Augmenting the Lives of Street Children through Life Enrichment Education (LEE)

Indeed by emphasizing the debilitating aspects of street life, most studies have brought street children to prominence as "a category of children whose life circumstances place them at physical and psychosocial risk" (Veale et al., 2000). It was in this context, the study entitled "Augmenting the lives of street children through Life Enrichment Education (LEE)" was undertaken with a main objective of enhancing the selected street children's overall development by imparting LEE to gain insight into selected physical, psychosocial and vocational aspects. This research conducted m Coimbatore city, TamilNadu, India comprised of 66 boys and 52 girls residing in rehabilitation homes. An interview scheduIe was framed to secure adequate information on their knowledge base in reference to physical and psycho-social aspects before and after imparting LEE. The data collected was systematically computed and subjected to systematical analysis. The substantial leap of the awareness percentage and the 't' value significant at 1 percent level with regard to the selected aspects of physical dimension (physical health care, substance use and reproductive health care), psycho-social dimension (communication and listening skill, assertive behaviour, emotional health and moral behaviour) and vocational dimension unmistakably designate that the LEE programme had made a better headway in the minds of the selected street children. Promotion and protection of street children's life is dependent on education, health and attitudinal changes in behaviour and confidence to lead an independent life. Hence the society is responsible to frame suitable strategies to mould their livelihood, which can be made possible with LEE as it brings forth attitudinal changes, behaviour modification and desirable health practices.