HEALTH HAZARD ASSOCIATED WITH STREET HAWKING AMONG CHILDREN IN ABRAKA URBAN DELTA STATE IMPLICATION FOR HEALTH EDUCATION

TABLE OF CONTENT

Title page

Approval page

Dedication

Acknowledgment

Abstract

Table of content

CHAPETR ONE

1.0   INTRODUCTION 

1.1        Background of the study

1.2        Statement of problem

1.3        Objective of the study

1.4        Research Hypotheses

1.5        Significance of the study

1.6        Scope and limitation of the study

1.7       Definition of terms

1.8       Organization of the study

CHAPETR TWO

2.0   LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPETR THREE

3.0        Research methodology

3.1    sources of data collection

3.3        Population of the study

3.4        Sampling and sampling distribution

3.5        Validation of research instrument

3.6        Method of data analysis

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

4.1 Introductions

4.2 Data analysis

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Summary

5.3 Conclusion

5.4 Recommendation

Appendix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abstract

The pervasiveness of street hawking in Nigeria is of great concern to the health and wellbeing of children in Abraka Delta state. Although, street hawking by children could be a sustainable livelihood approach as well as coping strategy to parental poverty problems, early exposure of children to economic activities could lead to physical, social, developmental and psychological consequences. Thus, the study examines health hazard associated with street hawking among children in Abraka urban Delta state and it implication for health education. Abraka in Delta State was purposely sampled and the 200 respondents who were involved in the study were accidentally sampled through a structured questionnaire. Simple percentages and chi-square were the methods of data analysis employed in this study. The findings of the study showed that parents’ socio- economic status was significantly related to the prevalence of children street hawking. And street hawking exposes children to communicable diseases.

 

 

 

                CHAPTER ONE

                                        INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Nigeria is presumably one of the poorest countries in the world regardless of the fact that oil exploration and production has fetched the country over $400 billion in revenues. Several factors have been adduced as the determinants of poverty in Nigeria among, which are unemployment, corruption, over dependence on oil and non-diversification of the economy, income inequality, indolence, and non-functional education system (Nduka and Duru, 2014; Togunde and Arielle, 2008). Despite attempts made by various governments to alleviate the scourge of poverty in the country through programs such as Better Life Program (BLP), Peoples’ Bank of Nigeria (PBN), Family Support Program (FSP) and National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS) among others, poverty is still highly endemic and it is a serious social malaise. Poverty in Nigeria is characterized by insufficient access to public services, ecological problems, infrastructural decay, absence of functional education, ill health, insecurity, socio-political discrimination and economic marginalization (Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, 2010). This state of affairs according to Nseabasi and Abiodun (2010) has compelled millions of children to work as a means to boost the income of the family to guarantee the continued existence of the household. The issue of child labor is mostly rife in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Pacific (International Labor Organization (ILO), 2012). There are about 48 million children involved in child labor in sub-Saharan Africa, plus the 15 million active child laborers in Nigeria (Ajakaye, 2013). The manifestations of child labor include domestic servitude, forced and bonded labor, begging, mining and agricultural activities, child sex workers, cobblers, car washers, apprentices in various sectors, street hawkers among others (Ukpabi, 1997).

However, street hawking is the most prevalent mode of child labor in Nigeria (Osiruemu, 2007). Child Street hawking is the selling of goods and services by children who are below 18 years along major roads or streets and other designated place to make a living or complement family income. Similarly, Ebigbo (2003) averred that in Nigeria, working children have been shown to contribute up to 90% of the family income and many children who work do so as a means of survival. Consequently, children hawking are common sights in Nigeria cities and rural settlements. Poverty is perceived as the utmost driver of children into the work force. Prior studies have revealed that child labor is more common in poorer homes and societies with extreme economic inequalities (Owolabi, 2012; Ekpenyong & Sibiri, 2011). Vaknin (2009) opined that it is customary for parents and guardians to send a child to work in order to help them learn new skills; however, hawking has been reported to have numerous negative consequences as child hawkers are exposed to physical, intellectual, psychological and emotional hazards. According to Owolabi (2012), children who engage in street hawking are predisposed to sexual exploitation, rape, trafficking. They are robbed of their daily cash, become victims of ritual, poor academic performance many others. Street hawking affects the educational advancement of a child and is a disinvestment in human capital configuration and has destructive outcome on the personal and social returns of a child (Admassie, 2002). Prior to Nigeria’s independence, legislations opposed to children street hawking were formulated and implemented by the colonial regimes in the 1950s. in the same vein, post-independence Nigeria has passed legislations prohibiting street hawking especially the Child Right Act (CRA) of 2003. One fundamental stipulation of the CRA is that utilizing children for hawking is a punishable offence under the Act. Early childhood (0 – 6 years) has come to be recognized as a period critical to the development of the human being. During this period love, care, good nutrition a safe environment, stimulation, and encouragement are particularly critical for the individual’s future life (Dixon-Fyle, 2002). Regrettably, in Nigeria, many children in the process of their development seem to experience exposures to street hawking. Hawking refers to an occupation engaged by children and young adults, which involves selling of items or goods from place to place, in public places and in the streets. It is also a way of displaying, wares for sale from one point to the other by sellers. These wares could be pushed around in wheelbarrows or carts, and/or carried in flat trays or pan on heads by the sellers. The wares on display for sale usually includes fruits and vegetables, household items, detergent and soaps, clothing materials, food items, fresh meat, bread and any other items as deemed fit. Article by dodolika 24 (8, 186, pt’s) January 27, 2011.

