Life On The Street: A Study Of The Coping And Survival Strategies Of Homeless People In Tema Community One

ABSTRACT Homelessness is a global challenge that many countries are battling with because of its numerous challenges. Many cities around the world are filled with migrants who go there in search of better living conditions. However, many of them end up disappointed, a situation that compels them to be on the streets in order to make a living. This study investigated the coping and survival strategies of homeless people in Tema Community One, a city in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. The objectives of the study were to examine the causes of homelessness, the challenges encountered by homeless people, the survival and coping strategies of homeless people and to identify the social and economic welfare systems used by homeless people. The study found that financial problems, poverty, unemployment, peer pressure and the perceived better living conditions in the cities were the major reasons of homelessness in this part of Ghana. The study also revealed that although some respondents were pulled to the city to secure employment, there is the challenge of securing employment for the homeless as many of them lack the required skills to secure better jobs, stigmatization, poor health and sanitation problems. According to respondents, they are able to cope and survive on the streets by engaging in activities like truck pushing, sales of sachet water, handkerchiefs, toffees and panhandling. And social networks were useful to the homeless as they derived a sense of compassion, encouragement, security and job allocation from it. As found by this study, there is no welfare system for homeless people in Tema. However, some philanthropists, individuals and Faith based organization come occasionally to assist them. The Mixed Method design was the main research method used for the study. In all 100 questionnaires were administered to respondents supplemented by Focus Group Discussions, InDepth Interviews, Face to Face Interviews and Observations.