock, is that which focuses on

the family or community as the cause of poverty. They said inadequate parenting, lowered

aspirations, and disadvantaged environment of families and communities become internalized as

part of the values of their children as they grew up. Thus, when these children reached adulthood

their expectations and abilities were lowered and they more readily expected and accepted the

poverty and deprivation of their parents and acquaintances (pp 37-39). It is the poor themselves

who, as suggested by Alcock, produce and reproduce their poverty, but collectively through the

culture of their family and the community.

On the other hand, structural causes believe that the cause of poverty is the failings of

anti poverty policy and the agencies and institutions that make them work rather than individual

failing. In particular, this means, of course, the social security system (McGregory, 1981;

Donnison, 1982; & Spicker, 1993; as cited in Alcock). Changes in gender roles and family

structure are intertwined with changes in marriage, divorce, child bearing, womens

employment, and parenting. In effect, changes in gender roles and family structure are both

cause and effect; together they can interact with the family economy and have major

consequences for child and family economic well being (McFate, Lawrence & Wilson, 1995

cited in Alcock, 1997: 231).

 In her book A Framework for Understanding Poverty, Payne described the cause of

poverty as poor education, obsolete skills, ill health, divorce, desertion, alcohol and drugs. And

again, death, divorce, desertion, and illegitimacy deprive many families of a male breadwinner,

and this unquestionably contributes to poverty (1996: 161). She also stated that the rise of the

single-parent family has led to increased poverty among both adults and children. Even though

many authors suggested different causes for poverty, the causes of poverty are multiple and

highly complex in their interrelationship (Cooksy, 1994 cited in Fisseha, 2003).

Poverty is a global phenomenon. The scale of global poverty is immense. According to

Smith, about 1.25 billion people subsist on less than one dollar per day, and some 2.8 billion-

nearly half of the worlds population-live on less than two dollar per day (2008:1).

Two-thirds of world people, including perhaps three quarters of worlds children, live in

countries that have not yet reached a level of economic and industrial development sufficient to

assure their inhabitants even a minimal measure of the freedom from want that is one of the

goals of the world community (UNICEF report, 1960: 2).

Around the world, according to UNICEF, some 30,000 children die each day due to

poverty. That is 210,000 per week and 11 million per year. They die because they lack access to

basic sanitation, health care, and adequate food, and experience other toxic factors that can be

linked to poverty (Garbarino, 2008: 70). He also stated that there are a bit more than two billion

children in the world. Half live in poverty. Another author stated poverty as hunger. Some 17

percent of the worlds population is classified as undernourished, or suffering from chronic

hunger. Chronic hunger is measured by daily intake of less than about 1,700 calories and lack of
access to safe and nutritious food. This is a dangerously low level of calories, making a person

lethargic and susceptible to disease and death (Smith, 2008: 2).

Poverty in Africa

Conditions of poverty are particularly desperate in Africa. The numbers in the region

living in the extreme poverty have been estimated by the World Bank to have increased from 217

million in 1987 to 291 million in 1998. By 2001, some 48 percent of the population was

absolutely poor, living on less than one dollar per day-the highest incidence of poverty in the

world (Smith, 2008: 1). There are close to one billion illiterate adults in the world. A child in

Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia can expect to spend less than four years in school, some

never entering a class room in their life. It has been estimated by the World Bank that in 2003,

more than 100 million children have been unable to go to school due to their poverty-they are

thus deprived of their chance to escape poverty when they grow up (Smith, 2008: 3).

In Africa, children who are poor are more likely to die or fall sick than their rich

counterparts. Child poverty increases by the increment of impoverishment of households. In

2005, 45 percent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa lived below one US dollar a day. Three

quarters of the worlds ultra poor (122 million) live in Sub-Saharan Africa (Shimelis, 2009: 2).

UNICEF (2005) as cited in Shimelis stated that children living in poverty experience deprivation

of the material, spiritual, and emotional resources needed to survive, develop, and thrive, leaving

then unable to enjoy their rights, achieve their full potential or participate as full and equal

members of society (p 7).

The case of Ethiopia

 Ethiopia is one of the poor countries in Africa. With a population of 73.9 million,

Ethiopia is the most populated country in Africa; more than half of population is constituted by

children below the age of 18. They are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, other health, economic,

psychological, and legal problems due to extreme poverty, hunger, armed conflict and child labor

practices, among other threats (FDRE Ministry of Womens Affairs, 2010: 1).

The population in Ethiopia is generally characterized by a very young structure, with children

below age 18 years accounting to 52 percent of the national population. Children below age 15

represent 44 percent of the nations population. The number of children live in difficult

circumstances is noted to be significant due to social, economic, political as well as cultural

factors (FDRE Ministry of Womens Affairs, 2009: 3).

In its long term vision which says to become a country where democratic rule, good

governance, and social justice reigns upon the involvement and free will of its people; and once

extracting itself from poverty and becomes a middle-income economy, it is indicated that

Ethiopia is not yet relieved from the yolk of poverty (FDRE Growth and Transformation Plan,

2010: 6). Currently, with the estimated population of 73.9 million, agriculture is the main stay in

the economy and appropriately 85 percent of the country populations live in rural areas. Poverty

is the main challenge and fundamental issue of economic development in Ethiopia (Fisseha,

2003). The form and dimension of poverty in rural and urban area are very different. While rural

poverty is marked by its common connection with agriculture and land, urban poverty is more

heterogeneous owing its ties to various ways of income generation. Nevertheless, urban poverty

remains to be a reflection of rural poverty as mentioned by Fisseha (2003).

 From among ten sub cities of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, Arada sub city,

Kirkose, Kolfie, T/haimanot, and Addis Ketema sub city appear to be the most disadvantaged

areas where the majority of the population suffered from poverty (Yassin, 1997: 4).

Children in poverty; their feelings/opinions towards their living conditions

In Ethiopia, children constitute a large number of total populations. They are vulnerable

group of society. A large number of Ethiopian children are suffering from the ill of poverty and

illiteracy such as living in extremely poor situation, suffering and dying from various preventable

diseases, lack of access to education, working in hazardous conditions exposed to various types

of abuses, trafficking and being orphaned and/ or infected by HIV/AIDS (Debebe, 2007).

The present unprecedented growth in the worlds total population is one the major social

problems of our day and aggravates many of the problems of children by the demands it places

in family resources and social facilities, for example, the demands for additional places in school

(UNICEF report, 1960: 3). Poverty is caused by interrelated factors: parental employment status

and earnings, family structure, and parental education (Payne, 1996:12). Children under age six

remain particularly vulnerable to poverty. Children living in families with a female householder

and no husband present experienced a poverty rate of 48.9 percent more than five times the rate

for children in married-couple families, 9.2 percent as stated by Payne. She also expressed that

poverty prone children are more likely to be in single-parent families.

Children living in poverty are at risk of illness and dying from a wide range of causes

(Huston, 1991: 15). In their lives, poverty sends the messages of shame (Garbarino, 2008:73).

The influence of income and wealth on behavior is historically conditioned and very much

affected by trends in household real income (Sundquist, 1969: 47). The poor lack money to buy
goods and services that would help them avoids infection, accidents and injury. They often feel a

loss of control over their lives and low levels of self esteem. Many have unhealthy lifestyle,

which includes smoking and alcohol and drug abuse, and lack such safety precautions as smoke

detectors and seat (Huston, 1991: 15).

