Abstract
Today, child abuse, child trafficking, child kidnapping, child labour, child prostitution, early child marriage among others are some of the setbacks of children in Contemporary Developing Countries and African Societies in particular. In Traditional African Societies, children were viewed as a resource to both the family and the community at large. This perception made the process of child upbringing and socialization an important African value owed to each child by both parents and members of the extended family. The traditional African values ensured that the family catered for the intellectual, social, physical and emotional needs of the child. Lauras-Lecoh (1990) maintained that the family played the role of meeting the needs of family members as well as ensuring equal distribution of community resources. However, with the influence of new cultures, poor governance, corruption and rapid socioeconomic changes in Africa particularly after independence, traditional African values have changed drastically and, in some cases, completely eroded. This change has affected child upbringing in Africa. The influence of these changes is also visible in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as well as the Habitat Agenda and Agenda 21. Notable was the 1989 convention on the Rights of the child (CRC; United Nations 1989) which shifted access to children from their parents. This shift made children according to Pence et al (2008) become visible as individuals in their own rights. The big question is, "was Africa and the African child ready for this?" UNICEF (2018) revealed that 9 out of every 10 adolescents and young people between the ages of 10-24 were faced with challenging conditions in developing countries. These conditions, which are caused by many factors such as poverty, poor welfare, death of parents, abuse, being accused of witchcraft amongst others has forced children into the streets in search of livelihood (STREETISM). The term streetism in this study refers to the group of homeless families and children living on the streets in urban cities moving from place to place in search of livelihood. Unfortunately, the street has nothing to offer other than further hardship, which leads them to begging, prostituting, crime and other numerous social vices. Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods will be adopted and 300 street children will be used as follows; Millennium Park 60, Calabar central refuse dump, Lemna 60, Native delicacies, restaurant 60, DE choice fast food off Mary Slessor Avenue 60, Former MacBite, Calabar road 60. Cluster sampling techniques and reliance on available cases will be among the sampling methgmail.comods adopted. The study will also identify other popular cultural activities available in Cross River State and Nigeria as a whole and then equally identify stakeholders involved in talent hunt for popular cultural activities. It will then portray the probable need to embark on talent hunt programmes among street and gang children as a means of providing them with the identity, family life, security and emotional support they desire and eventually leave the streets. This study will address some of the targets of the SDGs and funding this research will afford TETFUND the opportunity of addressing streetism as a means of strengthening our Tertiary educational sector, because some of the robberies and crimes committed in, and around tertiary institutions are traceable to street children.