Aspirations and Setbacks of Working Children in Addis Ababa: Can They Realise Their Futures?

Abstract

Based on interviews with 45 children, this article looks at the life situations and aspirations of working children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, including their hopes, efforts and struggles to make their dreams come true. Pushed by the need for survival, the children work and nearly half go to school. They demonstrate agency, taking care of themselves, supporting families and aspiring to change their lives. However, they also face challenges that make achieving their aspirations difficult. The authors argue that agency alone is not sufficient to help them realise their aspirations unless buffered by supportive structures and systems.

Leisure time of working children in Addis Ababa

“…The children earn money to spend on themselves, and they are proud of what they can do. As we found in Mulugeta and Eriksen (2019), it could be seen as the poor child's dream, the idea of being rich, lived out in practice.…”

“…Subsistence farming made the main livelihood of children’s families coming from rural areas. Most parents of children from Addis Ababa worked on low-earning jobs such as daily labour, security and petty trades (Mulugeta and Eriksen, 2019). Some mothers also worked in petty trade.…”

A Disadvantaged Student Group: Educational Experiences of Working Children

“…Because the experiences of the children affect their perceptions about the future and could lead to realistic perceptions due to their living conditions (Gun, 2017). Also, it was stated that when children work in minor jobs in certain periods such as helping out the family business or jobs that could provide pocket money for vacations could provide job experience, skills and productivity; thus, improving their sense of autonomy, self-confidence and responsibility (Mulugeta & Eriksen, 2019;ILO, 2019;Bourdillon, 2017;Edmonds & Pavcnik, 2005). The development of the resilience of working children and the ability to manage social relationships while dealing with the difficulties in the job could also asist their maturity levels (Mulugeta & Eriksen, 2019).…”

“…Also, it was stated that when children work in minor jobs in certain periods such as helping out the family business or jobs that could provide pocket money for vacations could provide job experience, skills and productivity; thus, improving their sense of autonomy, self-confidence and responsibility (Mulugeta & Eriksen, 2019;ILO, 2019;Bourdillon, 2017;Edmonds & Pavcnik, 2005). The development of the resilience of working children and the ability to manage social relationships while dealing with the difficulties in the job could also asist their maturity levels (Mulugeta & Eriksen, 2019). One of the prominent findings of the present study was the premise that working would protect the children from the negative environmental effects.…”

Does the education system matter? Exploring in-depth joint school attendance, hazardous and non-hazardous activities in artisanal and small-scale mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

“…Notwithstanding that poverty is an obvious contextual factor that dominates and pushes many children into child labour [ 15 , 16 , 22 ], the living environment, such as proximity to certain activities (for example, the presence of artisanal and small-scale mining activities), may be among elements justifying child labour [ 2 ]. The lack of economic opportunities is another reason for the prevalence of child labour in ASM sites.…”