Low income and other economic hardships may reduce childrens self esteem by

reducing the emotional or supportive qualities of the parents home. The pressure that limited

economic resources can place marital relationship, can, in turn, translate into negative parent-

child relations and lower levels of self esteem (Payne, 1996: 166).

Children in economically deprived families are at high risk for depression, low self confidence,

peer conflict, and conduct disorders, in part because they live with violence, deteriorating

housing, and frequent moves from one dwelling to another (or to no home at all) that result in

shifting schools and neighborhoods (Huston, 1991: 14). On the other hand, Smith argued that

poor people feel lack of social inclusion and lack of access to needed social services (2008: 23).

The health problems of poor children have long-range effects on their cognitive, social and

emotional development (Huston, 1991: 15). The voices of poor study found that mental health

problems-stress, anxiety, depression, lack of self esteem, and suicide are among the more

commonly identified effects of poverty and ill being. Depression and anxiety are often

considered afflictions of affluent societies, but they are pervasive among the poor in developing

countries (Smith, 2008: 41).

Children raised in lower income families score lower than children from more affluent

families do on assessments of health, cognitive development, school achievement, and emotional

well being (Payne, 1996: 185). She added power-assertive disciplinary techniques-physical
punishment, valuing obedience, and not being supportive of their children-are used by poor

parents more so than other parents. Because poverty is associated with symptoms of stress, and

because symptoms stress are associated with poor parenting practices, which then cause worse

outcomes among children (p 184).

Smith summarized the most basic feelings or opinions of poor children as follows:

although basic food cost very little, the poor regularly speak of problems in getting enough to

eat. The poor speak with disturbing regularity of lives surrounded by sickness and death. The

poor speak of their feelings of powerlessness in their lives and in their efforts to escape from

poverty traps (2008: pp 20-22). Poverty destroys an emotional memory bank. An emotional

memory bank is defined as the emotions that are accessed habitually and feel right. When the

relationship is treated off for achievement, the emotional memory bank must be held in abeyance

until the new feel right feeling can be obtained (Payne, 1996: 86).

Smith again argued that poor children feel that poverty is like living in jail, living under

bondage, waiting to be free. They also think that being from poor family is lack of freedom,

enslaved by crushing daily burden, by depression and fear of what the future will bring. They

said we poor have no friends. Our only friend is ground. When one is poor, s/he has no say in

public, s/he feels inferior (2008: 23).

Among other things, family factors have implications for childhood poverty, welfare

dependency, injury, illness, and premature death, adolescent child-bearing, developmental and

mental health disorders in children, delinquency and violent behavior in young adults,

alcoholism and substance abuse (Payne, 1996: 162). Garbarino expresses in his book that

poverty is the worst form of violence; it manifests in the social and psychological lives in
children, what it means to their minds and hearts. Being poor is being left out of what your

society tells people they could expect if they were included (2008: 72). And also he said being

poor is being negatively different; it means not so much a matter of what you have as what you

dont have. It means being ashamed of who you are-and that in and of itself can be of violence

toward self and others as well as a host of other negative developmental trajectories.

Literature expresses poverty in families in two ways: generational poverty which is

defined as having been in poverty for at least two generations; however, the characteristics

begins to surface much sooner than two generations if the family lives with others who are from

generational poverty (Payne, 1996: 64). On the same page situational poverty is defined as a lack

of resources due to a particular event (i.e. a death, chronic illness, divorce, etc.). The breakup of

a marriage (or the parents failure to marry) increases the chance that the child will be poor

during childhood, may lead to psychological distress, may reduce parental supervision, and may

limit the childs role models for marriage and work which in turn leads children to be poor as

adults (1996: 166).

The same author (1996: 157) stated that poverty rates for children in families with one

adult, particularly because employment rates are high for children in families with one adult,

particularly employment rates are low among single mothers, many of whom are young and have

not completed high school. Mothers employment has become increasingly important in

determining childhood poverty levels and trends, both directly because of the income mothers

bring into the home and indirectly by facilitating separation and divorce (Payne, 1996: pp 157-

158). She also mentioned that more children in two parent families fell into poverty mainly as a

result of lower-paying jobs (p 161).

Laws and policies on the issues of children

Since these poor children are unable to get rid themselves off from poverty, and being

affected by it severely, the help of others is essential. The Growth and Transformation Plan

(GTP) states that promoting affirmative action to children with vulnerabilities and to children in

emerging regions to improve their access rates (GTP, 2010: 53). On the other hand, the FDRE

Constitution Article (36) sub article (1) section (c) states that every child has the right to know

and be cared for by his/her parents or legal guardians.

In the service provision guideline for OVC, it is stated that depending on the context,

children should get access to psychosocial needs, activities that support life skills, counseling

(both at individual and group level), rehabilitation, and information disclosure. The trained

counselor within school systems and develop safe spaces for children to engage in play should be

provided (MOWA, 2010: 35). On the other hand, in the Alternative Child Care Guidelines, it is

stated that the emotional situation of target children should be assessed and their psychological

needs should also be identified; as a result of this assessment, the proper training for caregivers

and volunteers on how to recognize and address their psychological needs, promote childrens

interaction with their peers and adults, and facilitating the provision of counseling services for

traumatized children (MOWA, 2009: 18).

In addition to this, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, article (18) sub article (1),

states that state parties shall use their best efforts to ensure recognition of the principle that both

parents have common responsibilities for the upbringing and development of the child. Parents

or, as the case may be, legal guardians, have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and

development of the child. The best interests of the child will be their basic concern.
In the same Article on the sub article (2) states that for the purpose of guaranteeing and

promoting the rights set forth in the present Convention, state parties shall render appropriate

assistance to parents and legal guardians in the performance of their child rearing responsibilities

and shall ensure the development of institutions, facilities, and services for the care of children.

African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the child states that every child shall have the right

to enjoy the best attainable state of physical, mental, and spiritual health (Article 14 (1)).

Child Protection Policy Framework also states that each child should be considered as unique

individual with specific characteristics and needs and thus accept each child with all the and bad

things within him/her (2011: 5). Plus to this, observing attitude of children with patience and

understand them within the local context in which they live, listening the views of children,

valuing and taking seriously with objectivity, are also mentioned in the policy. Most importantly,

the policy presents the encouragement of children to express their feelings as well as participate

in decisions, which affect them at the time ensuring confidentiality, and appreciate good efforts

and performances of children since it would be rewarding and reinforcing for further developing

are described well in the policy.

Chapter four

Findings

The findings of questionnaire distributed to twenty-five children are presented as follows:

Form the respondents who have participated in this study, 10 of them was born in urban Ethiopia

particularly in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia while 15 of them born in rural part of the

country which is out of Addis Ababa (see table 1 below). Those who born in urban part of the

country have the family whose background are rural. They bore them after they came to Addis

Ababa.

Table1. Birth place of respondents

Birth place Male Female Total

Urban 7 3 10

Rural 10 5 15

Total 17 8 25

Most of the respondents who participated in this study are Christian religion followers.

