“Like rubbing salt into the wound”: Lived experiences of homeless youth in Gondar City, Ethiopia

Abstract

Despite growing research on homeless street children, women and elderly people in Ethiopia, there is little empirical evidence regarding the experiences of homeless street youth in the country. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research is therefore to understand the lived experiences of street homeless youth aged between 18 and 29 years in Gondar city. Face -to- face in-depth interview was conducted with 9 purposively selected study participants. Interviews were transcribed, coded, categorized and thematized through thematic analysis strategy. Five themes emerged from the data analysis include Reasons for becoming homeless; Social marginalization; Violence and Criminalization; Psychological distress; and Means of a living. Findings of this study illustrate that homeless youth suffered from poor health, sexual violence, psychological trauma, social stigma and hostility from the public. The combined effect of these precarious situations places homeless youth at the margins of society and makes them feel helpless in their daily lives. This study implies that social workers should use and promote family- and community-based interventions to deal with the problem of homeless youths and integrate them into society. How to reference using ASWNet style: Bihonegn, A. (2023). “Like rubbing salt into the wound”: Lived experiences of homeless youth in Gondar City, Ethiopia. African Journal of Social Work, 13(5), 265-272. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v13i5.5 Visit journal website: https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net