Street hawking refers to the act of selling items or goods in the street. In Nigeria, hawkers could be seen on the streets of major cities of Nigeria. And majority are young people mostly teenagers and the children both male and female. In the light of the above, Ikechebelu, Udigwe, Ezechukwu, Ndinechi and Joe Ikechebelu (2008) considered street hawking as the act of canvassing for the sale of items carried by the hawkers along the street from house to house or in the public places in the town. Hawking is a method of sourcing for income and thus financially empowering the seller or actual owner of the goods. It is widely believed that these hawkers make profit, as they do not spend money on renting shops to display and sell their goods. This is a good strategy of selling, as people who are unable to go to the market can buy from the hawkers closer to their homes. Sadly, the trends for the children to be involved in hawking are increasing. Children are sent out to hawk by parents or guardians to earn money for the family so as to make ends meet. These children hawkers are then exposed to dangers and risks and in some cases, they are hit and killed by reckless drivers. There are also some cases where the children are abducted and used for ritual purposes. Girl hawkers have been known to have been rapes by either their male customers or strangers. Many of these children are not in schools and even when they attend schools, they have little time to work on after school assignment or even time to rest from the long hours at school.

Street hawking have been tackled at different levels but this trend is like a symptom of diseases but the main disease is poverty. And this issue is not properly treated. Many of these children hawk until late and at times and could be punished for not selling all the wares given. However, some of the after effect on the children hawkers are that it exposes the children in sexual abuse and in sometimes they may and end up been infected with HIV/Aids virus. The children when abducted are at times trafficked and they end up being used as slaves or commercial sex workers. Some of them end up joining on the streets, the girls could be attracted to robbery gangs and prostitution rings. And the boys could become petty thieves and some end up as armed robbers. There are cases of children who dropped out of school due to their day jobs as hawkers.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It remains a matter of concern among scholars as children who are supposed to occupy a pride of place in any given society are rather regarded as the most vulnerable in society. In developing countries like Nigeria, it is very unfortunate that children of primary school age are found hawking. It is a source of worry, as the academic problem has not been satisfactorily addressed in the existing literature. To this end, the problem this study is set to address the health hazard associated with street hawking among children in Abraka Delta state.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to examine the health hazard associated with street hawking among children in Abraka urban delta state and implication for health education; but to aid the completion of the study, the following specific objectives were put forward by the researcher;

1. i) To examine the health hazard of street hawking among children in Abraka, Delta state
2. ii) To ascertain if there is any relationship between street hawking by children and the health of children in Abraka

iii) To examine the impact of street hawking on the academic achievement of student in Abraka urban Delta state

1. iv) To examine the role of parent in curbing the menace of street hawking

1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The following research hypotheses were formulated to aid the completion of the study

H₀: there is no significant relationship between street hawking by children and the health of children in Abraka

H₁: there is a significant relationship between street hawking by children and the health of children in Abraka

H₀: there is no health hazard associated with street hawking among children in Abraka, Delta state

H₂: there is health hazard associated with street hawking among children in Abraka, Delta state.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is hoped that the finding will be useful to a number of people such as parents, guardians, caregivers, teachers, head of schools, curriculum planners, researchers and psychologists in various ways.

Specifically, parents, guardians and caregivers will now be able to know the type of work to give and where to draw the line while training children. It will be significant to parents as it will arm them with the knowledge about the dangers of hawking. The study will be significant to teachers and head of schools as them may be enabling to know how to counsel students who are found to be significantly absent from school and are low in academic due to hawking.  Curriculum planers may find it useful in that it will help them see the need to include the teaching of children’s right in the curriculum while reviewing the curriculum. If the rights are included in the curriculum, children will be favoured and know when their right has being violated. The findings of the study will serve as a reference material to other researchers. Trained professionals like the psychologist may find it useful in monitoring and educating the children on the dangers of hawking on their development. Finally, it may also supply relevant data that will help reduce the influence of hawking on our society

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study involved primary six pupil in Abraka metropolis, and these are made up of boys and girls who hawks. In the cause of the study, there are some factors that limited the scope of the study;

1. a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study
2. b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
3. c) Finance: Limited Access to the required finance was a major constrain to the scope of the study as the researcher could not cover more ground.

1.7 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

Street hawking

Street hawking is the commonest form of child labor in Nigeria. Although street hawking is very pervasive, there is the increasing need to fully understand its pattern and effects on those involved in hawking particularly adolescents who combine schooling with hawking

Health hazard

Health hazard means a chemical for which there is statistically significant evidence based on at least one study conducted in accordance with established scientific principles that acute or chronic health effects may occur in exposed employees

Health education

Health education is any combination of learning experiences designed to help individuals and communities improve their health, by increasing their knowledge or influencing their attitudes

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows

Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study

 

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