The total number of Christians is 19 while four of them come from Muslim religion background.

Only one respondent reported that he came from other religion which is neither Christian nor

Muslim (see table 2).

Table 2. Religion of the respondents

Religion Male Female Total

Christian 14 5 19
Muslim 4 1 5

Others 1 0 1

Total 19 6 25

As it is clearly shown in the table 3, very few respondents two are living with none of

their parents (neither father nor mother). They are died some years back. Seven of them live with

both parents (father and mother) while six of them live with only father and mother (10). The

reason they live with all, half and none of the parents is that they lost them some years back.

Table 3: Family history

Family history Male Female Total

Both are alive 4 3 7

Only father alive 4 2 6

Only mother alive 6 4 10

Both are not alive 2 0 2

Total 16 9 25

Regarding the age category of their family, most of them (12) came from families whose

age range is between 45-55 years while 8 of them reported that they came from the families

whose age range is from 31-45 years. On the other hand, five of them reported that they came
from the families whose age range is 56 and above years. However, no one reported that he/she

is from a young family which is between 20 and 30 (see table 4).

Table 4: Age category of respondents family

Age category Male Female Total

20-30 0 0 0

31-45 5 3 8

46-55 8 4 12

56 and above 3 2 5

Total 16 9 25

The original place for the respondents family, as reported by the respondents themselves,

are that majority of them having rural family origin. Only seven out of 25 were born in urban

part of the country particularly Addis Ababa (see table 5).

Table 5: Family birth place

Birth place Male Female Total

Rural 13 5 18

Urban 5 2 7
Total 18 7 25

The majority of respondents (19) reported that they live with four and above households

in one house. Only six of them reported that they live with less than four households ( table 6).

Table 6: Number of households

Households Male Female Total

4 and above 13 6 19

Less than 4 3 3 6

Total 16 9 25

Regarding the education level of their parents, 10 of the respondents reported that their

fathers education level is grades four to eight while some of them said that they have learned up

to grades eight to twelve. On the other hand, six of the told that their father learned only up to

grade four. Only two of the respondents reported that their father completed college and above

(see table 7 a).

Table 7: Family education level a. Fathers education level

Fathers education Male Female Total

level
0 to grade 4 4 2 6

Grade 4 to 8 8 2 10

Grade 8 to 12 6 1 7

College and above 2 0 2

Total 20 5 25

On the other hand, ten of the respondents reported that their mothers have learned up to

grade four, seven of them reported grade four to eight, six of them reported eight to 12 and only

two of the respondents reported that their mothers completed college and above (see table 7 b).

b. Mothers education level

Mothers education Male Female Total

level

0 to grade 4 9 1 10

Grade 4 to 8 4 3 7

Grade 8 to 12 4 2 6
College and above 1 1 2

Total 18 7 25

As it is clearly depicted in the table 8, majority of the respondents family (10 +9=19) are

not employed and therefore working private work. Only five of them reported their families are

employed in government agency. No one reported that either of their family works in non-

governmental organizations (NGOs).

Table 8: Parents occupation

Occupation Male Female Total

Employed in 4 1 5

government

agencies
Employed in NGOs 0 0 0

Not employed 8 2 10

Working private 6 3 9

work

Others 0 1 1

Total 18 7 25

The majority of the respondents 19 reported that their familys income is not enough to

live while two reported that it is enough to live. However, four told that they dont know their

families income and therefore how to categorize it as well (see table 9).

Table 9: Childrens evaluation of their families income

Parents income Male Female Total

Enough to live 1 1 2

Not enough to live 15 4 19

Dont know 1 3 4

Total 17 8 25

As it is shown in table 10 below, more than half (15) of the respondents reported that

their families are poor and have nothing to live while 10 of them reported that their families
economic status is middle which means, as they said, neither rich nor poor. However, no one

reported that they come from rich family.

Table 10: Families economic status as described by children/respondents

Family economic Male Female Total

status

Rich 0 0 0

Middle 7 3 10

Poor 10 5 15

Total 17 8 25

Table 11 shows the major feelings and the respondents stance/position on their feelings.

Accordingly, 25 reported that they feel inferior when they compare themselves with those

children who come from relatively rich families. In addition to this, 19 of respondents reported

that they feel disappointment when they see or compare themselves with children who are

relatively rich. On the other hand, 20 respondents reported that they feel backwardness when

they come together with rich children. All participants of the study reported that they lose

confidence in performing their daily activities and on education performance specially when they

come together or think about their rich counterparts (see table 11).

Table 11: Childrens feeling when they compare themselves with their rich counterparts

Feelings Male Female Total/25

Inferiority 18 7 25

Disappointment 14 5 19

Backwardness 15 5 20

Loss of confidence 18 7 25

When they asked about their response to their friends/classmates reactions, 20 of the

respondents reported that they angry at them as the response to the reactions. Only three

respondents reported that they like the reactions of their friends/classmates. The majority of the

respondents 23 reported that they keep silent when their peers who are from rich family talk or

react with them. In addition to this, 12 of the respondents reported that they respond different

responses plus to the above as the response to the reaction of their peers/classmates (see table

12).

Table 12: Childrens response to their friends/classmates reaction

Response Male Female Total/25

I angry at them 14 6 20

I like their reaction 2 1 3

with me

I keep silent when 17 5 23

they talk

Others 9 3 12
 Currently, all (25) respondents reported that they have the feeling of hopelessness that

their future living condition will not be worth or that it will be dark in the future. On the other

hand, 24 of the respondents reported that they developed fear as a result of their living

conditions. 10 of respondents reported that they developed the above feelings plus other different

feelings as a result of thinking about their families living conditions. However, only three out of

25 reported that they feel good about their living conditions (see table 13).

Table 13: Current feelings of the respondents

Types of feelings Male Female Total/25

Feeling good 2 1 3

Feeling of 18 7 25

hopelessness

Fear 18 6 24

Others 6 4 10

As shown in table 14 below, the previous school performance of the respondents was

very low. Accordingly, no respondents reported that their academic performance was excellent,

but only three out of 25 respondents of this study witnessed that their previous academic

performance/result were very good. Most of them, respectively five, eight and nine, reported that

their academic achievements were good, satisfactory, and poor/low (see table 14).
Table 14: Childrens previous performance in education

Academic Male Female Total

performance

Excellent 0 0 0

Very good 2 1 3

Good 3 2 5

Satisfactory 5 3 8

Poor/low 6 3 9

Total 16 9 25

At this time, the academic performance is reversed by the previous one after they come to

get service in the agency (compare tables 14 and 15). As it is portrayed below, 10 respondents

reflected that their current academic result is better than the previous one. In addition, eight of

them reported it very good, four of them good, two of them satisfactory, and only one respondent

report that it is poor/low (see table 15).

Table 15: Childrens current performance in school

Academic Male Female Total

performance

Excellent 7 3 10
Very good 5 3 8

Good 2 2 4

Satisfactory 2 0 2

Poor/low 0 1 1

Total 16 9 25

The major reason for this much change, as they said, is that the support they got from the

agency. Even though it is not enough, they complained, it contributed a little bit in our life and

academic performance.

Finally, table 16 depicts the responses of the participants on the belief that their current

feelings have a major impact on their academic performance. As a result, more than half-18

responded that they strongly agree that their current feelings have negative impact on their

academic performance and future life as well while four report that they agree on the issue.

