Presentation given at the Migrating out of Poverty Conference, 2017.

1. Independent Child Migration and
Education Nexus in sub-Sahara
Africa
By
Theophilus Kwabena Abutima
(Student)
Centre for Migration Studies
March, 2017

2. Introduction
• Child migration is comparatively new in research and policy cycles due to
less attention on child migration over the years (Punch, 2007).
• Independent child migrants are seen as “victims” with no agency (Edmonds
& Shrestha, 2009).
• Victimising and Pathologizing Independent Child Migration has shrouded its
positive impact (Hashim, 2005; Thorsen, 2007).
• Less emphasis on education of independent child migrants at the
destination.
• The paper interrogates implications of independent child migration beyond
the vulnerability of independent child migrants.

3. Methodology
• Draws mainly on secondary data which was complimented by primary
data gathered from a qualitative study conducted in Madina-Accra,
Ghana.
• 10 independent child migrants(5 boys and 5 girls) were purposively
sampled.
• 8 child schooling in Accra while 2 schooling at the origin but work in
Accra
• The paper combined published works on child migration in parts of sub-
Saharan Africa with the primary data to build a compendium of the
positive aspect of independent child migration and the education nexus.

4. Theoretical Background
(The Structural Differentiation Theory)
• Smelser (1964) used Structural Differentiation Approach to explain
how modernization and globalization have transformed family
structure
• Traditional families were more supportive, dependable and played
multiple roles (providing emotional support, socialization, education, welfare,
and religious guidance)
• One distinct hallmark of the traditional family is mutual self-help and
reciprocity.
• Traditional families which were more supportive are now nuclear
families with broken support system (Nukunya, 2003; Therborn,
2004).
• Children are compelled to support themselves through migration.

5. Independent Child Migration in the
Context of sub-Saharan Africa
• Selectivity of independent child migration according to:
 Age
 Gender
 Maturity
 readiness to live without parental guidance (van de Glind, 2010;
Thorsen, 2007; Hashim, 2005).
• Socialisation prepares children to contribute to family income.
• Children only work for the household (Hashim, 2005).
• Migration as a life transition process

6. Agency of the Independent Child
Migration
• Children migrants are often assumed to have no agency, passive with no
intrinsic desire for migration, are incapable of migrating independently
(Howard, 2008).
• They are often perceived as trafficked children with parallel migratory
processes and experiences.
• Independent child migrants have agency and control over their migration
decision making (Mitchell, 2011).
• Earlier studies by Hashim, (2005), de Lange (2007), Imorou (2008) and
Staunton et al. (2007) on the migration of children in Ghana, Burkina Faso,
Benin and Southern Africa respectively support this assertion.

7. Agency of the Independent Child
Migration
• I came here with my friend and his father. I first passed through Obuasi to visit my
uncle and to ask him for some money for my travel down south. The friend I came
with was about 15 years and the dad about 75. People who have been to Accra all
say life is good here. Some friends also told me there is work here and this
influenced my migration to Accra. My maternal uncle encouraged me when I told
him of my intentions. I did not tell my parents I was going to Accra. I told them I was
going to Obuasi to visit my uncle (Sampson, a food processor in Accra Ghana,
Voices of Child Migrants, Anarfi & Thorsen, 2005).
• The case of Mawuena, 15 years, SHS 1 student reveals:
 Resolve to come out of prevailing societal hindrance.
 The search for a supportive environment which can be attained
through migration.

8. Poverty and Migration for Education
• Migration restores the dream of lost hopes in education
• The case of Musah, 19 years, Fieldwork, November, 2015
• Completed Junior School with no hope of Secondary school
education although academically good.
• Migration offered him the resources to go back to school
• However, he still comes to Accra during school vacations to sell his ice
cream to finance his education and that of his younger siblings.

9. School Drop-out and Accessing
Education through Migration
• The case of Margret:
……..After a year, I decided to come to Accra to work because my
auntie’s daughter who is just three years older than me is also
working in Accra, so that when I get money, I will return and go to
school. But when I came here, I got to know that I can sell my pure
water and go to school here because the girls I sell water with also
go to school. So I told my auntie’s daughter that I have some money
so she should send me to school and I came here because there was
a girl I sell the water with who is in this school (Margret, 14 years
Primary 6 Pupil. Fieldwork, November, 2015).

10. Challenges in Accessing Education at the
Destination
• Engagement in economic activities tend to hinder access to education.
• Children have to work to access education with its ramifications.
• Prevailing conditions and negative perception at destination areas are also
key determinants to accessing education.
• Independent child migrants are aware of the challenges in migration as well
as good platforms for their life transition process (Anarfi & Thorsen, 2005:
2).
• A respondent from my study noted that:
Living in Accra without my parents is difficult but I can manage with these
difficulties because, I know why I came to Accra; I have an aim that I want
to achieve…... (Mensah, 15 years old JHS 3 Pupil in Accra. Fieldwork,
November, 2015).

11. Accessing Education at the Destination
• The supporting cases from South Africa and Ethiopia (Kifle 2002;
Edmonds & Shrestha, 2009)
• The Case of Azara in my study is a typical example in Ghana.
I completed Junior High School in Walewale but my result was
not good. I came here to do kayayei (head porterage) to get
money to buy a sewing machine and go back to learn how to
sew at my hometown. But there was a woman I carry her things
anytime she comes to the market, she is a teacher in this school.
One day she said I am a good girl and she wants me to come
and help her as a house girl. I agreed and worked in her house.
After some time, she brought me to this school, I started from
class six and I am now in form 3. I am still helping her in the
house after school (Azara, Fieldwork, November, 2015).

12. Conclusions and Recommendations
• Independent child migration exist and is gaining attention in the migration
literature (Thorsen 2007).
• Independent child migrants have agency in migration.
• Migration to urban areas is not always detrimental to the education of children.
• Researchers should endeavour to look beyond independent child migration as a
social deviation and a “pathology”.
• A holistic approach be should adopted using child-centred to highlight
children’s own migration experiences.
• Independent child migrants are different from other child migrants. Policy
should therefore recognise their unique requirements and meet them such as
educational support for those already in school.

13. Thank You
Contact
tabutima@yahoo.com
abutimatheo@gmail.com