GUOTS Briefing Paper 9: Spirituality on the streets

Summary

In Accra (Ghana), Bukavu (DRC), and Harare (Zimbabwe), spiritual beliefs and practices are central to the lived experiences of street children and youth. Religious faith, witchcraft and magic are integral aspects of everyday survival and physical, social, and psychological wellbeing. This briefing paper explores how spirituality shapes the thoughts and practices of Growing up on the Streets participants.

It draws on around one year of interview data and focus groups qualitatively coded under ‘spirituality’ in this longitudinal and participatory research project.