However, two disagree that their current feelings about their living conditions have an impact on

their future lives in general and academic performance in particular but no one strongly disagree

that those feelings affect their lives negatively. On the other hand, only one respondent was

neutral and restrains his idea on the issues provided in the table 16.

Table 16: Belief that current feelings have an impact on their academic performance

Scale Male Female Total

Strongly agree 13 5 18
Agree 2 2 4

Disagree 1 1 2

Strongly disagree 0 0 0

Neutral 1 0 1

Total 17 8 25

Findings from FGD

This is the finding which is conducted or gathered from those participants who are

identified as research participants particularly for FGD. Seven participants were participated on

the discussion. The issues or ideas they provided during discussion are presented below. Their

ideas are presented according to its logical fluency and coherence.

Poverty is a problem. Actually it harms human being. The one and the most important

point to remember is that realizing/ identifying oneself that he/she is poor itself harms the

individual than what poverty brings. This is because nobody likes to be poor and if gets

him/herself there in poverty, he/she tries to get out of it. The attempt he/she tries also identifies

him/her. Nobody likes to be identified negatively from the larger society.

After someone is identified as poor, he/she thinks that he/she is poor and what others

say/think about him/her. Thinking always about ones being poor makes his/her idea that it will

be pre-occupied by bulky of information about poverty which also diverts his/her attention

towards thinking about poverty than the way out of it. Pre-occupation of mind makes the subject
that he/she loosely pays attention to other tasks. The manifestations of these feelings are different

from individual to individual, society to society, and from culture to culture. For example,

children like us, they said, feel every word comes from rich children by thinking that they use

such a word to attack us. We always leave the space for them. When they talk about their car, we

feel as if they are insulting us-of course some of them do this. Because of this, we developed

fear, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, feelings of inferiority, feeling of shame to speak in

front of them, assuming that they know everything while we do know nothing which resulted in

self defaming and lack of competition, self-restriction from participation, keeping silent as the

coping mechanism, isolation because of living standard difference, self-rejection, outward

looking rather than inward looking and so on. Sometimes when we think of our poor status, we

even loss our hope and we fill our heart with disappointment not to try/perform our best.

We always need someone who stands on our side. For example, when someone comforts

us, we even forget the situation we are in and feel equality. Counseling is one way for how others

have to stand for us. Counseling may help us forget the situation and on the other hand, it will be

better if there will be anyone who understands/listens our crying. They said Listening our cry is

better than giving nothing and blaming us.

Case presentation

Case 1

* Names given by asterisks are not the actual name of the respondents rather they are fictious

names which have been used for the sake of confidentiality of the information.
 Amanuel* is a 13 years old boy. He is learning in grade eight. He was born in Addis

Ababa, Arada sub city. He is a Wolaytan, one of the ethnic groups in Southern Nations

Nationalities and Peoples Region. He is a Christian religion follower.

Currently, he lives with his father only because he lost his mother by disease. His father

is nearly 50 years old. He was born in rural area of Wolayta. He has two children and now living

with two of them. The education level of Amanuels father and mother respectively are college

and grade eight. His father is a policeman, employed by government. Even though his father is

employed by government, Amanuel evaluates his fathers income as not enough to live on.

Because of this reason, he is now getting services in FSCE which a nongovernmental

organization and working on the issues of children who come from poor family. Based on this

evaluation, he categorized them as poor family.

When he thinks of his familys economic status, he feels that he is negatively different

from others around him. He again says that when I think of my familys living condition, I feel

sad and feel disappointed by thinking that there is nothing to be based on. Nobody speaks for us.

Nobody digs out our deep emotions. These are my feelings about the living conditions.

I asked him if there are friends or classmates who do not like or approach him and he said, since

I prefer my equals (in terms of economic level), no one hates me. The reason I control myself

from them is that they entertain much by their money and I decided not shame myself.

When he told me his reaction with other friends/classmates, he said that I spend most of

the time with my equals or who are poor like me and with play and study together. When

sometimes we fought each other, I try to be reconciled peacefully because I have no choice. If
today I fight with them, where shall I go tomorrow? Can I go to those who are rich and get into

trouble? however, when their violence is beyond my control, I angry at them.

Currently, I always think about my familys living condition. They have no enough to

live. This thinking creates some feelings in my heart and mind. Since I think how to survive, my

points in grades 1-6 was very low. This was the impact of these feelings on my educational

performance. Thinking more about living condition made me low scorer because I gave much of

my time not for study but for thinking and troubling my mind. But after I came to FSCE and get

some materials I improved my educational performance. After I see that changes come to my

score, I am thinking that if I learn I can change myself and my family, too. However, still the

feelings of economic issue recycle in my mind. At the moment it comes to my mind, I stop

studying and think more and more. After this, studying becomes so boring.

Case 2

My name is Tigistu*. I am 15 years old. I am learning in grade eight. I was born in Addis

Ababa, Ethiopia. I am from Amhara ethnic group. I am the follower of Christian religion.

Both of my families are alive. My father is 54 years old while my mother is 44 years old. They

come from rural part of Amhara regional state. They have five children and currently we are

living with seven households. My father learned up to grade eight while my mother learned

grade 4. They are employed in government agency and earn less and therefore not enough to

live.

I am now getting services in FSCE because I used to score lower in my class. I used to

score low because the situation I was in was not good and proper enough to be successful. The

reason is that since there is not enough to live on, my attention was stolen towards daily
materials. This all is the matter of our abdomen. It questions us every time. When I think of my

familys economic status I complain at myself and come to disappointment.

Always when I compare myself with other children who are relatively rich, I think and

rethink where the problem is. Sometimes, I try to look for the way out from these feelings.

Something which comes to my mind is not to approach those who come from rich family. Even

though they dont say anything about me, I always think that they may talk about my clothing

and any other parts of my body.

On the other hand, when I come together with my friends who are relatively rich, I

restrain myself from interaction. I am afraid to freely talk and interact with them. The coping

mechanism from the action or the way I respond for their interaction is just to keep silent when

they talk. I feel that if I interact with them violence may occur. Though I feel more about my

living condition, I have a hope to complete my education and bring change.

The perception of my community towards children of poor family is low. They perceive

us that we are worthless. I can easily understand this when they fail to pay attention to us while

they act differently with others. When I came to the agency where I supposed to get services, I

heard that the counseling will be given for those who have psychological problems, but I got

only material services. When I sometimes feel bad about my living conditions, I confirm to my

communitys perception (worthlessness of poor children). On the other times when I feel good, I

encourage myself to increase my ability and performance in education. I plan to study hard but it

fails. The reason is only one. When I become hungry, I feel disappointed and postpone my study

for the next day.

Case 3
 Aynalem* is a nine years old girl. She learns in grade one. She was born in Addis Ababa,

Ethiopia. She is from Amhara ethnic group. She is the follower of Christian religion. She lost her

father long years back and now lives with her mother whose age category is between 35 and 45.

Her family came from the rural part of Amhara regional state. She has two children and living

with three households. The education level of her mother is up to grade 4. She is working her

own job to survive and help her two children. Even though she works her own job, what they get

from it is not enough to live.

As Aynalem said, her family is poor and unable to teach her and provide her educational

materials. Because of this, she is now getting some academic materials from FSCE. I feel sorry

or I worry about my living conditions when I think about my familys economic status she said.

Even though my family is poor, she said, our reaction at home is good and no opposition with

each other. But outside of the home, when I react with peers and classmates, I insult them

sometimes when I get into uncomfortable mood. Most of my friends/classmates do know that I

came from poor family, but nothing is happened on me due to my status as far as I know. She

said that she herself feels sorry when she remembers of her familys economic status.

Though my current academic performance is very good, my current feelings have an

impact on the living condition and academic performance. When I will be in a good mood, I

think or wish to be a prime minister of my country. But I think a lot about my failure because of

my familys economic status.

Chapter five
Analysis and Discussion

Payne, in her book, says that poverty is caused by interrelated factors like parental

employment status and earnings, family structure, and parental education (1996: 2). Similar to

this literature, the finding of this study shows that the majority of the respondents families are

not employed. 19 work private work which earns less for consumption and since it is not enough

to live and help their children, it made them to be categorized under poor family. On the other

hand, Payne says children living in families with a female householder and no husband present

experienced a poverty rate is more than five times the rate for children in married couple

families. Poverty prone children are more likely to be in single-parent families.

In addition to this, the literature also says mothers employment has become increasingly

important in determining childhood poverty levels and trends, both directly because of the

income mothers bring into the home and indirectly by facilitating separation and divorce. Similar

to what the literature says, the finding of this study also reflects that majority of the respondents

family are not employed. This implies that mothers employment has an impact in determining

the childhood poverty of their children while keeping other factors constant. Lack of

employment implies that these families have low income. No other reason that children become

rich while their families are poor.

Comparable to what Payne says above, 10 of respondents reported that they live only

with their mother. Their fathers died long years back. These families represent more percent than

those who live with both father and mother; and again it is more than father only families and

those who live with none of them. This finding also goes in line with what literature says.
Huston says children in economically deprived families are at high risk for depression, low self-

confidence, peer conflict, and conduct disorders, in part because they live with violence,

deteriorated housing, and frequent moves from one dwelling to another that result in shifting

schools and neighborhood (1991: 14). On the other hand, Smith argued that poor people lack

social inclusion and access to needed social services (2008: 41).

According to the findings of this study, almost all respondents reported that they lose

confidence in performing their daily activities. Parallel to what literature says, the finding also

shows that these children respond angrily to their peers reaction which also shows the

conflictual relationship. The finding also depicted that, keeping other factors constant; children

from poor families feel lack of social inclusion. As it is reported by them, in order not to make

conflict, they chose to keep quiet. Keeping silent, even though not always, leads to self isolation

from other social groups like children from relatively rich families in this case. However, this

study negates the conflict within family due to poverty. This means that Huston (2001) says that

there is conflict within a family and children due to poverty, but none of the respondents reported

that they have conflict at home.

On the other hand, study conducted by Payne stated that children raised in low income

families score lower than children from affluent families do on assessments of health, cognitive

development, school achievement, and emotional well-being. The finding of this study confirms

that the performance of these poor children was low, keeping other factors constant. None of

them reported that their achievement in school was excellent before they come to the agency. But

there is a great change after they come to the agency where they are now getting services. This is

because the agency provides tutorial services and other academic materials. This does not mean

that they are now out of poverty.

 Smith says that poor children think that being from poor families is lack of freedom,

enslaved by crushing daily burden, by depression and fear of what the future will bring (2008).

According to this study, 24 respondents reported that they developed fear about what the future

will bring. The problem of livelihood or their families living condition enforces them that they

can develop the feelings of fear. The finding of this study also shows that only three respondents

feel good in their living which means the majority of them do not feel good. As a result, the

findings of this study directly go in line with what the literature says.

Huston (2001) also says that the causes of poverty are poor education, obsolete skills, ill

health, divorce, desertion, alcohol and drugs. Similar to what Huston says, nearly half of the

respondents reported that their fathers education is up to grade four to eight while some of them

reported eight to twelve grades. Six respondents reported that their fathers education is between

grades zero to four. Only two of them reported that their fathers completed college and above.

When I compare what the literature says and the findings, keeping other factors constant, the

education level of the respondents fathers clearly indicates that poor education is the cause for

poverty. Poor education might result in obsolete skills and inability to lead life properly. It is

obvious that education is the base to any type of growth and development. Poor education can

hinder the proper growth of an individual, family and the society. Family is the birth place of

society. Properly developed family contributes for the development of the country, but poor

family increases the number of poor in the family and the rates of poverty in the country as well.

Nearly half of the respondents reported that their mothers education is less than grade

four. The number of the respondents who reported that their mothers education is college and

above is very few which are only two as well as six respondents reported up to grades eight to

twelve. Similarly, the education level of the respondents mothers poor. According to the
literature, poor education results in mothers unemployment which also resulted in inability to

lead life as expected. Keeping other factors constant, the education levels of these mothers is one

of the manifestations of poverty at family level. It is very difficult to develop necessary skills in

life especially in this global world and the world where technology is widely spreading as well.

Garbarino (2008) says that the influence of income on behavior is historically

conditioned and very much affected by trends in household real income. On the other hand, low

income and other economic hardships may reduce childrens self-esteem by reducing the

emotional or supportive qualities of the parents home. In congruent with this literature, the

majority of the respondents 19 reported that their families income is not enough to live. It is

obvious that the influence of income on behavior is severe. It reduces children self-esteem by

reducing the emotional and supportive qualities of parents. It is very difficult to lead a quality

life by low income (low in a sense not enough to live). The pressure that limited economic

resources can play on marital relationships can, in turn, translate into negative parent-child

relationships and lower levels of self-esteem.

Payne (1996) says that poverty destroys an emotional memory bank. An emotional

memory bank is defined as the emotions that are accessed habitually and feeling right. When

the relationship is traded off for achievement, the emotional memory bank must be held in

abeyance until the new feel right feeling can be obtained. Similar to what Payne says, the

finding of this study also stated that currently all respondents of the study (25) reported that they

have the feeling of hopelessness that their living condition, if continues with such poverty status,

will not be worth or it will be dark in the future. Since there is no hope, they developed fear

about their living condition. What human being performs is the result of what they think. After

they think, they perform it. If one thinks good things and feels right about it, the probability of
performing it is very high. Nevertheless, if he/she thinks badly instead, there is a probability that

he/she performs it accordingly which also into negative consequences. Likewise, the thinking of

hopelessness and fear will result in unproductiveness and stop striving for the betterment on the

life. In my opinion, this type of thinking is a bit related with emotional memory disturbance. The

reason I relate this with it is that the non-disturbed memory bank is about feeling right about

themselves but depending on this situation (poverty), these children do not feel right about

themselves specially when they remember of their families poor living status. If they were, they

would prophesize their future in a good manner. Instead, they feel hopelessness and fear.

On the other hand, the literature by Garbarino (2008) stated that being poor negatively

affects the life of those who are under the yolk of poverty. It is not the matter of what you have

as what you dont have. It means that being ashamed of whom you are and that in and of itself

can be violence toward self and others as well as a host of other negative developmental

trajectories.

Similar to what Garbarino says, the finding of this study shows that more than half (18)

respondents reported that they strongly agree that their current feelings have negative impacts on

their academic performance and the future life in general. Plus to this, four reported that their

current feelings of themselves have an impact on their future life in general and academic

performance in particular. In this view, such like image on themselves negatively affect emotions

and other psychological set up of the mind. Because they already had been convinced that the

feelings they currently developed about their lives affects their performance and as a result of it

they may not strive for the successfulness of their actions. This means that every day they may

think different things and sayings about the poor face discrimination by their peers and other

community members. The sum of all these events makes them to make a bad decision on their
lives. For instance, dropping out of school for children may expose them to different life

tragedies, threats and anti-social behaviors. This can also affect not only the children, but also

their family, community, and the country as well.

Discussions from cases

For this study, three cases have been studied. For the sake of confidentiality, I used a

fictious name for each case. I used the following names respectively Amanuel, Tigistu, and

Aynalem for cases one, two, and three.

The discussion from the case of Amanuel shows that he feels that he is negatively

different from others when he thinks of his familys living condition. This means that he isolated

himself from others. It is also clearly shown in the case of him that he feels sad and disappointed

by thinking that there is nothing to survive. It resulted in psychological harm to him. This is what

the literature by Garbarino stated as poverty is the worst form of violence; and it manifests in the

social and psychological lives of children. Here, there is a sense of isolation in the case as well as

in the Garbarinos statement.

In addition to this, Amanuel thinks that being with rich peers is being in trouble. This is

because he feels that whatever they speak seems to him that they are insulting him. This sense of

self isolation from the society resulted into self neglect. He also states that he needs someone

who stands for him; who digs out his deep emotions. On the other hand, the literature says

children from poor families will be low scorer in their academic performance. Similar to what

the above literature says Amanuel was also a low scorer during his 1-6 grades. The reason he

scored low, as he said, was that he used to give much of his time thinking about the future; and it

is just troubling mind.

 In general, case one reflects what is said in the literature. However, Amanuel stops

studying and thinks more and more when he remembers the situation of his family.

Regarding case two, Tigistu was a low scorer before he joined FSCE. The reason he used to

score low grade was that when he thinks about his familys living condition, his attention is

stolen or diverted towards just getting daily bread. These feelings resulted in complain and

disappointment. He complained at himself.

The major issue of this case is that rather than continuing with it he tried to find the way

out of poverty. This could be dropping/withdrawing from school and participating in other out of

school activities. Such activities may not be easy for his age as a result he may be exposed to

different anti-social behaviors. On the other hand, Tigistu developed the perception that everyone

may talk about his clothing and other outward appearances. Consequently, he developed fear of

friends. This perception also creates isolation from the society. Since he fears to be with his

friends/peers, he restrains himself from interacting with them. Similar to what literature says he

had no freedom to talk with his peers which may also be resulted self-neglect and poor self-

esteem.

However, Tigistu has a hope to complete his education and change himself and his

family. He plans to study hard and it fails when he returned back to his familys living condition.

He also developed the habit of postpone/delay the task-studying and doing homework in this

case.

The major findings of case three are that even though her family is poor, their interaction

at home is good. They communicate well with each other and nobody opposes each other.

Though her familys economic status is poor and others know that she is from poor family, she
faced no discrimination. However, she sometimes feels sorry about her familys poor economic

status. Unlike other participants of this study, her school performance is very good. She has a

hope to be a prime minister of this (Ethiopia) country. But sometimes she feels a lot about her

failure than success because of her familys low economic status.

The finding from FGD also shows that poor children are pre-occupied by the feelings that

they are isolated and neglected by their peers as well as society. This resulted in paying loose

attention to other tasks. According to literature, the health problems of poor children have long-

range on their cognitive, social and emotional development. The study called The Voices of the

Poor found that mental health problems-stress, anxiety, depression, lack of self esteem and

suicide are among the more commonly identified effects of poverty and ill-being. Depression and

anxiety are often considered afflictions of affluent societies, but they are pervasive among the

poor in developing countries. Similar to the above literature, the finding from the FGD

conducted on poor children shows that because of the fear they have developed towards their

rich counterparts, they isolate themselves from them. The findings also show that they have no

confidence to speak with their rich counterparts. This also resulted in low self-esteem. In

addition to this, the finding also shows that poor children use keeping silence as the coping

mechanism when they come together with those who are relatively rich. The silence can also

leads to depression and anxiety.

On the other hand, Payne also stated that low income and other economic hardships may

reduce childrens self-esteem by reducing the emotional or supportive qualities of the parents

home. Similar to this, the finding of this study shows that poor children have low self-esteem

which resulting from lack of self-confidence and competence. Garbarino also states that poverty

sends the message of shame in the lives of poor children. Correspondingly, the finding from
FGD depicts that these poor children feel shame upon them and slander/defame themselves

consequently.

In general, the findings from three sources i.e. questionnaire, cases, and FGD show that

poor children feel negatively towards themselves. They feel that they are inferior, sense of

isolation, disappointment, low self-esteem, fear, depression, silence, pre-occupation by negative

feelings, lack of competition, outward looking rather than inward looking, loss of hope,

inattentiveness, and feelings of sadness and irritation. These all feelings lead to poor educational

performance, suicidal attempt, and any other psychological problems. All of the

information/findings strongly support each other.

Chapter six

Social Work implication, Conclusion and Recommendation

Social work implication

In its definition, social work profession included promotion of social change, problem

solving in human relationship, and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-

being. Utilizing theories of human behavior and social systems, social work intervenes at the

points where people interact with their environments. Its primary goal is to help people in need

and address social problems. And it focuses primarily on the issues of poverty, unemployment,

discrimination, and other forms of social injustices because there are vulnerable sections of the

society such as children, elderly, women, and people with various types of disabilities. These

groups of people are the one who are disadvantaged socially, economically, politically, and

psychologically.

Therefore, the issues of children in poverty are the direct concern of social work practice.

Children in poverty developed different types of negative feelings on their living conditions and

themselves as well. In their social settings, they always interact with their social environments

like peers, schools, families, neighborhood, church, and other recreational centers. During their

interaction, they either form social cohesion or collide with each other. It is already stated that

because of their poor economic status, they are isolated, excluded, and disadvantaged from the

majority.

The majority of feelings they developed towards themselves because of being poor are

inferiority, self-isolation and neglect, lack of self-confidence, feelings of backwardness, not

worthy, lack of competition, disappointment, feeling of shame, angry, fear, keeping silence,
inattentiveness, hopelessness, worrying, self-defaming, outward looking, low self-esteem, and

fear of future. These all feelings are a threat and harmful to their living and any health and

psychological problems. It hinders them from being competent enough due to lack of attention.

All of them may not be just feelings rather they can also be causes and effects to each other and

together resulted in poor health conditions and threat for their lives.

One of the core social work values is that social workers recognize the central importance

of human relationships. They seek to strengthen relationships among people in a purposeful

effort to promote, restore, maintain, and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, social

groups, organizations, and communities. Poor children who identified themselves as isolated and

neglected, inferior, and backward need appropriate social work intervention for their inclusion an

the larger community and participate equality in the field. Social workers need to promote,

maintain, restore, and enhance the well-being of these poor children. Social workers challenge

social injustices and pursue social change particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and

oppressed individuals and groups of peoples.

The poor childrens feelings of incompetence, not worthy, lack of self-confidence, and

disappointment needs professional help and support from social workers. Social workers

continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and skills and apply them in practice.

They uphold and defend the clients physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual integrity

and well-being of children who are poor. Social work practitioners respect and promote poor

childrens right to make their own choices and decisions, provided this does not threaten the

rights and legitimate interests of others.

 Social work practice helps clients specifically poor children instill hope where hope fails,

encourage equality where there is inferiority, awareness creation where there is outward looking

rather than self-consideration, and help pay attention to the major life activities where there is

inattentiveness and pre-occupation by the bulky of negative feelings. It engages vulnerable

people in the helping process.

Social work practitioners empower the society to bring a drastic change in eliminating

discrimination and stereotypic attitudes towards poor children. They help solve conflicts of

interest between societal interest and clients interest. This is the social work practitioners dual

responsibility. If societies become aware of the issue of poverty and its impacts on children, they

can include those poor children in the larger domain of the community. Inclusion itself can solve

the problem of isolation and neglect and implant confidence in performing daily activities.

In its practice, social work uses the current and the most important model of social work practice

which is Biopsychosocial and spiritual model. This model helps to identify any social problems

including poverty and its impacts on children and analyze it from biological, psychological,

social, and spiritual point of view. It is helpful for social work intervention on the issues of poor

children which affect their current and future lives.

Social work also uses the strength-based approach to solve the problems of poor children

and their families. This perspective is useful to dig out the strengths of these children rather than

focusing on the weaknesses of them which resulted from being poor. Social workers use

counseling as the method to deal with the major feelings of these poor children. It is one of the

important areas of social work intervention. During counseling, they use the Biopsychosocial and

Spiritual model to deal with the above mentioned feelings and problems. Since the deep rooted
poverty resulted in great psychological and social problems among these children, social work

intervention (counseling) needs to be provided well. The further expansion/development of these

feelings on the lives of children leads them to the chronic mental health problem and to a suicidal

attempt. They may also try to solve the problem by themselves using different

methods/mechanisms like dropping out of school to search for the means of livelihood which

directly or indirectly lead them to practice anti-social behaviors and make their dwellings on the

street. By doing this, they end up in delinquent behaviors and finally Remand Home for the

purpose of correction. This can be the burden not only for the family, but also for the country as

a whole.

In order to avoid such preconditions for social evils, social work practice is needed to

help those children get rid off their negative feelings and instill hope and confidence in them.

Social work practitioners can also work on the human rights and human dignity specifically the

rights of children. The vulnerability of these children has a paramount implication to the social

work profession to deal with this section of society to productive problem intervention via lobby,

training, advocacy, and others.

The exposition of these poor children to different negative feelings have an implication to

social work profession that they can use different therapies to relieve them from anxiety,

depression, and any other psychological harm. Social work practice with children always

assesses the problems of children, identify them, and provide the necessary services. After an

assessment they integrate isolated children to the larger society.

In general, the issue of poor children; their feelings/opinions and other problems resulted

from poverty and its ill-being has direct implication to social work practice. Children are the
hope of the family, community, and the country in general. They are the base for the future

development of the country. If their early development is affected by the ill of the poverty and by

its effect, they suffer more and become a burden on the country. By being change agents, social

workers deal with the issue of children from the very age and follow the developmental path.

Above all, they link children and their families to the available resources by using their most

important skills which is referral and linkage skill. They can also use service coordination for the

poor children and to their families.

Therefore, to solve the problems of children in poverty and help them solve their

problems by their own, social workers apply the necessary intervention at three levels-Micro

level intervention which is the individual level intervention, Mezzo level intervention which

again is the intervention at group or family level, and Macro level intervention which is the

societal level intervention.

Conclusion

Poverty is one among many social problems. It is both the cause and effect of many

social problems. It is a global problem due to which many countries are suffered from many

social evils. In ca be manifested in different forms among which the economic poverty is highly

visible among each and every social groups of one country.

Due to poverty, there are so many vulnerable groups in the society. Children are one of

the sections of the society and at the same time they are vulnerable. Their vulnerability exposed

them to different anti-social behaviors and poor social, psychological, and emotional well-being.
In Ethiopia, children constitute a larger number of the total population. They are vulnerable

groups. A large number of Ethiopian children are suffering from the ill of poverty and high level

illiteracy such as living in extremely poor situation, exposed to different social, psychological,

economic, and political problems.

Because of their poor living conditions, poor children may develop different negative

feelings towards their living conditions. They think about their families living condition and as a

result they may develop negative image on themselves. They compare themselves with rich

counterparts identify themselves as they are different from them. This identification leads them

to social and self-isolation and neglect among those children. Since they already excluded

themselves and been excluded by society from the larger society, it may be difficult for them to

properly socialize with the larger societal groups.

Mostly, they may develop the feelings like backwardness, hopelessness, inferiority,

shamefulness, and incompetence, not worthy, outward looking rather than controlling their inner

emotion, self-defaming, and low self-esteem. These and all other feelings affect their self image

and lead them to take unnecessary measure on themselves. Since they think a lot of time about

their poor situation, they become pre-occupied by these bulky of negative feelings.

Consequently, they pay no/little attention for their education and other day to day activities.

Since they are pre-occupied by negative feelings and attitudes, they fail to succeed in their

education and other activities. Even though it is difficult to generalize from this very specific

study, poor children are low scorer in their academic performance.

 In sum, to avoid these negative feelings and make those poor children know their rights

and become participants of the development, social work intervention is highly needed at

different levels.

Recommendations

Based on the findings of the study, the researcher recommends the following points for

further improvements in identification of different feelings of poor children. The rights of

children are put in different laws, policies, declarations, and provisions. In the FDRE constitution

it is clearly stated that every child has the right to know and be cared for by his/her parents or

legal guardians (Article 36 (1) (c)). On the other hand, the Convention on the Rights of Child

states that state parties shall use their best efforts to ensure recognition of the principle that both

parents have common responsibilities for the upbringing and development of the child. Parents

or, as the case may be, legal guardians, have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and

development of the child. The best interest of the child will be their basic concern (Article 18 (1

& 2)).

In addition to this, the service provision guideline for OVC states that depending on the

context, children should get access to psychosocial needs, activities that support life skills,

counseling (both individual and group), rehabilitation, and information disclosure. The trained

counselor within school systems and develop safe spaces for children to engage in play should be

provided.

In Ethiopia, there are a smart laws, policies, and provisions about the rights of children.

Even though it is difficult to generalize from this very specific study, however, the

implementation of these laws, policies, and provisions have a gap. Therefore, from this very
specific study, the researcher recommends that all state parties and other responsible bodies

should follow up the laws, policies, and provisions whether specific agencies are implementing

them well or not.

On the other hand, the follow up should not be specific to the laws and policy revisions

but it should focus on the implementation of different service guidelines, institutional policies,

and go down to the community. The Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) also states that

affirmative action should be promoted to the vulnerable children and to the children in emerging

regions to improve their access rates. However, based on the finding of this study, the researcher

recommended that the implementation of this legal document/plan should be inclusive to specific

organizations be it NGOs or any other governmental organizations (institutions). The researcher

did not find the emotional situation and psychological needs of poor children identified and the

necessary services provided based on their vulnerability. Therefore, the organization which is

identified for this study should identify the psychological needs of these children and provide

services accordingly. On the other hand, the laws, policies, service provision guidelines, and

other legal documents states that after the emotional situations and psychological needs are

identified, the organization/agency should provide the necessary counseling services to relieve

them from their negative feelings. However, the organization in which this study was conducted

did not do all these rather it provides material services. Therefore, this study recommends that

the emotional situations and psychological needs of those children should be identified and

appropriate counseling services should be provided based on their feelings, needs, and emotional

disturbances due to poverty. If so, it should be by professional counselors.

Basics to this study, the researcher recommends that other researchers should focus their

areas of study on the issue of what poor children thinks/feels on themselves and about their
living conditions, what their major negative feelings are, what the effects/impacts of these

feelings have on their future living and on their academic performance, and what the solution of

it will be. So, it is highly recommended that this issue should also be studied on the other

geographical settings of the country.

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Appendixes

Appendix 1

Informed consent form

Sub city Arada Sub city District Eight

Agency Forum on Sustainable Child Empowerment (FSCE)

Kebele 15/16
 Introduction: Good morning. My name is Alemayehu Hotessa. I am 4th year student at

the School of Social Work, Addis Ababa University. I am interviewing children come from poor

families to identify the major opinions/feelings towards themselves because of being from poor

families. This research is designed for the partial fulfillment of Bachelors Degree in Social

Work and does not have connection with any agencies, be it governmental or NGOs work.

I would like to thank you all for taking your time to participate in this interview. While

you are engaging in this interview, you have the right to interrupt the interview at any time. You

have also the right to omit/skip any question you do not like to answer. However, please do not

hesitate to ask me to elaborate any question that you do not clearly understand.

In order to be authentic in presenting the information, I would like your willingness to

allow me to take notes. The information you are going to provide will be transcribed and

presented to school in a compiled form. Your identity will always be kept strictly confidential. I

believe that your true and honest information you will give me is very much valuable to achieve

my research objectives. I appreciate your cooperation!

Are you willing to participate in this interview?

Yes _____________________________ No _____________________________

Appendix 2

Guide for FGD

Introduction: Good morning. My name is Alemayehu Hotessa. I am 4th year student at the School

of Social Work, Addis Ababa University. I am interviewing children come from poor families to

identify the major opinions/feelings towards themselves because of being from poor families.

This research is designed for the partial fulfillment of Bachelors Degree in Social Work and

does not have connection with any agencies, be it governmental or NGOs work.

Number of participants _____________ time _____________________

1. What are the effects of being poor on the lives of children?

2. What do you think are the major feelings that children from poor families think upon

themselves?

3. What are the impacts of those feelings on their lives and academic performance?

4. How do you think these feelings are avoided?

5. What do you think is the importance of counseling for poor children?

6. What do you expect from your agency to successfully complete your education?

Appendix 3

Questionnaire
My name is Alemayehu Hotessa. I am 4th year student at the School of Social Work, Addis

Ababa University. I am here to gather information about the major opinions/feelings of poor

children towards themselves because of being from poor families. This research is designed for

the partial fulfillment of Bachelors Degree in Social Work and does not have connection with

any agencies, be it governmental or NGOs work.

This questionnaire will help me gather such information and this information will be used for

scientific purpose only. Your identity will be kept confidential. Please fill it as clearly and as

honestly as possible. Return the paper back to me if you finish it.

Thank you!

1. Age _________________

2. Sex ___________________

3. Place of birth: Urban _______________________ Rural_______________

4. Ethnic group __________________________

5. Education level ________________________

6. Religion: 1. Christian __________ 2. Muslim ___________ 3. Others _________

Family background

7. Are your parents alive?

a. both are alive c. only mother is alive

b. only father is alive d. both are not alive

8. If your parent (s) is/are not alive? If your answer is yes, how?

__________________________________________________________________

9. Age of father: Age of mother:

a. 20-30 a. 20-30

b. 30-45 b. 30-45

c. 45-55 c. 45-55

d. 55 & above d. 55 & above

10. Familys birth place: a. rural b. urban

11. How many children does your family have? Male ______________ female _________

12. How many households do live in your house?

a. less than 4 b. 4 & above

13. Education level:

Fathers: a. 0 to grade 4 Mothers: a. 0 to grade 4

b. grade 5 to 8 b. grade 5 to 8

c. grade 9 to 12 c. grade 9 to 12

d. college and above d. college and above

14. What is the occupation of your parents?

a. employed in the government agency

 b. employed in the non-governmental organizations

c. not employed at any agency

d. working privately

e. others (if any) _____________________________________

15. How do you evaluate your parents income?

a. enough to live

b. not enough to live

c. dont know

16. Where are you now getting services? ____________________________________

What services do you get? ____________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Why? ________________________________________________________________

17. How do you see your parents economic status?

a. rich b. middle c. poor d. others __________________________

18. What is your feeling when you think of your parents economic status?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________
19. What do you feel when you compare yourself with other children around you?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________

20. Are there friends or classmates who do not like you? Yes ______ No ___________

If your answer is Yes, do you know the reason? _______________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

21. What does your reaction with your friends look like? __________________________

________________________________________________________________________

22. How do you interact with your parents at home?______________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

23. What is your feeling about your parents reaction to you?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

_________________

24. How do you respond to your friends/classmates reaction to you?

a. I angry at them

b. I like their reaction to me

c. I keep silent when they talk

d. others (specify if any) ____________________________________________

25. Based on the question number 24, why do you think you react like that?

______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________

26. Do your friends know your parents economic status? A. yes B. no

If your answer is yes, what happened upon you because of your familys economic status?

__________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

27. What is your current feeling about your living condition?

______________________________________________________________________________

_____________________

28. How do you evaluate your performance in school? ____________________________

29. Do you think your current feelings about your living conditions have an impact on your

academic performance? ________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Tell me how? ____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

30. Depending your current living condition, please tell me about your hope for the future?

_________________________________________________________________

31. Do you have problems of making friends? A. yes B. no

32. If your answer for the question number 31 is yes, what do you think are the

reasons?_______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

33. Do you prefer to be alone instead of playing with other children? A. yes B. no

If yes, what are the reasons? _______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

34. How do you perceive the attitude of the people in your community towards poor children?

_______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

35. Do your teachers know that you come from poor family? A. yes B. no

If yes, how do they treat you as compared to children from rich family? ____________

______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________

36. Do you spend a lot of time on thinking about your living condition? A. yes B. no

If yes, what kinds of emotions/feelings you experienced? ________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

_________________________

37. What types of support do you get from your organization? _____________________

_____________________________________________________
38. Is there counseling services in your organization? A. yes B. no

If yes, how often do you get it? ____________________________________________

39. What measures did you attempted for your feelings? __________________________

________________________________________________________

40. For how long do you study at home? ______________________________________

41. Do you have any health problems? A. yes B. no

If yes, what types of health problem do you have? _____________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Thank you!